Summer Life Lessons

Published on by ortensia

Out of the four days I have been in Italy I spent the first three walking around in a zombie slow motion status because of the amount of painkiller I ingested in the attempt of making my headache go away. I overheated, my blood pressure touched the sky and when I eventually got used to the weather it was time to leave.

I left Ireland with the intention to read and write, at least in the evening.Of course it didn’t happen because my brain was too drugged to engage in any extra activity, and also I have been trapped in a hectic and tight schedule. I got to meet relatives from all sides of the family and the in-laws too. Precisely like expected, in fact, the battle of the grannies started from day one. Never mind the girls will be there two weeks on their own now and another three in August with the travelling husband and me: Both grandmothers must have them now and pronto!.
My only aim was trying to stay out of the territorial conflict long enough to make it back to Ireland.Once I am back home, how the girls spend their time is not my problem anymore: the maternal and paternal grandmother will have to sort it out themselves. In the meanwhile,the best and painless solution I managed to come up with, it was that the girls would stay Sunday and Monday with the maternal grandparents and Tuesday and Wednesday with the paternal ones. Unfortunately, doing my best was not enough.It turned out that at my mother’s house we arrived Saturday night and so,technically,the children have been there three days. Sunday morning when I got up and switched on my mobile phone there were already few voicemail messages from my mother in law who,with absolutely no desire of pressuring me, suggested the girls stayed with her until Thursday:Par Condicio! Feeling absolutely no pressure, I agreed.

In fairness, the plan was not too bad, and I could see my grandparents and still have plenty of time alone with my mom. What I didn’t really consider it was that being already the third full day we were living under the same roof it started to be difficult for both of us to hold our tongues, but here it is when the absurd hot weather comes to some utility: nobody has enough breath to argue with 35 degrees and the 75%of humidity.Thinking back, I should have argued against the idea of having lunch at the beach, but once again all my energies were focused on fighting the heat.

Like a diva from the fifties,here I am removing my kaftan and unveiling my new black tankini embroidered with flowers.Happy and proud I go for a swim and everything was perfect,until I stepped out of the sea.Once out of the water the object of such pride and joy it transformed itself in a superpower heat generator and me in a walking sauna. Wearing that thing and being wrapped in foil would have been the same. I tried to be the usual optimistic me and looking at the positive side of the situation: a day like that and the unwanted belly fat would have melted away, leaving me with the most amazing flat stomach.Great!!!For a while I indeed nourished this idea and also positioned myself out of the parasol shadow and directly under the sunlight.I didn’t last long, and when I thought I could see smoke coming out from my abdomen through the bath suit, I just stripped off that infernal piece of torture and slipped into my good old bikini. Shamefully I must admit that my vanity is not as strong as I thought, and neither is my will of a flat stomach.

Despite it all, these four days have been overall beneficial, and some life lesson has been learned. First of all, there is no point to waste time rubbing sticks to start a fire: wearing a tankini under the early afternoon summer sun will give you the same result. Second, there is no point wasting too much energy trying to accommodate your mother in law:You can’t win! On Wednesday morning, in fact, I have been asked to go and get the girls already as they were getting bored, and their grandma was getting tired.

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68 thoughts on “Summer Life Lessons”

  4. When you can’t win…save your breath and simply nod your head and smile. It’s better for your blood pressure…which could be, as you know…very bad for you. Some interactions are not worth hassle. Glad you made it back to home and heaven.

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  5. You feel good in the heat, your Italy blood need that? BTW airplanes from both Italy, Germany, Poland, France and many more countries is in Sweden to help us with the worst wood fire in… at least 80 wood fires and many people must move, and this is, when I grow up, world’s best country? Our government is a disaster!

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  9. Oh!…your kids must have really found it boring to stay back there because when i stayed a day with my granny, the next day i packed my bags😂…and it felt like someone dragged a log of wood off my head.😂 shame on me tho but….I’m happy someone feels the same😌

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    1. Lol,they usually don’t because she brings them to the fun fair and the water park with other kids but in the excitement to have them there she did everything on day one so there was nothing left for day two except her exhaustion as she is not a spring chicken anymore🤷🏻‍♀️🤪

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      1. Aww…thats so sweet…a very lovely granny full of happiness on seeing her grandkids….hope you had a lovely day😊

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      2. Sweet and my mother in law in the same sentence really don’t go well🤣 but she is fine with the girls 💁🏻‍♀️and that is what that matters.have a nice day dear😀❤️

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    1. Oh,thank you dear.after all this years I know that first few days in italy are a nightmare for my blood pressure 🤷🏻‍♀️but then I adapt but still I prefer Irish summet😉

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      4. Scream in the excitement of course and soon all those mothers sunbathing pretending to read the latest romantic novel but actually reading the fifty shades saga will be all on to you😀how does it sound?😂

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  15. I’m glad you put on your bikini and decided to be comfortable, and that you escaped the grandma wars for now anyway. I love your posts since they are always written with just the perfect touch of humor.

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    1. Thank you ,I really appreciate your words ,you are very kind😊
      P.s.
      Hopefully on august temperatures will be more reasonable so I can wear my tankini and full body swimming suit😉

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  16. Hi Ortensia,

    you had some quality time in Italy, I am sure. I loved to spend my time with my granny, because she always had a time for me, unlike my parents who were always at work, so I am sure that your girls had a great time too.Our home is where is our heart, and it seems that you heart is in Ireland 🙂

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  20. All of that in four days? Plus a headache? You are a better woman than I. I would have lost it completely, told my mother and mother-in-law to stop the foolishness and threatened to take the kids back to Ireland! And you are doing this again this month? Oh my! I am very impressed, I must say that. ❤️💕❤️💕❤️

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