A Message

Yesterday I walked to Fuflun’s for my weekly pizza where I sat outside, under a large umbrella. Perfect for watching the few people who wander down this small side street off Piazza della Repubblica. I ordered the pizza crostone which consists of a light and bubbly pizza crust covered with melted cheese and a layer of proscuitto, topped with fresh sliced tomatoes, arugula, and thin curls of Parmigiano. Heavenly! Mandola’s, an Italian restaurant and deli in Austin, has a very similar pizza so I will be able to satisfy my craving when I return home.

After lunch I hopped in bed with a book as it has become quite warm in the afternoons with the strong sun beating down on the ancient stones of Cortona. It heats up rather like a brick pizza oven!

At 5:00 I wandered over the David and Francesco’s to make an appointment to have my hair cut and colored. It’s been 6 weeks already! The same slim man with very short hair, angular face, and the holstered collection of shears, was at the desk and said they could take me “adesso”, now. He led me to a chair and poked around my head for quite some time examining my hair in great detail and, with David’s translation help; we decided to make the body of my hair a bit darker than we had previously, but to keep the blonde highlights. He disappeared to mix the hair color and then he, with David handing him the foils, applied the highlights, then after about 15 minutes the rest of the color. How lucky could I get? I had two really nice looking Italian men laboring over my hair. I was in heaven except for the upset stomach I had from a bad case of the nerves resulting from my previous hair cutting experience. Eventually, I was lead back to the sink by the young lady with the magic fingers for a luxurious hair wash and head massage. This time the short haired man (I am too shy to ask his name) who colored my hair cut it too. The shears made a “whisk, whisk” sound as he traveled ‘round my hair causing tiny pieces of hair to fall to the floor. He really cut very little before he began drying and styling my hair, whirling it all around my head until, at one point, it was all twirled up like a soft-serve ice cream cone. Of course it was very cute and the color is gorgeous and very shiny. He does the most beautiful hair color and teeny, subtle, little highlights. I love my stylist, Charline, at home, and we have a fun time doing my hair, but I think he could challenge her in the color department! Once my camera battery has charged up I will take a photo of the new hair color!

I received a new message in my dreams the other night which I feel is important to share. In my dream, another lady and I were social workers and had identified a foster home which was not providing good care to handicapped toddlers and infants. We were cleaning, dressing, playing with, and loving the babies until we could find a new, better placement for them. The dream changed then and I was in a walled yard surrounding a small church and a specific message came to me “I was able to hurt before. Now I will perpetuate the things which show love”. Even in my dream I knew this was a profound message and I kept repeating it to myself until I was fully conscious and able to get up and write it down. At the time my feeling was that the “hurt” the message referred to was my ability to hurt other people, but perhaps it also represents my ability to be hurt myself. I don’t know exactly what the message entails or how I am to carry out the instructions, but I carry it with me as a reminder to be the best, kindest, most loving person I can be. I imagine it will be a day by day, even minute by minute, learning process as I have rather a sharp tongue at times and occasionally say unkind things. Perhaps more importantly, I sometimes THINK unkind things about both myself and others. However Divine messages should not be disregarded and I am thankful to be the recipient of one.