Nose to the Grindstone

 In the early rays of dawn, when only truth is spoken, Fio woke up realizing her mother had wanted her to be a teacher, but your girl was determined to be a learner--of music, art, language, and literature. So, what's Fiorella doing now? She hasn't followed up on singing or composition lately because her voice is shot and her songs are packed away, and she hasn't follow up on languages because, when she lost her maid, there wasn't anyone to practice with. 

So what does that leave? ART AND LITERATURE: the way Fio has decorated her studio and the way she's writing to you right now--and if we're lucky, maybe by Christmas, the piano will be out of storage and your girl can come up with a cute verse.

Confession time: Actually, Fiorella is testing herself out with all these ideas because, having come to a certain age, she wants to make sure she's still with it. (Not that she'll ever understand math, electronics,  and the like.) 

 Your girl's biggest worry right now is that Lolly's story as a whole will be out of date because it's been wrapped up and packed away in garage and storage for about two years. Will readers even be interested in a story that is written like Covid never happened? Fio's trying to get in touch with writers she used to know to see what they think. Wish her well!

 

 

 

 

 

THINGS TO COME!

 Oops, that extra blog was meant for yesterday. Here's today's.

Question: does everyone else get as blue as Fiorella does? It's a semi-rainy day, Granddaughter is in Day Care, Son L got called in for more work, Daughter-in-Law is glued to her earphones, and Fiorella's studio looks like a mausoleum. At the same time, she's wondering how she'll get to her doctor appointments now that Son is taking on more of a workload. Volunteers?

*

How about Fio gives you a couple of paragraphs to wet your appetite for Lolly's story--

     Lolly swung her car into her aunt's long, asphalt-paved driveway and drove slowly up the hill, hoping a deer wouldn't leap at her like its brother had yesterday. Aunt Sarah's house was forested, like her family's in Dallas, except that it was two story while the Redlander manse was a sprawling one-story on twice as much acreage. Dan had grown up poor and liked living on a grand scale.

     Whew! Her first day of second semester classes, and she'd survived. In fact, right now, she felt pretty damn good. That rush of adrenaline from her confrontation with Mr. Big Deal Cotton Bogart had done the trick, put her on her game, and she'd decided to ace his class After all, how hard could Creative Writing be? She'd seen lots of movies about writers--all she'd have to do is play some mood music, stare at the ceiling for a couple of minutes, then jot down whatever came to mind and she'd have a masterpiece--and  she might as well ace her afternoon classes as well.

Interested? It's been a long time coming....

 

 

 

Information, Confession, Publication?

 Congratulate her! Fiorella has taken the first steps toward getting into the game again. Yep, now that she's moved back to Austin, your girl is going to contact friend Cheryl R., a Romance Writers of America pal who has set up her own small publishing company, which Fio prefers it to big business.

In the meantime, your girl is working on Lolly's story again. Fiorella had unpacked her copies of it a week or so back, but couldn't get started on it again--you try proof reading in bed with a 130 pound dog vying for your attention. But today, Fiorella opened the blinds on the front window in her new studio, then added a plushy chair and an amplified desk for her own comfort--and she's been typing away like mad ever since.

But actually, Fio is a little nervous--what if she's lost her touch? Or is out of style?

Oh well, there are always other stories, short and long, and new and old. Remember, your girl has been making up stories since she was in kindergarten, maybe even before--she was afraid of the dark, and her stories lulled her to sleep. Was it that way with you too?

Saturday Blues

 Be glad you weren't in Fiorella's house in the early morning--all of a sudden, a shrill whistle sounded off and, convinced, as usual, that she had caused the problem, your girl grabbed at every electronic item she could find--her telephone, the remote, and her clock--and tried to stifle them, but to no effect. The whole house came awake--Son L, his wife, his daughter, the dog, and the cats, and Son was able to trace the shrieks to the light fixtures, then the fire alarm, but it took a good two hours for him to silence everything down. Ah, suburban living....

