must write blog!!!!!!!

it would be nice to think that i have not written a blog for two weeks because my life is so busy, interesting and fascinating that i have no time. well obviously thats true (huh!) but actually its cause i am so cold.

( pause to get cup of tea, move gas heater nearer and put thick fleecy dressing gown on over clothes)

i suppose because this blog is called my life as a story you may well think i am being a little free with the truth to make a point but i am not!

it does sound ridiculous , that here i am in the south of italy where the temperature rarely goes below freezing and has been , in january, as much as 20 degrees, but in my studio it is a whole different story.

i think my studio is lovely. i have 2 little village houses, called lammie, which have a narrow connecting door between them. (about 50sqm altogether not counting the attic( library ) space)

both have a door opening onto the street. i am almost at the end of the short street so its very private and as the street ends ,the countryside begins i have a great view.

number 8 is the bottom storey of three but number 9 has its own cute tiled roof .

the walls are 70cms thick . the back walls are right up against the hill.

in the spring, summer and autumn its great to be here but in january and february its sooooo cold inside.

last year i decided to use electric radiators to keep the temperature at least moderate and it was definitely better but the electric bills were horrendous so this year i am trying the" wear lots of clothes and move gas heater around "system of heating which works up to a point but wearing gloves while painting is not really much fun.

however its only for about 2 months every year and if i tell myself that often enough it will make me feel like an intrepid artist struggling against the odds to produce my life s work rather than listen to the wee voice in my head saying "go get a job back in the uk and a flat with central heating".

anyways enough of the cold and a little about my little car. ( my amica, means friend in italian), it is possible that it could ,maybe ,be on the road with me driving it by this time next week. but i am not holding my breath. despite lots of trips to the agency to sort out documents it still needs to pass an mot. i am not confident!