i haven’t checked in here for a few weeks. i guess life has kept me otherwise occupied . . .
•i’d planned to write a blog post last week. but then i discovered that all of the links to my website were suddenly broken. it turned out that wordpress, without letting me know, updated something that did not support websites with older themes (like mine). what a headache! after a lot of time and effort on his part, eric got it back in working order. but it’s, of course, subject to future problems. i’ve been thinking about updating my site for awhile (perhaps on another platform). i guess that might be happening sooner rather than later.
•the u.s. election happened (is still happening). and everyone around the world is watching the events unfold, feeling the potential impact.
•i’ve mentioned (many times) that i am prone to sinus infections. i used to take a lot of antibiotics, until i started developing side effects to several different ones (plus my infections were always coming back with a vengeance). as a result, i HATE antibiotics and haven’t taken any for over 3 years.
but in the middle of september, i felt desperate. for 16 days, i was so congested that i was unable to breathe in or out of my nose AT ALL (not even a snorting sound). it was the most severe sinus infection i’ve ever experienced (and i’ve had many to compare it to), so i began a fairly strong antibiotic at the beginning of october.
after taking the first dose, i awoke the next day and noticed that my lower left leg was hurting. after the second dose, it hurt a little bit more. after the third dose, when my lower right leg also started hurting and i began having trouble walking, i realized it was tendonitis (a serious side effect of this particular medication). i contacted my doctor (rather reluctantly because the medicine was already beginning to ease my symptoms), who told me to stop taking it immediately and prescribed a new (slightly less effective) one.
as there was also some indication that i was suffering from both bacterial AND fungal infections, i completed a 20-day round of both antibiotic and antifungal medications and am finally beginning to feel better. i can actually blow my nose most of the time now! that particular symptom had never happened to me before, and let me just say that after three weeks it was pretty unnerving. i also lost 6 pounds during that period (while not changing my diet one bit). hmmm . . . inflammation at all?!?
•eric and i have recently taken day trips to two beautiful locations close to us, both in tuscany.
beautiful bagnone
the enchanting isola santa
•another day, another restriction in italy . . .
on monday october 26, italy went into a semi-lockdown. all restaurants, bars, pubs, gelaterias, pastry shops were required to close at 6 p.m. very troubling to those who cater to an evening crowd and, of course, to those whose livelihood depends on these businesses. all cinemas and theaters and betting halls were closed completely, as well as swimming pools and gyms. elementary and middle schools remained open, while high schools moved to 75% online. it was “strongly recommended” that we stay in our own comune except for work, health, or study reasons. and we were also “strongly advised” against receiving guests in our homes.
then, in my region five days later on october 31, it was announced that only one person from each household was allowed to go shopping once again (which may have been a direct response to anti-lockdown protests in florence).
and the latest decree goes into effect today. the country has now been divided into red, orange, and yellow zones according to region. i live in tuscany, which has been designated a yellow zone and has a few less restrictions than red and orange areas, though we’re still not able to move freely outside of our small comune. high schools (and some middle schools) are now 100% online. and there is a national curfew, which means we are not allowed to go anywhere outside our homes between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. restaurants, bars, etc are closed except for takeout in orange and red zones.
i understand that the pandemic is a serious and complicated matter. and i have always taken this virus seriously, right from the very beginning. i know two people who have died from covid-19, and both were terrible tragedies. i wear a mask everywhere, i social distance, and i don’t congregate in groups. but i think there are many individual factors that also merit close consideration, in addition to keeping people safe from the medical dangers of coronavirus. like worrying about putting food on the table after the sudden loss of a job or business, or suffering from emotional anxiety or trauma due to an isolated lockdown situation.
and why are european countries locking down in the second wave of the coronavirus, but keeping schools open? both germany and france announced strict lockdowns last week as well. along with italy, these countries decided to close or severely limit the hours of restaurants, keeping only “essential businesses” accessible in some areas. yet most schools remain open.
i know there are many facets and angles and repercussions to this, and all must be considered. but the decision to keep schools open baffles me a bit. when restaurants are required to close, the owners’ livelihoods are put aside for the present in favor of citizens’ health. why wouldn’t the same apply to schools? though studies have differed in whether or not children are more or less likely to spread the virus, several have suggested they may be the greatest asymptomatic spreaders around. schools were one of the first things to close during the first lockdown in italy in march of this year. that made perfect sense to me, since many italian homes are multi-generational. and that measure was seen as effective in slowing the spread, flattening the curve, during that time. so if we are sincerely regarding the health of all citizens as paramount, why didn’t we close schools this time? and why aren’t other european countries closing schools either? i know a few experts are asking this question as well.
as our numbers rise and we are in all likelihood subjected to even more restrictions, i’ll just say this. it was HARD to be locked down march 10 through may 1. since i don’t have an italian driver’s license and since we were not allowed to move more than 200 meters from our homes, i didn’t personally leave my home – not once – for two months. but i still supported the spring lockdown 100% because it made sense at the time. however, things are not making total sense to me this time around. and the thought of mentally and emotionally enduring another strict lockdown? wow, it just feels so suffocating.
sigh.
•finally . . . the most important, and also the most devastating-to-me, news is that on friday october 16, we said our goodbyes to mr. smith, arguably one of the best cats EVER. he was only 11 years old, but was suddenly very ill with kidney failure. because his decline and subsequent death was quick, less than two weeks in duration, it was even more shocking. he had fans around the world, who were all sad to hear this. but eric and harlowe and i are the saddest of all, and are still having a hard time with this reality. we’re grieving deeply for this incredible guy, missing his presence in our home every single day.
there is such a sense of heaviness hanging over the household. mr. smith was something special. he was so animated, with such personality. he wasn’t just a cat. he was our best buddy, our constant companion.
mr. smith was my confidante too. he was the MAIN reason i survived my first several months in a foreign country. he’d cuddle up with me every night and hold my arm in a tight vise grip with his front and back paws, while i cried out of sheer overwhelm. his solid loving grip reassured me that i was indeed safe and secure, and that everything would be okay. and eventually it was, and he eased the intensity of his grip. he had never done that before, but he knew exactly what i needed at the time. oh, how i wish i could have offered him the same reassurance during his last ten days.
a giant among cats, my moustachioed big-pawed dude. my heart ripped in two the moment he left us. but i will always be thankful for the incredible gifts he gave us over the last 11.5 years . . . the joy, the laughter, the comfort, the security, the friendship, and especially the immense love.
an extraordinary cat. an amazing friend. goodnight, sweet smith.