Fio has cleared out most of her paperbacks except for some sexy favorites that she'll be consulting when working on Lolly's story. Yeah, that's the sort of books your girl writes....

While visiting brother Bill and his wife today, Fiorella got very lonely for Mother. Why do good people have to die?

 

 

From a Woodcut to a Sexy Romance

 DANG! The beautiful Japanese wood-cut print that Fiorella sent to Son K a couple of weeks ago didn't reach him and Fio can't remember if it was insured. Let's hope he can trace the print from his end. 

Hooray, hooray! More 2020 tax information! Your girl was able to contact three of the places she donated to in 2020, and she left a message for her church, which reminded her that she took a ton of clothes and the likes to Goodwill back then.

Hey, hey--when Fiorella went outside to walk the mail up the street, she ran into her next-door neighbor, Lisa. and had a great time talking with her. Lisa and her wife are also artists so Fio wants to see their work and--let's face it--show off her own. 

Son L brought home fried chicken this evening, which your girl hasn't had in ages and will probably pay for--fried food is not good for her digestion--but neither is chocolate, and it hasn't killed her yet.

Fio started what she thought would be on editing the long lost Lolly today, and, of course, she's rewriting it even from the first page on. Wish Lolly on. She's spent way too much time in the back of the cupboard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Movin' On

 Up and down, up and down. Fiorella has to pull together her tax stuff from last year, which is not the easiest thing for her to do with the 2021 she had. Son L is lending a hand, but Fio's pretty sure she'll end up in the hoosegow or wherever it is that electronically ignorant old ladies hang out.

OMG! Did your girl use the word old? Shame on her! Not that she's planning to swim naked in the neighborhood pool or anything like that, but she wouldn't mind a whistle or two.

Right now, Fio is trying to design a special setting to show off not only Mother-in-law's sister Ethelyn's) collection of sea shells, but also also your girl's collection of rocks. Son is not too enthusiastic about the two-step arrangement Fiorella is designing, so wish your girl well.

It was weird the way that not a single one of the telephone numbers that Son L retrieved from the tax forms rang true. Fio tried them all out, but they were inoperative. Maybe that means your girl doesn't have to pay this year 😁

Don't hold your breath, but Son L figured out how to get into the Lolly series that Son K had set up for Fiorella a while back. Thanks to both guys.

 

 

THIS BLOG HAS BEEN REWRITTEN BECAUSE THE FIRST VERSION SOUNDED STUPID

 Rejoining the world slowly but surely, Fiorella has remade contact with good friend Paula, who now lives in Vermont. They met each other while teaching at University of Texas many years ago and bonded instantly--two women with the same sense of humor. It's a wonder the college tolerated them--or that the coffee shops didn't throw them out into the street!

If you ask what Fio is doing this very instant, she will tell you that she is squeezed on the floor between her bedstead and the wall because Sonja Dog has claimed the bed and your girl, who is writing, needs to be as far away as possible from her granddaughter's squealing play group which is playing dolls in her next-door bedroom. Fiorella doesn't remember this aspect of grandmothering.

Hold your breath, Fiorella is starting up on Lolly again, but if it doesn't jell, she's got a vampire to fall back on. It was the first romance your girl ever wrote and she didn't know how to sell it back then, but  now she has writing friends who know the ropes. (Shh--the vampire setting is small town in Pennsylvania which her paternal family knew well.)

It looks like there's some hope that Fio can recover from the snowstorm, etc. Not only has she been lined up with several very nice people who come to the house to talk with her, but they've also given her their telephone numbers.

We've got Prime Video back on the TV now, but Fiorella made the mistake of celebrating it by watching a three hour show that was gory to the extreme. It's a good thing that a Mastiff sleeps by her side every night.

 

 

 

 

.

NEW DAY!

 It's official--all that sneezing and snorting--Fiorella has a cold. No temperature, just a plain old-fashioned stupid, honk, honk cold. She thinks she got it from her granddaughter, who was laid low for a day with the same symptoms. Ah, well--it could be worse.

