Cara Amanda, Questo fine settimana elicotteri e droni hanno ronzato sopra la nostra testa continuamente: – sarà mica per noi?,  ha detto la vicina. Il telegiornale ha poi riportato di un gruppo di persone sorprese a Palermo da un drone a fare una grigliata su un tetto, denunciati e multati. Noi abbiamo effettivamente pranzato in terrazzo con due diversi vicini, ma lontani. A più di due metri, la vicina ha preparato un barbecue, mentre altri hanno cucinato le tagliatelle portandole sul loro terrazzo. Noi abbiamo più che altro assaggiato tutto calando un “panaro” dal tetto e ricevendolo colmo di meraviglie. Durante il pranzo, abbiamo chiamato il figlio minore che studia a Stoccolma e l’abbiamo visto mentre faceva una passeggiata nel bosco, con la sua famiglia ospitante. Un pranzo di Pasqua decostruito.

Dear Simo, Although this weekend was the big Easter weekend, the days seemed like any other. Usually the countryside would be full of people but because of the threat of drones and police checks, it remained pretty quiet out here.  On Saturday I sketched a piece of the local ‘street furniture’, (a term I’m particularly fond of, usually used in urban areas for light posts, benches, trash cans, etc.) which in our neck of the woods, is dry stacked stone walls. Mini religious churches and shrines are built into them, often decorated with plastic flowers and statues of the virgin Mary. This one is different though, quite unique to our area.  There is a tufo column cradling a stone. The dry stone walls have been plastered, therefore having more importance. Etched into the stone above the column it reads “Pietra Crudele Causo La Morte Al Maniscalco Argentiero Antonio, Il 14-11-1948”, or This Cruel Stone Killed the Farrier (horseshoe blacksmith) Antonio Argentiero on 14-11-1948. The stone sitting on the column is THE STONE, with a metal plaque attached that says “Crudele“, Cruel. Che storia! Did the cruel stone fall and kill Antonio or was it thrown at him? Did he use it on himself? How has cruel stone stayed in place here since 1948? Incredibile.

Sunday was a bit more adventurous than what was expected. Our cat Cellino let us know something was wrong early in the morning when he cried continuously, nervously licking his nether regions, and trying to sit comfortably. He wasn’t eating or drinking and seemed exhausted. We diagnosed it likely as a urinary tract infection and called the vet. Being that it was the first day of a two day holiday, even under quarantine, the vet said he could see us Wednesday morning, which we negotiated into Monday morning, and later persuaded him for Sunday afternoon. Our vet doesn’t have a vet tech so we (Caleb more eagerly) are always part of our pet’s processes and operations, present the whole time. Cellino had heavy anaesthesia and a catheter inserted to empty his bladder and remove the crystals, and we left with some antibiotics.  I realized when I returned home that this was my first interaction with another human being outside of my 3 family members for almost 4 weeks. Caleb is the designated shopper, so I don’t even have these small personal communications with others. Despite the anxiousness and worry for the health of our cat, I admit it was exciting to be in the presence of someone else. I returned home over stimulated and almost as exhausted as Cellino. Cellino is recovering, fingers crossed.