Sunday

It was rainy off and on this weekend. Some good drenching rains which caused me to make use of my newly purchased umbrella. I walked to my favorite place twice today as my fitness level really is to the point where I need to crank it up a notch. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to sit and do any reading as the rain snuck up and caught me unaware.

Cortona was hopping last night…car horns and loud voices in the streets until 3:00 AM which was not much appreciated by me! I am sure it doesn’t help that the stone buildings are so close together and I am up so high…it seems like small sounds are magnified. As the weather has warmed the crowds in Cortona grow. There are tour groups, several daily, and lots of out-of-towners on the weekends. I am usually glad for Monday to arrive so things quiet down a bit and I feel more at home.

I see a fair number of young fathers alone with their small children here. That always warms my heart…too see a daddy with his small ones. One little guy, maybe 16 months old, with chubby cheeks and silky curls, was playing by the fountain in the park yesterday, as his dad snapped pictures. At the base of the fountain there is a small concrete step about 5 inches higher than the surrounding gravel, and when the little guy wanted to get up that step he’d put both hands down on it, then sort of scootch his knees up, then finally, poke his bottom in the air and stand up. A lot of work to get up one step, and getting back down wasn’t any easier!

I shall have you know that I resisted the urge to eat a porchetta sandwich the past two weekends! I will admit that porchetta makes me a bit nervous. I find myself wondering how long it takes for them to sell a whole, cooked pig on small sandwiches. 3 days, 7 days, 3 weeks? The shorter that porchetta is, the more I worry about things like salmonella. So, folks, I always find myself browsing the three vendors at the Saturday market in search of the man with the longest porchetta. In rereading that statement, I think we shall move on to a new topic.

My blood sugar reached an all time low tonight…64! Now that I’ve stopped taking the stronger medication, I do find myself needing to check my sugar more often to make sure my remaining medication is managing my diabetes effectively, and it seems to be doing fine. I think I am ready to set a new fitness goal, however I dread making the commitment. There is a terrible hill in town which leads off Piazza della Repubblica all the way down to a car park. My mom might remember it as we rolled down it to the bus on our visit in September with the tour. It was a long, steep hill. I remember thinking, at the time, that I could never possibly make it up that hill and if I did it would be major accomplishment and a sign of much improved physical fitness. Well, I think that will be my next goal, but I am dreading it.

Maria has been feeling under the weather so I made some of my wonderful chicken soup for her and took her my homeopathic remedies for dealing with colds and the flu. She reports feeling a bit better, but she sounds terrible. I’ve been sneezing a bit myself so I think allergies are a factor. I am excited to say that I have not yet been sick since I’ve been here. Getting more sleep, having little stress, and maintaining good control of the diabetes has made a big difference. Or maybe it’s the fact that I don’t come into close contact with many people. Either way, I like feeling healthy and strong. It feels wonderful not to huff and puff after navigating just 10 stairs. I am making progress!