The big news is that Fio's nurse practitioner came by today, and your girl got tested in all sorts of things. Guess who had a hard time with math? Now you know why Fiorella studied the arts, music, languages, and linguistics instead.

Anyway, a throng of medical people is soon to descend on your girl to help her get back to pre-snow storm etc., form, and she will welcome them, every one.

Hoping Lolly's story will finally see the light of day because our girl has about five versions of it sitting in a pile in her studio. Of course, selling romances is different now that e-book rules the scene. And to think--Fiorella had finally lassoed a top-notch publisher. Oh well, what the heck--all's well that ends well, and your Fio intends to do just that.

Sonia Dog has Fiorella well trained. When Fio is about to lie down and watch TV in the evening, Doggie will leap up in front of her horizantally and won't relinquish her place until Fio provides her a treat. GRRRRRR!

 

Bad Day

The thunder is rolling outside and your girl is chastising herself inside. This is one of those mornings that Fio wakes up remembering every cruel or dumb thing she's ever done or said in her life--and there are multitudes. Not that  she ever meant to be cruel--that's where the dumb comes in. Yeah, your girl was well-meaning--actually thought  she was helping or doing the right thing, but in reality, she was her own worst enemy.  The wonder of it all is that she has always had loving friends 💗 and a caring family 💗who stuck with her, thick or thin, and to whom she says THANK YOU, and I'LL TRY TO DO BETTER.

 

 

 

From Dreams to French TV

 Fiorella had some kind of dream in which she was always behind on something. Hmm...sounds just like her life.

Your girl went through through all the pages she had pulled out of her boxes yesterday, then went through them again and tossed the ones that were totally out of date out of date or unintelligible. Next comes deciding which half-written books she'll finish up--either Lolly or the vampire story. 

In between times, Fio entertained herself with a ghoulish, French language TV show. Not that she can read French anymore, but she got the gist of it. 

After all, one of her best friends in grad school was Nicole Domingue.  Fio will be still working on her studio, of course, but the basics are laid out now--a desk by the window, four six-foot tall bookshelves, three sets of files cabinets, two chairs, a mini-fridge, a couple of chairs, a step ladder, and a large, loving dog.

Oh, Fiorella should have explained that the reason she's watching French TV is that her son has been dumped by Prime Video because somehow along the line, we got tangled with a high-price station, which Son thinks he thinks is bogus and won't pay.

 

 

 

Fio Bitches

 Your girl is trying to mail her usual donation to the Salvation Army, but can't seem to get an address. Has the whole world gone technological? Fio herself will NOT send her check on line!

Speaking of money, Fiorella was afraid she'd end up with a bounced check on her pristine record because she'd mailed out two new checks without realizing the book was in Husband's name as well as hers and-- also had the old address on them. Thankfully, a quick call to the bank assured Fio she will not be hauled off to the hoosegow. In fact, she was told it occurs all the time. Whew!

Whatever happened to those know-it-all know-it-all magazines that used to be available in every grocery store and pharmacy? Remember the cow boys and Indians for the kids, love stories for the teenage girls, and Better homes and Gardens for the ladies?  Has TV run them all out of town? 

Applaud your girl. She's been spending most of her time today going through long-forgotten files--and actually found some real gems that she can use in her books when she gets set up again.

How many of you watch British TV--not that there seems to be a way to ignore it. Again, Fio just wishes there would be less blood and guts.

Visiting the Past

 Aha! Because he was drawn so distinctively the first time around, Fio knew that Kip would show up again in the Luann comic strip. But what role will he play in Tiffany's life this time? Or maybe even Luann's? She's gotta get a boyfriend somewhere down the line!

Celebrate along with Fiorella--the results of her bone density test have just come back and her bones are dense, dense, dense, just as she had expected them to be. No fragility in your girl's build--it's probably a matter of the Carpathian Rusyn heritage.

