30 days in Pisticci

It is actually my 32 nd day today. I never was very good at arithmetic. I am sitting in my little study/bedroom with a "relaxing tisane" because it is just after 4pm and I always have one then.

That is one of the things I have particularly enjoyed about staying here, that is making up my own pleasant little routines. I only do yoga by candlelight now. And I make peanut butter in a coffee grinder most days. I shut the shutters about 6pm every evening. I pull the curtain across the doorway of my study/bedroom just after that. I listen to radio scotland while I make breakfast.
Don't think that after all that I have had my days organised because that just doesn't happen. Possibly I like doing these things because the  rest of the time is so unorganised.
Since I wrote the last post, the weather changed and we had snow for about a week. I had n't thought to bring boots so I was obliged to put plastic bags over my socks and then trainers on top. There were some days I couldn't go out at all. The snow was fun for the first day and I built a snowman outside my door, but after the 3d or 4th day it got a bit tedious and quite dangerous.
One day I ran out of gas, the water went off and snow started melting on the roof and dripped through into the attic. I got into siege mentality and had contingency plans for lack of electric, gas, water and phone. It was a little scary. And my attitude of If I can cope with this I can cope with anything, got a little overused.
So far not more than 2 things have been off at once.
It was an adventure and just staying warm when there is ice on the inside of the windows , only one portable gas heater  and you have so many clothes on you hardly bend , takes up a lot of energy.
But it is better now and the forecast for saturday is 17c.
I managed to finish a second painting of 4 musicians, which was a great effort due again to my lack of arithmetical skills. I was using several photos of different people and making them all appear to be in the same street at the same time. It took me literally a week and a lot of redrawing and stomping to get a system that could get everyone in proportion. Of course it could have been that my brain was frozen!
Since the weather got better again I have been able to get out and have been for some lovely walks and met lots of interesting people who I subjected to my italian. I even met one of the people in my painting and had a late night out with live music. (brilliant)
I am in love with my little studio, despite its heating inadequacies. It's gorgeous and every minute I have spent here has been  a joy. I have rushed out in the mornings to take photos of the sun rising at the end of my street. Last night I was lying on my back outside taking photos of the sky. I have a lovely colourful photo of my studio the first day the sun came back after the snow. I have my painting area organised with good lighting so I can work in the evenings. (I don't need light during the day as it is right by the window.) My little study with a furry throw on the bed, the curtain across the doorway  and heater at the bottom of the steps is like a warm little nest. When I light candles and do yoga its like I  have gone back in time. And every night before I switch off the lights in the other part(not heated at all) I long for summer so I can be in there too.
Tomorrow I partly go back to my old life living in the country and working in the studio, but it won't ever be the same again and I forsee a lot of things happening which will mean I have to stay here as often as possible.