Less gloom on a gloomy day.

It's a cloudy, cool day. Cool for Sardinia. And I've just returned from the graveyard. Where my Italian true love's parents are buried. It's a big, sprawling cemetery. A quiet place. Subdued. But not nicely designed, it seems to me. Too crowded. Too many graves. Yes, a hodge-podge. And on a relatively gloomy weather day, it seems like maybe the graveyard is haunted. By sad spirits. On a sunny day, the spirits seem happier. Usually, there are beggars at the graveyard's huge yellow archway entrance. The women beggars carry cups in hand. For coins. Euros. But today, there were no beggars. I wondered why. Maybe discouraged by the weather. Or scared away by the spirits. Don't know. My true love bought tulips. For the graves. Sort of pinkish tulips. They hadn't fully opened yet. Some yellow lillies left a week ago were still blooming. Nicely. And my true love salvaged some of 'em for her father's grave. Mixing with the tulips. But she left only tulips on her mother's grave. Which was a good decision. Tulips look better standing alone. Without competition from lillies. Anyway, the tulips were selling for 1.5 euros each. Sort of expensive. But the friendly flower lady gave by true love a discount. Don't know exactly how much. But she considered it a good deal. On the way home, we went shopping. At the grocery store. And at a discount store. Where we bought a variety of soaps and toiletries. But we had to rush. Because the place was closing in 10 minutes. At noon. That's the custom here in Sardinia. The store will open again tonight. For a few hours. After the employees and customers have been well-rested and well-fed. Makes for less gloom on a gloomy day. --Jim Broede