On the other hand, Fio is going crazy going through the piles and piles of letters, stories, and clippings that mate the voyage to her new home. Not that she regrets the transfer because she's already found gems among them, but she does resent the amount of time it takes to go through everything. COME ON NOW--couldn't someone have invented a machine to do sorting?

Don't hold your breath, but Fiorella may be able to use the boxing that Daughter-in-law's treadmill came in to make a trough that will decorate the entrance to her studio--rocks on the bottom and sea shells on top. This is especially important to Fio because the shells were given to her by Husband's Aunt Ethelyn, a very sweet woman who had her own problems.

It's interesting for your girl to go through her own history. She didn't remember that she had written for so many magazines and been so active on the local scene--WOW!

 

 

 

 

 

 

From Reality to Poetry

Guess what? Son L found Fio's newspapers piled up in front of the gate to the area she lives in. Now, the gate opens a gate at six every day, so what time were they trying to deliver the papers? And why didn't anyone contact Fiorella to explain what was happening? 

Pray for your girl--she is running up and down the step ladder again, trying to put her half-finished novels in order so she can start finishing them off while she still can.

 AACK! just rechecked the newspapers and son grabbed for me and they are ALL for today's date--WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?

 

             How about one of Fiorella's old sonnets?

Quiet as the grave that holds me fast

When death has dumbed the drumbeat of my blood

Beneath the soundless soil, still at last

I'll sink in silence toward the muffling mud

But until then, I'll clatter trough your halls

And shout hello to friends and wail good-by

I'll laugh aloud within your stately walls

I'll shiek my anger  to the sombre sky.

The dead are not notorious for their noise

And I will lie a long time quietly

So up till then, I'll use my loudest voice

To make the whimpering world resound to me

   And when at last I'm mutes by the all-absorbing ground

   My unaccustomed silence then will deafen you with sound.

 

 

 

Oops, Forgot to Keep You Informed

 It's been a banner day! Friend Evelyn picked Fio up and took her out for a hamburger--the food was good, the company was great, and your girl benefited from practicing talking with a good talker. In fact, Fio had such a good time that she forgot to finish her blog. Please forgive her.

Fiorella finally got eleven years of her blogs together, but she's sure there are more. They'll be on the top of a bookcase in her studio for display and consultation, if you're interested.

By the way, the American Statesman is STILL not delivering your girl's newspaper. 

The big news in the family is that the HOA has sent us a letter saying that we had to trim our front yard--which looks okay to Fio--or else pay a rather large fine. Be careful HOA. The other neighbors have filled us in about you and, at the next election, you are going to be kicked out the door!

It looks like Fiorella and Son L will be making another trip to Pfugerville to clean out another storage unit this weekend. Your girl hopes her scales and more of her paints will be in it.

Oh my God, Fio has been going through old stored-up plots all morning and her brain is swimming with inspiration. That vampire story is going to see the sunlight after all!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keeping Up with Fiorella

Hooray, hooray! Friend Evelyn is going to pick your girl up tomorrow and whisk her off to a place where they can talk and talk and talk. Yep, they have a lot of things to catch up on. And yes, Evelyn is vaccinated--probably several times over.in

Believe it or not, it's raining in Central Texas today, but we all know it won't last long. Sigh....

Back to Evelyn, Fio will drag her into the house and make her look at her studio. It's not quite finished yet, but, let's face it--it never will be. Fiorella will always be changing it around.  her head

Hmm...wonder if, after some many years of her pencils and paints being packed away, your girl will be able to get into the swing again. Well, there's only one way to find out--and Fio admits a few new ideas have been buzzing around in her head lately.

Oh, Fio almost forgot! On her fourth try, she finally got through to a REAL LIVE person about her newspaper problem and he was very sympathetic. Wish your girl well!

 

 

 

 

From One Family to Another

 Son L and his family are off to a family birthday party so Sonia Dog and Fio are holding down the fort. Your girl has used the quiet time to run around her domain, work on her studio, and...well...catch a cat nap or two. She's also had to turn away two cute little neighborhood girls, who kept peering behind the door as she explained that Granddaughter was at a birthday party and would probably be gone till evening. Ah, the evil old lady strikes again!

