The Importance of Breathing

Peggy here, writing from an internet cafe in Le Spezia, where an actual young person has left in a huff because I, an actual middle aged person, did something questionable and by accident with my computer headphones that caused a loud screech that just went on and on.

A yoga teacher came to our apartment this morning and did a session with me. Roberto teaches a style of yoga that is about breath and a little movement. He seemed dismayed about my breathing. I do not breath enough and do not take natural breaths. I hold my breath, then gasp, sigh, deflate, inflate, then hold. It is a veritable respiration circus, although we agreed that this is all performed in very nice surroundings, what with Portevenere to the right, Le Spezia to the left, and the Mediterranean straight ahead and not at all too far away. Roberto will return on Friday and expects to find actual breathing taking place.

The area is having unseasonably cold and rainy weather and there are apologies about this but truly it is beautiful and fun. I do not feel particularly disappointed about the lack of hiking. I have replaced the hiking with the eating and believe I will face a couple of weeks of elastic waistbands, but we must line up our weaknesses in a row and mow them down one by one with willpower. In 10 days, it will be salads and brussel sprouts for me, plus workouts you would not believe. Thanks in advance, Derrick!

With the weather being so poor, boots have come back out in the retail rooms. They are surprisingly cheap and lowheeled here. But they are suede, and I live in Seattle. You know?

To the anonymous commentaire who asked about restrooms, let me assure you that the toilets we have met actually flush. There is a lot of marble in the restrooms. The most notable restroom we have used was an "outdoor "one where when you exit, the entire locked cubicle is automatically washed and disinfected. I applaud the thought behind this. That would be an awfully good improvement to a particularly troublesome restroom in a particularly old building that we know.

I wonder about all of you at home. We are starting to talk about home more and I am curious about your goings on. A number of our friends are making important changes right now and we have no idea which way each one went.

When I was in the third grade, we had an all school music recital where we third graders sang a song about the Mediterranean. There was lots of singing and spelling and swaying in imitation of ocean waves. At the end of the song we all pretty much yelled, exuberantly, MEDITERRANEAN!!! My brother Ken may remember this.