Well, we made the choice. To be honest, part of the reason was that he seemed a little independent. For independent read: hard-headed. For hard-headed read: difficult. For difficult read: right little barsteward.
I am certain he is the right choice. 
Poor Dino although, to be honest, Dino is much the same.
Anyway, it’s time you met Piero:
F was, of course, quite taken with him:
as, it seems, was Piero with F:
Here are two photos that F took that are so, so cute:
Well, I think it’s as good as it will get – subject to plastic around important legs, which will have to wait.
Of course, I THINK it’s OK but know, in my heart, that I have, quite obviously, missed something.
There are, one hopes, what with F buying something every time he goes abroad, enough toys to keep the little bugger occupied. In the process I have cleared out some food in the fridge and found that I have far too much wine. Maybe I should drink more? 
Tonight, we should be going out with the Austrian friend and her husband. They are here to select clothes for next year, it being the start of the showroom sales.
Next week is the Paris fashion shows, so F is in Paris next weekend. Dino and I will be going to Carrara, even if I prefer to be with F.
I have suggested to Best Mate, that she comes for the first week in August (as F will be working and I shall be in the first week of my three-week holiday) – she can get a cheapish flight to Pisa and we can spend the days on the beach or sight-seeing or something. I don’t think she will come but it would be rather nice. And it would be a weeks holiday for her.
Of course, there will also be Piero, which makes it more fun. We could have barbeques in the back garden and stuff. Yes, it would be all rather fun, I think. I hope she says ‘yes’.
This afternoon, we are going to see Piero and, hopefully, choose. F says that he will like them all and be unable to choose, so I will do it. He says that he will always, then, prefer one of the others. But I think there will be ‘the one’ – and you know that I always believe in ‘the one’ for both dogs and boyfriends
In the meantime, these next few weeks will be SO busy, with hardly an evening or weekend free to do anything. Weekends in Carrara being the only time to relax. And then comes Piero – so even more so. But it’s OK. It will be fun, I know that much.
Finally, it is here.
The temperature in my flat, with all windows open, is 30°C. Last night it reached a low of about 25°C (according to the weather forecast I use).
I am happy but slower, of course. I am also, after going to the supermarket, sweating so I am sitting here for a moment, typing this whilst I ‘dry off’ a bit. Before going out again. Slowly, of course. On the other hand, both Dino and F are not so happy. Dino cannot get cool enough and, at times, seems to be trying to dig through the floor (to get to cooler earth???). Obviously, he doesn’t realise that we are on the third floor and so, if he ever did manage to dig through the concrete, he would be in the flat below! Now, he can’t be walked in the middle of the day. It’s too uncomfortable for him. I wait until about 8 when the sun is lower – even then it’s really too hot for him, poor thing.
We are not in Carrara this weekend. F is supposed to be working but has done his back in again and so is currently at home. So this weekend, the plan was to ‘puppy-proof’ the flat. Which I will start this afternoon.
Puppy-proofing will be difficult, I think. When we got Dino we were able to close off the lounge. Here, I am unable to do that and, anyway, I need the lounge for the newspaper.
So, all rugs must be lifted; all books must be put into the bookcase; all videos stored away from the bottom shelf in the hall. There will be other things too. I have an idea for protecting the table legs and chair legs in the lounge which is to get some thick plastic and tie round them. The ones in the kitchen don’t really matter. There will be things that I will miss, of course. It’s one of the prices you pay.
Still, we have not decided. Now I am so busy that, if I don’t go this weekend and choose, it won’t happen. I really want F there too (to help choose) but I’m guessing he won’t come. Maybe I go tomorrow.
In any event, it is summer and Piero should be here in the next 3 weeks or so. I am so excited. It will be exhausting but fun.
I went to choose Piero last night, straight from work.
Here is the man, holding the two possible Pieros so I could take a photograph:
I have to choose one! So difficult
They look the same, right? Well, yes, almost. They have slightly different markings. Maybe they’re still too young to choose?
