I am a lousy Italian housewife.  Now that the weather is nice and we have windows and doors open, I can hear, even more clearly (oh joy), all that's happening in the apartments around us.  And what is happening is housework.  The sounds of vacuuming, water running, scrubbing are prominent.  The balconies above us are flying banners in the forms of rugs and curtains and duvets.  The smell of laundry detergent is in the air.  Not me baby.  I'm sitting out here in the sun drinking coffee and writing on my computer.  Mind you most of this cleaning is probably not actually being done by housewives.  The women that I know in these parts all work.  They all have house cleaners too.  I am a once a week sheet changer, vacuumer, half a** bathroom cleaner.  If nothing's growing, I'm happy.  Italian homes are generally spotless. You could eat off any surface in my mother-in-law's home and it would probably taste good too. They pay a lot less attention to the outside.  Gardens are overgrown, grass doesn't get cut.  My little garden is impeccable!  Can't say the same about the inside......ah well.  Whatever.  Nothing's growing.  xxoo me