What a great day! I met many new friends at the women's Bible Study at Rome Baptist Church. Representing the whole globe, there were women from Portugal, the UK, Germany, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Japan, and the states.

I met four cute American girls whose husbands work for the American Embassy, and we are going to meet for coffee this weekend. Most of them have been here a while, and they are starved for news from the States, so that will be fun to make those friendships. They also have good information about a vegetable market in their neighborhood that is right off the Metro, so that will be easy!

OK, so funny observation for today: You know those creepy people in all the major cities who are dressed all in gold and pose on street corners? Well, I observed a "gold statue" shift change today. It cracked me up, and I could not help but watch. They stood and chatted for a bit....there was a bottle of water exchanged, and a fanny scratch or two, and the the new gold statue assumed their position, while the old statue talked away on their cell phone....I literally laughed out loud!

Then, I saw another funny "costumed person" moment. There are beefed-up men all over Rome dressed as gladiators. They pose with tourists for pictures, and ask for a euro or two in exchange. At the base of the Spanish Steps, there was a gladiator....cigarette hanging out of his mouth, trimming his finger nails with clippers. OK, so a little gross, sure, but the dichotomy of the costume and the cigarette and the nail clippers....again, a LOL moment for me!

Sigh. It's a good thing I am so easily amused!!!