Fio knows you're sick and tired of hearing about her studio, but it gets better every day and she is now considering what her first project will be. She'd like it to be paints, but none of those have shown up yet. Maybe they're still in storage or maybe they got so dry that Fiorella dumped them along the line. Whatever, your girl is a little nervous about taking up the brush again. It's been quite a while since she's picked up her paints.

Those pictures that Fiorella has dug out of newspapers and awards ceremonies have given your girl a new view on her ancestors, especially her mother. Mom received a number of awards from kindergarten through college--and she was also quite pretty. Your girl should salute her father too. His rise up the General Tire ladder was remarkable, and partially due to his personality.

Oh, by the way, your girl has finally mastered the washer and drier--although, to tell the truth, she still prays her way through them each time.

WHEN WILL DOC MARTIN COME BACK ON TV?

Update

 Congratulate Fio--she had her blood  checked out today. Yep, now that she's moved back to Austin, she's getting a whole passel of bodily functions examined. So far, so good. 😁

 Your girl is has finished the first step of the final phase of her studio, but she's dreading what last two loads from the storage unit will hold. The rugs and her paintings for sure, but Lord only knows how much else.

Just to keep you up to date, Fiorella's American Statesman didn't come today either. GRRRRRR! So why do I subscribe, you ask? THE FUNNIES! She can't live without Luann!

Now that she has your attention, Fio wants to voice her pet peeve about TV shows. Why are most of them just one blood and guts show? Your girl will come out and tell you--she likes the continuing sagas, like (drum role) Doc Martin. 

Dang--Fio tried to send you a picture of her studio, but it didn't work!

 

 

 

 

More Adventures!

 There was a loud crash in the middle of the night, and Son L ran into Fio's room shouting, "Mom, are you okay?" Yes, Mom was okay--it was Doggie  who'd fallen of the bed, and it turned out she was okay too. Case closed.

Wow! Fiorella started unpacking the last box from the most recent delivery and discovered it was chock-full of mementos from Ohio--LIKE A NEWSPAPER INTERVIEW OF ELLET ELEMENTARY TEACHERS, like Mrs. Rubright, Fio's beloved kindergarten teacher and like Mrs. Cartright, her second grade teacher who was one of Mom's pals. (Fiorella's first grade was a little blurred because she had three different teachers.)

.Fiorella and Son L drove off in the early evening to visit with Daughter but were delayed by a wreck that took place right in front of their eyes. Son, Fio's hero, leaped out of our car and rushed over to the crash make sure everyone was all right.  As it turned out, the fender was ripped off of a car, no one was hurt, and names and exchange phone numbers were exchanged. Needless to say, Son and Fiorella were late to the visit to w Daughter, but with good cause.

Fio should tell you that, once she got to Daughter's house, she got a do-over from said Daughter--make up, hair, and various bottles of who-knows-what. Your girl suspects that her daughter is trying to help her widowed mother gain the attention of a silver fox, which Fiorella wouldn't object to.

 

 

From Medicine to Doggie

Wow! Your girl L-O-V-E-S the newest advance in medicine. She had a hard time getting accustomed to the medical practices in her new town, but then she was introduced to a wonderful person called a Nurse Practicioner who arranges it so that must of Fio's treatments can take place without leaving her home.

Fio is still plowing ahead with the studio, but there are what looks like a thousand family photos to take care of. By the way, your girl's Nurse Practioner was so concerned by the contents of Fio's basket of pills that she talked them over with her boss and he added two more pills.

Walgreen's has redeemed itself. After keeping Fio and Son waiting for about half an hour last time around, this time, the pills were ready and waiting. 

Your girl is being nudged about preparing her income tax forms. Frankly, she's too bunged up mentally to do them herself so she's handing the basics over to Son L and counting on her accountant for the rest. (Wonder if Fiorella can get some kind of compensation for what she went through during the snow storm.)

