We are having a nice time at the Massa DMV getting Jonathan's driver's license. And by "nice," I mean long and leisurely. The first time we went, they told us to come back "next month." So we waited a month and went back and were told to come back in "two or three weeks." So we waited three weeks and went back last Tuesday. We were told to come back in "seven to ten days." It's the Zeno's Paradox of driver's licenses.

The internet at our house has now died, which is only very slightly different from the internet at our house when it was alive. But still. Friday, Jonathan had a zoom meeting with some clients in Washington state from the upper room of the pub while the boys outside on the terrace screamed joyously at each other. "Please excuse the background noise," Jonathan said to the people in Washington. "I'm in, um, a restaurant." Fortunately, it is doubtful that anyone in Washington understands Italian.

My broken toe is slowly mending, owing to the miraculous curative powers of sun and sea air. Jonathan's back is doing less well. He has put himself in the hands of the legitimate medical establishment and has been twice so far to the physiotherapist to have a massage and also a mild electrical current run through his body, which is a thing they swear by. It hasn't seemed to do any good but, as Jonathan points out, he can now charge his cell phone by resting it on his belly.

And the cheeping sound we have been hearing for the past few days turned out to actually be cheeping. Four baby birds have hatched in a  nest built in an empty flower pot attached high on the wall of our front porch. We are still trying to think of names for them. Send suggestions.