penultimate day....

There have been so many times during this sojourn in Italy when I have felt the Providence of God with us......but NOT today!!  Lol!!
       It was my final Mass at the Lay Center - I had carefully prepared the liturgy and the worship aid and was looking forward to saying good-bye to Donna Orsuto and the lovely people with whom I had prayed for the last 6 weeks. We had said good-bye to Rob on Tuesday at a lovely dinner (GNOCCI BOLOGNESE yum and Pope Gregory the Great wine).

Pat, Linda and Rob

    We were going in later, so I didn't see the need for a taxi, just the buses. As we waited at the bus stop, a light drizzle began. The bus came and we boarded. As it approached our stop, the heavens opened and what seemed like a full blown monsoon began. Umbrellas were turned inside out and were flying everywhere and the rain was coming sideways. Now, we were toting a guitar (which does NOT like to walk in the rain!)
and so picture this; I was huddled in a doorway with my little Leonard da Vinci umbrella and my purse under my arm and the guitar case between my body and the door jamb. I am trying to position the umbrella as to protect my hair (lost cause), my blouse, my purse and the guitar. Pat was frantically looking for a taxi (another lost cause) or the bus. Lol!!
    Well, the bus came and we disembarked at the door of the Lay Center - we still had the long walk up the hill in the rain before we got to the building, but we made it - 2 drowned rats!! Fortunately, the room was over-heated and we dried out. The liturgy was beautiful (as it usually is when there is a small group who really wants to be there!) Fr. O'Neill is a very prayerful celebrant and we bid everyone a fond farewell.

Pat, Linda and Donna

     Graciously, they said I could print my boarding passes which usually take 2 minutes, right? wrong!!!!  There is a glitch in the system (the woman on the other end of the phone tells me) and I can try again later or check in at the airport! (SIGH)
    Checking in at the airport is not my favorite thing to do when everyone there speaks English!! Doing it in Italy seems even less attractive (with lots of baggage in hand). Doing all this abortive fol-de-rol, I missed my ride down the hil to the cab stand and so we trudged the 3/4 mile to the cab stand. My sciatic nerve is not liking any of this (double gabapentin tonight!!)
     We are home now, in dry clothes and shoes and hoping the rain goes away so I can see Christmas lights in Piazza Navona tonight. If not.....there's always next time......