If you're wondering what Sonia Dog has been doing lately, she spends a lot of time watching TV, begging for treats, and sleeping in Mommy's bedroom. 

 

 

 

 

Poems of the Heart

Six Poemlets

If I had eyes and you had eyes

And we could see ahead what lies...

I'd close my eyes

And kiss your lovely lips

The sun leaves slowly, giving thanks

For such a long and lengthy stay--

And putting on her coat of colors,

Leaves again for another day

 

In golden shoes, my feet are tiny

In golden net my hair is  long

In golden book, my words are shiny

My poems become a golden song

But I know she will come in haste

At dawn in a coat of dye

For she has left her diamonds

Scattered in the sky

 

Coquette

While it please me, I shall linger

While it please me, I shall play,

Kiss your mouth and bite your finger

But that is only for today

 

Be careful of my wings. my dear

They took so long thus to appear

And are quite tender, weak and shear

 

 

Movin' On

 Yoo-hoo! It's been a good day for your girl. She's started working on the insides of her studio, which means searching out more and more clutches of family photos. Just an hour ago, she came across two lovely sketches, one of herself and one of Daughter. Fio would love to post them on the studio wall, but does she have the room?

There's not much to do in the afternoon around here (except working on the studio) so Fiorella has been watching British murder mysteries for the last month or so. It fascinates her and calms down Sonia Dog.

Fio is going to ask Son L to teach her how to take photos that will illustrate her posts so you can see how she's decorating her would-be studio.

Tomorrow is a big day for Fiorella: her nurse practitioner is coming to the house to check Fio out, which means that Son will no longer have to make special arrangements to get to her appointments. Also, she won't have to sit in a waiting room forever. 

Oh! Fiorella almost forgot to let you in on the most exciting news of the day--she change the position of the desk in her studio so it faces the rest of the room! Call it what you may, but your girl does not like to have an open area at her back.

 

 

Up'n At'm!

Your girl would never have made it as a teacher these days, when everything is technologized. She took advantage of her art skills and drew pictures of the stories the students read, sang in class, and even invited students to come to my office if they needed help. And yes, she was teaching college level. Needless to say, the students loved her and the department chairman didn't.

Wow--going through all her old pages, she's finding stories she had totally forgotten about. Let's face it: your girl can't keep her mouth shut. (Err, her pen still.)

Fio is hoping her "settlement" is coming to an end and she can get down to work with her music, art, languages, and literature again. She's also hoping she hasn't lost her touch because she'd been through so much, like Husband's death, family disputes, Covid, the snow storm, selling the old house and searching for a new one, and moving in, which isn't finished yet.

Fiorella will be through with the construction of her studio in about a week, but there will still be paints to set up and pages to go through. She also hopes the piano will be released from storage soon.

Fio thanks you for letting her ramble💗💗💗

THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO COME OUT TODAY! Whatever...at least it didn't get erased.

 

Thinking Things Out

 No wonder Fiorella grew up to be a linguist. Her next door neighbor was Louisiana French, The family down the block spoke Yiddish, her mother knew a smattering of German, and her father's family had remembered a word or two of Carpathian Rucyn.

Your girl likes action, be it writing, art, singing, composing, solving puzzles, or whatever, and it drives her crazy that what she is doing now what she has to do instead of what she wants to do. Yeah, she's working her heart out setting up the studio. Will she ever get it finished? And is she does get  it finished, will she still be able to express herself in her four talents? She hasn't touch a piano in at least a year, and she barely ran the keyboard then. And what about her languages, which she hasn't practiced in forever? And then there's her writing and her art. When will she get back to them? 

Right now, Fio is fishing out various charming photos of her kids and mailing them off to her threesome so they can remember whom they once were.  (Sometimes Fiorella needs to remind herself whom she was too.)

It was interesting going through all the of Mother's scholastic awards. She skipped fourth grade, and not only did she win the county spelling bee, but she also had the lead role in her high school play. Dad, on the other hand, was a sports star and senior year class president. How's that for genes!

