integration

So, he stops in front of the house and beeps.

"LINA!!!!"

It's Still-in-PJs o'clock when he hollers. He's already done a couple of hours of work on his land and is heading down the hill to go home and rest. He's not been well in the past year, so I know he doesn't sleep much.

"LINA!!!!" he calls again as I rush to put on something over my pjs so it doesn't look like I'm still in my pjs.

"Ciao ciao, marco!" His name isn't really Marco.

Marco has the window rolled down and is shoving a plastic bag out at me. "To. Tieni." Here, take this, he says to me.

I take the bag and tell him thank you very much, it's too nice. "troppo gentile, grazie".

It's all just a dance.

Then he says to me, keep the dogs inside tonight. And he winks.

"Si, certo". Yes, of course.

The dude is hunting off season. He comes up after dark each night hoping to catch himself some easy dinner. My dogs' barking chases the targets away. So he asks me to keep them in the house when he's here.

He used to just ask. Now we have a little dance. He gives me a bag of fruit and veg and I shut up my dogs.

I really think I'm becoming integrated in the culture.




In case anyone was wondering...wall one of the kitchen is (currently) without mold and freshly painted. Wall two is this week's project (is that week 10? am I only half way through these damn house projects?). I'm too daunted by the prospects to make a photo of it for you now, but I promise I will.

My african flower blanket is growing like a weed.



In case anyone else was wondering...the puzzle still is not done.