My gosh oh golly, the elixir of bee saliva seems to work!  I've taken two doses and feel better than I've felt in ages.  It may be a psychosomatic cure but who the Hell cares!  The stuff tastes like Jagermeister or one of those horrible, bitter digestive spirits.  Nasty stuff made of herbs that old men drink with an espresso for breakfast, while smoking their 10th cigarette of the morning, mostly in rural areas.  And yet they outlive us.  Hmmm.  And here I've been with a hacking cough and stuffed head for weeks, never having smoked a cigarette in my life.  What the....!

Anywho.  Italy has finally chosen their next President who is more of a diplomat than leader.  The Prime Minister holds the power where the President holds a few vetoing powers and assures that any new laws, (there are 10 a week in this country), represent the constitution.  The new guy was a judge from the south, mafia country, so as he has reached a ripe old age he's probably corrupt.  Just my opinion!  There has been no mention of that on national news.  But in a country where everyone is out for something, a cynic like me has a field-day.  I must say however, non-catholic as I am, I do like this Pope.  He met privately with a transgender Spaniard the other day!  Can you imagine?!  xxoo me

I'm still sick for Chris-sakes!!  It will be two months February 6th exactly.  I remember because it started with a high fever the evening of a Mexican dinner with friends.  The Mexican dinner had nothing to do with it.  I cooked.  I've asked around and have been told to try Propolaid, an extract of honey or bee spit or something.  I guess it tastes terrible and can stain your teeth so one has to put drops down their throat.  I predict gagging.  I stopped today at a "herboristeria"  to buy it as you can't find it in pharmacies.  Herboristarie are pre-pharmacies.  They've been around forever, once run by little old ladies who collected plants in the fields and made their own medicines.  They are shops that sell all-natural, herbal remedies and cosmetics.  When I was first here many years ago, herboristarie were lovely old shops with dark wood shelves and large jars filled with dry leaves and liquids .  But now that "all-natural" has become the rage these shops are almost as common as pharmacies, which are on every corner because Italy is a nation of hypochondriacs.   Every household has a few drawers filled with medicines.  They never finish their overly prescribed prescriptions of antibiotics and keep the left-overs, self medicating for as little as a sniffle.   I'm convinced that Italians are the cause of the super strains of viruses.  So I'm going to try my bee spit and hopefully kick this once and for all.  xxoo me

Yippee ya yay!  Teeth are out, braces on.  We made it through with very little drama and lots of ice cream.  Grace had some too.

There is a little girl at the school, a kindergartener, who I have fallen in love with.  I don't think she's human.  Possibly elfin.  She speaks her own language, all the time, to herself.  Mom is American and Dad is Italian so I know it's not a language issue.  She looks like a cuter version of the trolls we used to play with as kids.  She is all exaggerated features, mischievous grin and fly-away hair.  Her teacher calls her magical and there is something so other-worldly about her.  Her two older brothers are nice kids but just kids, with dark eyes and hair.  She is blond and light-eyed but not at all ethereal or fairy-like.  She's solid and there.  She loves to come stand beside me while I'm checking books in and out for her class.  She just smiles at me and mutters unintelligible things, (I guess they're amusing because she laughs to herself too).  I want to bring her home but I think I'd get in trouble.

We finally got up to the mountains for our first snowshoe outing.  There simply hasn't been the snow.  It was freaking cold!  Maine cold.  Nose hair crinkling cold.  We headed up very early so watched the sun rise over the mountains.  We had a 3 hour hike then made it back in time to meet friends in the city for lunch.  It was a good 30 degrees warmer down here.  xxoo me

purty