Tid Bits #1

The weeks are flying by- I can't believe it's pretty much the end of February! 

With time passing, spring is approaching. It feels pretty much already late March here with the highs in 50's and sometimes even the 60s! As strange at it feels, I can't complain about this warmer weather. On Mondays I have to leave early in the morning to get to work on time to teach at 8:00 am. Last week I think I caught one of the last mornings with the town lights still lit in the morning- It was a beautiful eery scene so I couldn't help but take a picture of the main square in Castel San Pietro. 

Speaking of work. On Fridays I take the same back bus to Bologna as one of the students in 7th grade. She enjoys talking to me, so we sit next to each other on the bus and I listen to all her stories about school and studying and getting bad grades. Yesterday she asked me if I get to go home every few weekends. And our conversation when a little like this: 

Me:  "You mean if I go back to the United States every few weekends?" 

Her: "Yeah, don't you visit your family?" 

Me: "I can't go back for the weekends- it's far away and expensive" 

Her: " Well, then when do you see your family?" 

Me: "I go back once a year. Either for Christmas or during the summer" 

Her: " You celebrate Christmas in the United Sates?" 

I also had a moment of great satisfaction when I went to do a private lesson with another student who is in middle school. The week before his mother told me he just got his report card for the term and his grades were below average. He had an English test that week and wanted to make sure he was well prepared. So of course I helped him prepare for his test and when I went back this week and asked how it went.... he got an A+ ! 

Our puppy, Macchia, is slowly becoming more adventurous around the house. We took her to Poggibonsi so she could spend some time with another dog, Zorro. Unfortunately Zorro didn't want to have anything to do with a new puppy in his territory. 

Macchia is so funny. She has quite a character. We think she spent some time with cats in her first few months because often she seems more like a cat than a dog! 

Of course last Friday was Valentines Day. Valentines Day isn't very big in Italy compared to the United States, but Luca knows that it's somewhat important to me, probably because it's always been a recognized day for me. He got me a bouquet of Ranunculus which are one of my favorite flowers and prepared a three course meal along with a bottle of Rioja!