Ciao, all!

Well, it has been like three weeks since we updated our website, and way longer than that since I wrote.  I hope that everyone is doing well!

Did I ever mention that even the doves sing a different song here?  Of course, I know that probably just means they are a different kind of dove, but that’s not how it feels.

I should point out that I don’t hear the doves nearly as often now that we keep the windows closed more of the time.  What sound does leak through is normally the sounds of construction across the street… I guess they were on vacation back in August, along with the rest of the Italian citizenry.  I am still very thankful that the hot weather is past.  It is really about a perfect temperature for me now, up to about 70 in the daytime and down around 50 at night.  We actually have turned the radiators on twice now, but only briefly. 

Things are very good here… very calm, for which we are very thankful!  We have been taking small trips on the weekends – we went to a mall in Portogruaro (about 30-45 minutes away) one Saturday, and we went to Venice for the day with Allison and Randy another Saturday.  It was really nice; we had great weather for the day in Venice, had lunch outside at a restaurant on a back canal… our pictures are being developed and put on disk right now, so we will put them on the site as soon as we can.  That city still fascinates me beyond my ability to express it.  We are planning to take leave and go down south over Veteran’s day weekend.  I’ll let you know what that is to include.  And we are going to take leave and go to either Vienna, Austria, or Zurich, Switzerland for Thanksgiving weekend.  We are meeting our friends who are stationed in Greece.

Between our trip to the mall and another trip there on my own, I have really tried to find clothes that will make me fit in here at least somewhat.  I told Mom, I didn’t find any because, as I learned while shopping, all Italian women (at least the ones under 70) are apparently six feet tall and weigh about 100 pounds.  Very discouraging for frumpy little me, especially when combined with the different European clothing sizes, which I discovered put me in a size 48.  No, I’m not joking.  I decided to order my clothes from the Spiegel catalog instead.

It’s really unfair – all the men dress pretty much the same as American men (at least the young ones do), but all the women are always dressed up – very stylish, very sexy, all the time.  And shoes that would cripple me in about two hours;  I don’t know how they can walk at all, much less keep their six-foot figures elegantly poised as they do.

Sorry, I sound bitter, don’t I?  I actually love it here.  It is so beautiful, and there is always something interesting to see, even when I am just walking around this (relatively Americanized) town.

I’ve decided that I really need to work harder at learning the language.  My (as Mike calls it) “Tonto” Italian is not enough for me.  I get frustrated knowing that I am saying something like, “me to buy the lettuce, also one cucumber please”.  So I signed up for an Italian class.  It starts on November 5, and it is on base, which seems sort of counter-intuitive, but at least it is taught by an Italian girl.  I have high hopes for it and I’ll let you know how it goes.

I have heard rumors of people planning to come visit, but I never get anything firm!  We really can’t wait for people to come and see us!  Especially me – I spend a lot of time alone and would love to share this place with you guys!

It’s getting cloudier by the minute and I need to walk down to the base and check mail, so I will go for now.  I love you all and miss you lots!!!

Love,

Shelly