Hi everyone, or hi to the few that are still following my blog after such a LONG absence 😉 ...So much has happened since last March, plus I had some trouble with the blog, some sort of privacy certificate (or lack thereof) that kept popping up and probably scaring off everyone but me…But the issue seems to have been fixed now, although the last post I can see on my computer is from more than a year ago (July 2024!), whereas on my cellphone the blog is perfectly updated. Mysteries.

Anyway, as you know, I had cataract surgery at the end of February on my left eye and then at the beginning of April, on my right eye. Everything is fine, except I have developed a bunch of what are called floaters in my eyes, annoying little “critters” of different shapes and forms that refuse to disappear. Oh well. I am learning to live with them and hope that time will take care of them for good.

But the amazing thing is that I can see without glasses, or rather, I need glasses to drive, play cards with friends, and watch TV, but I can move around the house, feed the cats, be at my computer and so on without glasses. Such a thrill. Well, except for the pesky floaters, which are bothering me right now, in fact.

Let’s see…more updates. Our 7.5 year old kitty, Pandora, has had a bunch of health issues. I won’t go into the gory details, but everything began last February (yep, around the time of my first cataract operation!), and then in July she was diagnosed with diabetes. Long story, I will spare you, but those were scary times. She now needs insulin twice a day, plus she takes a few other medicines for other, minor (at this point) issues. She’s a real trooper, I must say.

And she has been doing well, so well, in fact, that last month Stefano and I were able to go on the holiday I had planned months ago before we knew about Pandora’s health issues. Of course, we would have canceled our trip if it had been necessary…our cats come first!

But no, we managed to leave for Ireland (love love love!) where we spent almost three weeks driving from Dublin to Galway…A fabulous trip…This time we did the northern coast (a few years ago, we did the southern loop, from Dublin almost to Galway). So we have now completed the circle.

Before leaving, I was incredibly excited about seeing the Giant’s Causeway, but that was a big disappointment because of the huge crowds…people climbing all over those amazing basalt columns, yelling and acting super silly…The annoying flocks of noisy and disrespectful tourists definitely ruined the Causeway for me. I really think they should restrict access to that UNESCO site.

However, in a sense, Stefano and I were lucky, since before leaving for Ireland we had booked a guided walking tour of the cliffs leading from Dunluce Castle to the Causeway. That was a hard trek at times, huff puff, up and down cliffs with amazing views, but oh so worth it…And no crowds up there, at least!

Looking back at all the places we visited, I think my favorite was Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands. We had booked an off-road guided tour, and our guide was simply amazing, full of stories to tell, plus the history of the islands and of the Gaelic language (he is also a teacher of Gaelic), and other fun stuff. He was great! Anyway, if you go to Inishmore, I do recommend that you book that tour.

In case you are wondering, by the way: back home, the cats were well-looked after: they had three cat sitters and two more on the side, if needed, and I was in touch with the sitters at least twice a day. Not one problem.

Let’s see, what else? Ah yes, I had blood tests at the beginning of July, and all is well. I’m stable. And that’s always the best news…!!!

I should stop for now, but I did want to reassure everyone that I am fine and dandy, just busy with life stuff. And now that my blog has been fixed, thank you!, I should be back more frequently. Take care, everyone! Ciao!