Saturday 9 January 2021

A damp week

It’s been a grim week particularly for everyone back in the U.K.  The new lockdown, record numbers of covid infections and deaths, we realised we won’t be getting back to Yorkshire for a while and however we travel home it’s not going to be easy.

Here in Lazio it’s been mostly raining and as you may know Italian rain is extra wet.  Wednesday was not so bad and we enjoyed breakfast outside, in January that’s got to be a result.  Despite having over 4 tons of wood delivered to see us through the winter we discovered a lot of it isn’t seasoned so it doesn’t burn well, in fact it’s a complete waste of time and money and needs to be stored for a couple of years before it’s used.   Mr FF has spent many hours rearranging the log store to find the best pieces to burn, we keep a good supply in the house hoping that might speed the drying out process but we can’t help feeling cross.  We have central heating too, it’s not the end of the world it’s just not as pleasant as it could be.

Let’s be positive.  I finally got my haircut this week, I hadn’t been to the hairdresser since the end of September, I was a mess.  It was quiet at the saloon, just me, a man who came in for a quick trim and 4 hairdressers hanging around.  It’s such a shame as they are the sweetest people, when I left they had a beautifully wrapped New Years gift for me, a lipstick and a lip gloss, organic, made in Italy, expensive and perfect colours.  Such kindness lifted my spirits.


I met Mr FF after my cut to have photos taken for the new biometric ID card that we need to get from the police, at the headquarters of course which is over an hours drive each way.  We’ve already applied on line for an appointment and heard nothing.  Anyway we found in the shopping centre one of those machines, 4 passport photos, which is what we need to take, don’t ask me why so many, for 5 euros.  It’s hard at the best of times getting a decent photo from these machines doing so with the instructions in Italian was stressful and we both ended up with photos of us looking cross and miserable and old, very much true to life they will be a constant reminder of this trying time.

We came out of the Christmas lockdown on Thursday now we are back in the lowest yellow zone during the week but in orange at the weekend when we must stay in the village. That’s absolutely fine, we are just going to have to sit it out, we all are, so do your best, keep safe, keep cheerful and keep dry.

Post post note - I meant to say the shade of lipstick is Creamy Brick, a perfect name

7 comments:

  1. Love the colour of that lipstick. All I get from my hairdresser is the bill! We've had snow here in the north riding of Yorks. The cats refuse to go out in it. Happy new haircut!

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  2. Sorry about that wood - most annoying. There is nothing like wood burning to add a bit of cheer on wet days.

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  3. Cheer yourself with the thought that your rain is warmer than all the stuff that's falling from the heavens back at home! That lipstick colour reminds me of one I recently finished. I was thinking that I really should get a new one but where would I wear it now apart from on Zoom? Everywhere else requries a mask!

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  4. And you don’t have snow which a lot of them have - and as you say, breakfast outside in January in Europe is nothing to be sneezed at.
    That’s a nice soft buttery browny pink looking lipstick- I’m finding mine turn a strange colour on my lip these days.

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  5. What a nice gift from your hairdressers, very spirit lifting!
    We are tearing through our wood supply and a new batch of dry, well-seasoned wood is being delivered later this week. It is very frustrating when logs that look promising burn badly. I would forget your present load and order some good wood to use straight away, it will save you from glowering despondently all winter at a poor fire!
    No joy in Blighty at the moment, I would just enjoy the 'extra wet' Italian rain, I'm sure it is the better place to be!

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  6. Damp wood is a real pain. All that smoke and no warmth. We've had our fair share of it in France, the suppliers thinking they can foist rubbish easily on the English.
    The lipstick is a lovely colour, just right for me!

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  7. What a lovely gift. Glad you made it to the hairdresser. I've not been for almost a year now and it shows!!! Just as well I'm not seeing anyone or I would scare them! x

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