Here are some things I wanted to write about this week:
The missionaries went out with the GANS to try to find some more students for the English class. They talked with lots of people, but none of them came to class on Thursday. But they do have a new student, which is a young father of one-year-old twins. His family lives in Naples and he works in Rome a few days a week. He is seeing God's hand in his life, and they had a wonderful talk together.
I am baking tons of those new cookies. Everyone lights up when they see them. I love them because of the walnuts, but I am going to stay away from sweets for awhile.
It's great to get around without crutches. The mechanics cause my heel or ankle to hurt, but the break area is fine. Progress! However, I am supposed to keep both feet elevated more and use ice, etc. Even the non-injured foot was swollen on Monday. But now that I'm walking more, that foot is fine. I wear a compression stocking on the injured foot, for another month. I also will continue with the magnetic therapy for another month. It's not hard to set up, and seems to be making a big difference in healing time.
Thursday June 7: The waiter was really fun. Doug ordered melon with prosciutto (Italian dry-cured ham) as an appetizer. There was some ham left, and the waiter teased them that he wouldn't take it away. He did all kinds of cute things. I had roast lamb with roasted potatoes, and a side of steamed beans, asparagus, bell pepper, etc. It. was. delicious. I took it home and had it breakfast the next day, too. Divine. Thanks to Lu for treating us to such a nice experience!
Also on Thursday, I got to help Martine with her math homework for the second time. She had some conflicts and showed up an hour and a half late, but it still worked out. One problem is to make a budget and keep track of expenditures in Excel. But since she doesn't have a job, she isn't spending anything. Her teacher is grading her down for the lack of detail. So, we had a lot of fun pretending she needed to add the cost of her horse, trip to the Champs Elysees, and housekeeper to the list.
Our clothes dryer at home has been acting up. Rich had it fixed once but it had another problem. It takes two rounds to dry things sometimes. So, I started looking online for a new one. I would rather get a set. Our current pair is ten years old. There is a lot of disenchantment with front loaders and also with the top loaders that don't have an agitator, so I want to get a traditional agitator model. But since I'm short by American standards, I have to be sure it's not too big or else I won't be able to reach things in the bottom. And I like my dryer to have the lint trap inside the door. I hunted quite a bit, also with Consumer Reports. By the time we add delivery, haul away, warranty etc, it's a lot of money. I missed a sale by a couple of hours. So, Rich has offered to live with it and I'll check next time there's a sale.
Saturday, June 9
I got to talk with my Dad. He told me he is feeling good, and if he felt any better, he would have to be twins. I wished him a happy Fathers Day, but it turns out I was a week early! He got to see the movie Coco at the senior center, and loved it. They have been getting meals on wheels, and he is so appreciative. It's been a big help for them and a relief for Donna, Jim and me.
I went down to the little food market in our piazza, using two crutches. I bought some items we had never tried before: Agretti, which is a grassy-looking green. It is eaten steamed with olive oil and lemon juice. I also bought the long stems from garlic, which I chopped up and cooked with fennel, along with a chicken broth and lemon thyme from a little plant I bought.
There were also interesting cheeses. I got a goat cheese, mild and tasty; smoked buffalo cheese; and a good Parmesan called Stravecchio. We'll have them for lunch on Sunday. The vendors were very friendly. One gave me some Italian-style parsley and another gave me some garlic. They want to make me a regular customer. Alessandro was a shop owner who has spoken with the Elders at the bus stop. It was fun to talk with him. I also bought fresh eggs, which were all different sizes.
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| Fennel, garlic stalks, zucchin with the flowers attached |
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| Eggs of all sizes |
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| Stravecchio, goat cheese, smoked buffalo cheese |
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| Agretti on the brown bag. Lemon thyme plant in white pot. |
I took the taxi in to the Institute, while Doug and the girls went to the Vatican. The taxi driver was talkative and enjoyable. He had visited the east and west of the USA over two trips and had a lot to say about the Italian economy. Some taxi drivers are pretty taciturn, so this was a treat. When he saw me come out on crutches, he leapt out and helped me. That didn't happen when I got a taxi from the doctor's office a few weeks ago.
Anyway, when I got to the Institute, I found some missionaries already inside. More and more arrived over the day, to practice their song for zone conference. They all enjoyed the cookies, too. I even got to see Anziano Oliver, the son of old friends in Encinitas. Their singing was extraordinary and powerful. I am sorry we won't be at the zone conference to enjoy the finished product.
