I'm staying away from rooftops.

Funny thing. I still remember the date. It was 27 years ago today. That I fell off the roof while clearing away snow. In Minnesota. I was home alone. And I was stunned by the fall. Had to crawl into the house. In pain. Called my wife. Who was at work. She called an ambulance. And I spent the night in the local hospital. No broken bones. But torn muscles. And terrible, painful muscle spasms. Took me until April to fully recover. To feel like my old self again. Amazing thing. More than a quarter century later, I'm in Sardinia. And heading for Rome later today. Things have changed. So much. My dear wife Jeanne died almost 5 years ago. And I'm now living here with my Italian true love. And there's no snow in sight. No freezing temperatures. Palms trees. Cacti. Paradise. And no need to climb atop a roof any more. --Jim Broede