Update October to December 2005

Firstly I hope you all had a great festive season and haven't gone too much overboard in the January sales!

WEATHER:
There isn't much I can say about the weather that isn't summed up in one word - YUK!

It's been certainly the worst winter so far in our 4 years here. It has rained and rained which is very unusual for over here. Normally it rains for a bit and then clears up into blue skies and frosty mornings. But this year it has just rained. We are all hoping the weather picks up soon or we'll all be washed away.

PERSONAL:
We have all been shuffling along and working hard.

We were really pleased to move back into the Farm House in October and the central heating is working wonderfully - although we have burnt a small forest full of wood! Fortunately we have a large forest and Richard enjoys the wood collecting so we are all warm and dry.

Gregory has fitted well into 'Big School' although the workload for 6 year olds is really heavy. He's stopped me helping him with his homework since I made a complete gaffe on his Maths. you can translate all you like but some things are just cultural and I had no idea what a 'regole' was! (it's a collection of bars, which have cm cubed values corresponding to specific colours)

Richard is working hard building and project managing. He's being successful at finding the right house or holiday home for English clients so just email if you fancy a little bit of paradise.

I am kept busy as ever with the kids and writing (I write a regular column for our local magazine the 'Grapevine' www.luccagrapevine.com ) and am writing for various other magazines on a freelance basis ( www.italianicious.com.au being one of them). The next book is going slowly, slowly. there are always other more important things needing doing.

HARVEST:
This year we made great plans of when we were going to do the harvest, send out the new oil etc. All of which were laid waste by the dreadful weather. It rained solidly throughout November and December and you can't pick olives when it's wet so our plans were scuppered - as was the crop. We finally managed to pick one pressing worth the second week in January (when it stopped raining for all of 5 days!). Once again we thank our blessings that farming isn't the mainstay of our finances.

It goes without saying that our New Years Day Pickathon was a bit of a washout too. However, we did raise £780.00 for Cancer Research and pick 4721 olives - thank you to all of you who sponsored us and your oil is in the post (so to speak!).

BUILDING WORK:
Richard has finished replacing the floors in the Farmhouse but unfortunately got only half way through the roof before it started the Biblical flood in November. It's still only half done but he promises that it will be finished as soon as the rain stops! At the moment the boys have to avoid moving all the pans in their bedroom as they are needed in situ for drip management!

ANIMALS:
All the gang are very well. The chickens started laying in December so we can all go to work on an egg.

Gladys the goose hates the rain and is miserable. She just hangs around the house with the dogs looking dejected.

My horse from England finally got shipped over which was the highlight of my Autumn. I have had him since he was a baby and now he is 20 years old so I missed him terribly. He loves it here and has made great friends with Mora.

FINALLY:
Here's hoping to a cessation of the rain sometime soon!

All our best wishes.

Sarah, Richard, Gregory, Marco & Torio