unexpected guests + trampolines

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Just when you think the festivities are over in Italy, along comes La Befana. Older than Santa Claus, she is a knobbly, and frankly frightening, old witch who brings children socks stuffed full of sweets and chocolates. Of course, responsible Mummies have to dip into the sock and free their children from the temptation to gorge themselves silly.

However, all that diligent mothering has left me decidedly plump. My jeans are so tight that I almost grabbed a 20 year old pair of elasticated trousers from the back of the wardrobe...OK that's a lie, I did grab them. What the hell, no-one's going to see me up on the hill. Wrong!

In Italy, guaranteeing splendid isolation isn't that simple, especially as everyone has some relative with an old 4x4 Fiat Panda.
So as soon as I slipped my uber comfy slacks on, I hear;
“Mummy, there's a man and his wife outside carrying wine.”

Most people with free time go to the zoo, go to a museum, or take the kids to the park but in our valley, people visit us. You see, we are a curiosity. We do strange things like grow raspberries, eat whenever we feel like it and our kids don't wear thermal vests when it's 20 °C (68 F).
Don't get me wrong we are likeable curiosities...I think.

Anyway, my heart sank as I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, forgot about my ever-so glamourous slacks and bounded to the door.
“Ciao Kate” Long pause. “Oh sorry are you sick? Were you in bed?”
“No, no just about to wash my hair actually”.
“Oh you are good doing it yourself. Oh and I see you've dyed your hair!”

Desperately trying to change the subject, I invited my unexpected guests in for a drink. Of course, no-one in the Valtiberina could possibly drink outside meal times apart from me, so I was the only one left to steady my nerves with their homemade Vin Santo. An extremely thoughtful and very welcome gift I might add, seeing as they showed up with no advanced warning.
They left and I felt flat and yes, fat.

Then, I found Dan the Man with the Master Plan.

Apart from eating raw food and juicing everything in sight, he is an advocate of rebounding. Lucky for me as Santa bought my daughter a trampoline!

So every morning, I crank the music up on my i-pod, really shove the earphones into my ears and bounce for 30 mins. I think it's working. My cells are definitely more oxygenated and as for my lymphatic drainage system i.e. my cellulite...

Listen, it makes me smile, I can't stop laughing at myself and more importantly, it'll give people another reason to come and visit!

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