This is one of the possible Pieros:
Piero, perhaps, maybe …..
But, in the end, it is too difficult to choose. I did have a couple of videos here but now they either aren’t there or don’t seem to work 
In the end I couldn’t choose. The guy said (I think), not to worry and they would make sure I got the right one.
I hope. I tried to explain it will be difficult to come back in the next week or so. I hope they understood.
I feel so guilty for not giving you many posts recently.
So, here is one.
It’s nearly time. The question was – ‘where to put the newspaper?’.
It can’t be in the hallway as I won’t be able to get in when I open the front door (the hallway being not so wide as the last place).
It can’t be in the kitchen as a) the kitchen isn’t that big and b) where to put it would be a problem too – I mean there’s nowhere big enough without furniture – unless I take out the dog’s bed, which I don’t really want to.
The bedroom is definitely out.
So that leaves the lounge. I had intended to leave the rug down (which is very large and in the centre) and fence off the lounge like I had done when Rufus got old. But, the most obvious place for the newspaper is near the French doors – which means crossing the rug – which means it has to be taken up.
Or I move the dog bed.
Ah well, it’s probably the best thing to do.
Of course, there will be other things to do. Like making sure that all things that can be chewed are not in reach. Some things might be more difficult than others.
Still, with F having a bad back, it is likely that we won’t go to Carrara this weekend and so, maybe, I can try and sort it out tomorrow and/or Sunday?
And it is likely to rain on Saturday so that may be a good day to do it!
They all seem to have characters now.
I like the look of the second one down (he looks a bit grumpy 
) and the last one (who looks really sweet). F prefers the third one down – but we shall go and see them this weekend and try to choose
I am so happy.
Piero and his brothers (4 weeks)
Taken from their site last week – not our pictures.
Piero and brothers and sisters and Mum
Above is a picture of Piero with his brothers and sisters and his Mum. I can’t actually tell you which one is Piero since we haven’t seen them yet.
But we’re going tomorrow.
F couldn’t wait
So he phoned them because he couldn’t wait for their reply to my email
He’s more excited than me
And I’m pretty excited.
This might turn into a blog dedicated to Piero and Dino
He told me that I needn’t but I couldn’t really go there with nothing, could I?
And, so, last Saturday I went hunting.
Before that, I asked him, “What are you going to get them?”
I’m glad I asked – a bottle of grappa for his Dad with a gold top or something and a gold picture frame for his Mum. Damn because the gold frame was what I had thought of.
“What were you thinking of?”, he asked me back. Quick thinking got me to say, “Maybe some gold coffee cups since they drink coffee every day”. Good idea, I told myself.
However, I found that gold coffee cups are NOT that easy to find. I did find some on my foray in the morning – but they didn’t have handles and looked rather cheap. Well, they were rather cheap so maybe that’s why.
But I had a brainwave in the afternoon and trotted off to La Rinascente (a huge department store by the Duomo). They had a section for fine china and the thing about fine china is that often it includes gold decoration.
And, even if they’ve changed it so that resembles more of an up-market market, I did find some. They are Wedgewood (so an English company, which makes sense) and they are simple, white cups and saucers with a rather fine pattern in …. GOLD! Hurrah!
OK, so they weren’t exactly cheap but on the basis that I get fed and looked after when I’m there, it seems (and is) a very small price to pay.
F said they were really nice. He’s going to wrap them, obviously, being so neat as he is.
And so I am set for our trip down there to the Tuscan coast. We leave on Thursday (probably) and come back on the Tuesday ……… unless, of course, Piero is born and we can go and see him. In which case F wants to go and see him – so we might either delay the visit by a day or come back a day early.
And, on the Sunday, which coincides with my birthday, we shall be having the Golden Wedding Anniversary lunch at some rustic restaurant in the foothills, on the veranda, overlooking olive groves, etc. All the family and cousins and so on will be there. And me
It should be a nice few days away.