Seasons and the weather here changes soooooooo slowly and with so few extremes it's boring!  The past week was gray and damp and coolish every day.  This next week is going to be gray and damp and a teeny bit cooler.  It's not the change in temperature that bothers me, it's the gray damp. My reaction to this weather is to hibernate.  All week long I've worked, then returned home and burrowed down to read in bed.  I hate the gray!  Today, Saturday, was the best you can get out of this lousy in- between weather.  I slept late and got up to the smell of pancakes.  Grace had made us all a lovely breakfast!  After a lazy midday reading and puttering, GP and I went into the city to take a long walk.  The center was packed with shoppers and tourists.  We walked and window shopped for 3 hours without ever leaving the cover of the "portici", the covered walkways that Torino is famous for.  There are hundreds of specialty food shops, gelato places, bars and restaurants in the city.  Just peeking in the shop windows made us salivate.  By the time we got home we'd worked up a huge appetite.  GP popped open a lovely bottle of wine and we ate cheese and bread, salad and vegetable, orzo soup.  Not a bad way to spend a gray day.  Tonight we'll find a film on T.V.  Life here isn't so different from home sometimes.  xxoo me

The 50th anniversary of the school is coming up.  There's a lot of hoopla about it in the upper echelons of the school but the peons, (the teachers and aides), haven't been paying enough attention evidently because when we walked into the monthly all staff meeting yesterday, there were computers set up with an on-line registration that we all had to fill out before sitting.  There are various activities stretching from Thursday to Sunday, the last week of October.  Some of the activities are within school hours and so mandatory.  Others are in the evening or over the weekend so supposedly we don't have to attend but it is expected that we do.  On the Saturday evening there is a Gala dinner for which the invitations went out last June.  At the time, the invitations said 60 euro, (about $75.00), per person, so GP and I said forget it.  With $150.00 we could go out for a seriously good dinner where I wouldn't even be obligated to behave myself.  Obviously we were not the only "peons" who weren't willing to pay so much for a dinner held by our employees because nobody from the school signed up.  When we sat down to register for the various activities the administration had changed the invitation to say that employees were free of charge.   So now I am going to the Gala but without the husband who refuses to go out of principle, because we already hand over an arm and a leg for school and he's offended that they are making parents, (and before backpedalling, employees), pay for dinner.  (I'm out of braeth after that run on sentence).  Sooooooooo.  My date for the Gala is my American friend and co-worker, Catherine, who is in the same situation as I am.  Her husband has also nixed the dinner.  It's formal so I will get to whip out the wedding and funeral pearls and wobble around on my one pair of heels, so that should be fun.  We'll sit as far away from the head honchos as possible and make snarky comments about the over dressed, over made-up, over botoxed, wealthy Italian wives.  Can't wait!  xxoo me

I don't know what's going on with Ireland this year but it's hot, hot, hot!  First, the middle sister and I are planning at trip there in April.  Then, a friend of Grace's will be there for an exchange program in the spring and Grace would like to visit.  Also, the school is considering Ireland for the 10th grade trip and now GP has a business trip to Dublin in October that we may join him on.  Well, when it rains, it pours.  Especially in Ireland.  Must get me some wellies.

A few days a week we keep the library open until 5 so that folks can exchange their books or use the space for quiet study after school.  Bette, the new librarian and I take turns staying.  Today I was on duty when Buffon, Italy's greatest goalie in history, (according to my husband and daughter, amongst others), came in with his son to return some books.  He's tall and skinny with huge protruding ears but very pleasant.  It took me a while to register who he was and as I don't watch sports I don't really care.  But when I mentioned it to Grace she freaked and texted her dad who told everyone at work, who are most envious. I've been told I don't get it.  Next time I'll pay more attention.

Tonight we're off to see fireworks in Carignano, GP's home town.  The towns "Saint's Day Festival" is upon us once more.  I don't get this either.  Ah well.  I'm a lousy Italian.

Well it looks like Italy's government shutdown is contagious.  Look what happens when I leave! xxoo me