648 positive cases in Umbria. Up 12%. 19 deaths. 7 cases total in Umbertide so far.

69,176 positives in Italy. Up 8%. Holding steady. 6,820 deaths.
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A day in lockdown…after two weeks
We are doing fine here. Not a lot to do in a 1,300 square foot apartment. And it’s gotten cold. Snow here today. It was pretty but didn’t stick much down in the valley. Up in the hills there is more.

Yesterday, for the first time in 25 years, we cleaned our own house. OK. I’ve always worked and my time was important, so we paid someone to clean. We came to Italy and we were retired. The habit was hard to break…so we hired Vera. She is now our good friend and we are part of her famiglia. And she ours. We miss her for herself…and for helping us by cleaning. But it’s OK. We are divying up the duties and it’s not like we have anywhere to go!

We have other things to keep us busy. Trying to exercise is challenging. Our friend nearby told me he walked up and down their 86 steps 7 times without stopping! I’m winded just thinking of it! I read the newspapers everyday (4 of them). I have two books going at any given time. I’m a moderator on a FaceBook group (over 8,000 members) which is pretty time consuming. Gotta keep an eye on the posters. They get unruly. I spend pretty much time keeping in touch with my friends all over via, FaceTime, email or Facebook. I write my blog. Laundry needs doing but since we’ve stopped bathing it’s not so often..🤣

I do a lot of cooking. Since it is cold out I built a fire in the kitchen fireplace and cooked a steak and potatoes for dinner last night. It was good. I make big pots of soup for our lunches. I’ve resisted making sweets so far… but my resistance is beginning to crumble…I see oatmeal raisin cookies in my future! I read somewhere the average person will gain 7-9 kilos during isolation.

In the evening I watch an hour of CNN usually. And then we eat dinner and watch a movie or series. Right now it’s the movie, “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood”. Liking it so far.

So that is our exciting day…

Sunday I’m going to try out Zoom for a virtual book group get together! I’m really looking forward to that (we will be spread from Los Angeles to Italy). I’ve read a lot of people are doing virtual happy hours this way. Bring your Prosecco and some nibbles to your computer. It is amazing what a situation does to human innovation! Zoom stock must be soaring…
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To all my friends stateside, I keep hearing bad things and I hope you will heed our situation here. We are slowing, but it will take time. If the US goes back to work and normalcy you will be allowing the virus to do its worst, and ALL at once. Many thousands will die. There will be no checks on the disease. It will be a runaway horse. There won’t be enough ventilators or beds, or nurses, or doctors, and horrible decisions will have to be made about who lives and who dies.😢

Please care for yourselves…stay home and safe.💕