Italian Conversation & Other Things

I spent some time yesterday pondering all things 'adventure', not just in terms of new possibilities but also how I can take some of my existing activities forward. The easiest one to deal with is my ongoing attempts to learn the Italian language. It's time to move on to the next stage of that particular adventure and focus more on improvising my conversational ability, which is the aspect that's lagging behind. I was looking online for a local Italian conversation group and one of the options is a group in the Warminster U3A (about 20 minutes drive away) who meets once a week on a day and time that fits in with my other regular activities and who learn Italian under the guidance of a native Italian speaker. Although my previous experiences of other U3A groups hasn't been too promising I am ever the optimist and am thinking about trying again. 

The main benefits of this particular group for me are that it is an inexpensive option at only £18 a year, and if it works out there are other groups I'd be interested in joining at a (much) later date at no extra cost.  It's not computer based learning so pronunciation and grammar mistakes will be corrected and explained, and also that this particular group meets in a church hall rather than a private home so that suggests some scope for social distancing. It will also provide some much needed social contact and an opportunity to meet new people.

It also addresses my wish to rebuild the social side of life and to get out and about more this year. Whether I will actually rejoin the U3A and attend this conversation group ... well, your guess is as good as mine. Part of me thinks other people are being so much more social and have managed to stay well so why not me, and another part of me thinks it's too risky. However, the benefits of adding a regular social activity to a currently very solitary life cannot be underestimated and yes, there will be a risk, so I need to weigh the benefits against the risk and decide whether the risk is worth it to me. I've completed an enquiry form and asked to have a chat with the leader of the group to learn how the group is run, how many people regularly attend and whether they enforce Covid safety, etc. so for now I have to sit back and wait.

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4/365: one of the bridges at the marina

I met J for lunch yesterday - only 2 hours this time! - and also collected a bag of books and a jigsaw puzzle from her. I was planning to do some shopping after we'd eaten so opted to put them in the car rather than carry them around the store and then stupidly got straight in the car and drove home, completely forgetting the shopping! I'll have to manage with what's at home for a few days now. Back at home I made a start on the meal planning so will carry on and finish that today. It feels good to be back to my usual routine and, lovely as holidays are, I do generally feel better when I have some semblance of structure to my days. 

Piano lessons restart tomorrow, so I will need to buckle down today and make sure I can still play the pieces we decided on before the Christmas break but which have taken a bit of a back seat since getting the Les Misérables piano music as one of my Twelve Days of Christmas gifts.

Depending on how that all works out I'll reassess the decluttering I sorted out before Christmas and decide what to tackle first. Hopefully I'll have time to make a start but if not it'll be top of the list for tomorrow.