Goodbyes and inventions

So...everyone left this morning...bittersweet as my brother and his wife took off for the rest of their italy vacation and I put mom on the plane back to civilization (as she calls it)! What a strange feeling when I set foot on the island again alone and realized this was real...can you really be petrified and exhilirated at the same time? So, I fight back tears now because, well, because and sit it this internet cafe to update you.....

So, lets talk about great Italian inventions....first, and probably debatable is the bidet..as common as a sink in Italy but not at all functional for Americans. Mom thinks its stupid and I should put a TV table over it with a tablecloth and at least be able to utilize the space! But, the Italians are very close to their bidets and so I will keep it as is. Yesterday, we went to the beach and once back home we needed to wash the sand out of our shoes..the bidet came in quite handy for that as well as a great recepticle for drying!

Next are the windows...they open like 8 ways to Sunday....up, down, sideways...fascinating...now, why they dont have screens is beyond me...with so many mosquitos you would think, but then again, that is being American and I have to stop that train of thought....so, the windows are way cool...

Another great bathroom feature is the heated towel rack attached to the wall....it has 2 purposes...to hang your towels, obviously but it also heats the bathroom since there are no radiators in there....way to go Italy.

In the kitchen, over the sink is what looks like regular cupboards but once you open them up, you magically have your dish drying rack. So, you wash your dishes and instead of leaving them to dry in the sink in one of those plastic thingys, you put it above the sink in a metal drying thingy and then close the doors....perfetto...no dishes to look at....cant believe the Americans didnt come up with that one.

So, thats it for great inventions in the household. So many things to share....random thoughts that cross my mind as I am walking around...would love to tell you but by the time I get to the internet cafe, they have escaped me. I should have brought one of those little recorders so I could capture the audio moment.

Still looking for peanut butter....found a little, little jar of some generic thing with a great big price...oh well...seriously thinking I should open a PB Loco restaurant here in Italy...I think it would be a great success.....

So, today as I sign off from the internet cafe where I am now a regular (still waiting for the appointment for the internet connection at my apartment), I am going to grab a piece of pizza for lunch, go back to do laundry (which should take at least a good solid 2 days because of all the guests I just had), say hello to Mr. P (which is done by entering the apartment and saying, ciao gatto!) and then go grocery shopping....Mr. P is out of food...funny, the only American cat food they have here is Whiskas and he hated that in the US...but, he is eating it like crazy, so we will go with it for a while.

I also think a nap is in order during siesta today...thats probably another great invention (although I doubt it was the Italians who thought of it). And, I will embark on my book...I think I have the first few paragraphs written in my head, so must put them on paper before another fleeting thought takes its place!

Miss you all......see you most of you soon! :-)