 

 

 

 

 

What Happend to You Yesterday, Fio?

 Fiorella likes to present a happy, confident front, but sometimes the world piles up on her, like it did for the past year, and she has to take a break and refuel. But the sun is shining today and your girl's on semi-firm ground--at least for now.

Fio's studio is shaping up with only about a week of work to go, at least for the bookcases, but then there's the file cabinets, which will take longer because they contain most of Fiorella's poetry and stories from way back.

The great news is that your girl will be getting medical treatment at the house instead of Son L having to drive her into the facility, which means that Fiorella won't have to be responsible for her long list of medical personal herself. It also means Son won't have to take off work.

It's interesting to go through Mother's remembrances. Apparently, she was the top speller for everywhere around, which explains why Fiorella was born with a yen for writing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Fiorella took a day off 💗

More Sonnets

 Your girl came across a couple more  of her sonnets she thought you might like.  

                           

 Lullaby

I've held death in my arms to confort her

And stroked her cheek and combed her tangled hair

And sung to her sweet songs that once were dear,

Old medodies, a children's bedtime prayer

I've held death in my arms and learned her face

And studied how her shallow breath grew slow,

And warmed her limp, cold hands in my embrace

"It's hard, so hard," she said. "I didn't know."

I've stood beside her peace and counted flowers

And listened to my sleepless brain shriek blood

And wept, regretting wasted lives and hours

Inimically intertwined with love

   I've held death in my arms in fear and wonder

   And kissed her, kissed her as one would a mother

  

Love Endures

How long lasts love? Past tomorrow's dawn?

Past hurt and anger, betrayal, desertion, death?

This weakness of the heart--will it be strong

Enough to last the years, yet be true yet?

Life ripens in the lusty sun of youth

And is consumed, but blossoms ever-sweet

To be the springtime baby's first-spooned fruit,

The sustenance of summer, winter's treat.

The music of the song survives the singer

And echoes of itself divinity--

Thus Love and Beauty, Truth and Courage linger

Long past their actors in eternity

     How long lasts love? My love is yours

     As long as Love endures; yes, love endures

Keeping You up to Date

Damn! Fio has messed up her doctor appointments, which, at her age, are a lot more frequent than they used to be. And it doesn't help that, ever since she got caught in THE snowstorm, her sense of security has shuffled off to Buffalo.

So, Fiorella had the itch ever since way back when. Going back through some old papers, she discovered plans she'd made for a redo of the family home when she was a teenager. Needless to say, Mom decided to let the place stay as it was.

Does anyone out there know how to get some sort of gadget that affixes to the TV to play soft music when Fio is trying to get some sleep? If not, will you invent one?

Did your faithful correspondent tell you that she almost lost her cardcase, the one that is loaded with all sorts of important identity information? Luckily, it showed up the next day at Walgreen's, where she had shopped the night before, but Fio's heart is still beating way too fast.

Fiorella the Great has decided that she will leap into action tomorrow by calling all her doctors and setting up appointments with them, which should take at least half the day. She will also go through her bedroom, which is loaded with notes and throw-aways, then work on her studio. (By the way, did your girl ever tell you that she has two copies of Peterson's Magazine, a ladies' book, one from 1883 and the other from 1859? Any takers?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of My Earlier Work

 

I know that God is Spanish

And here's the  reason why--

With sun warmth just just departed

And night cool drawing nigh,

He drapes a black mantilla

Of lace o'er the waiting sky

 

The waves rise high and high for me

The winds rise higher still

And ignoring fast my mother's plea,

I stand upon my sand-dune hill 

And watch the storm at sea 

Hello, down there

I'm up in my swing

Don't tell me of your physics

And I'll teach you to sing 

 

That's It For Today

 Your girl, who's always written her life down on yellow tablets or whatever lay nearby, is plowing through things she'd totally forgotten about, and some of them are hard to swallow--like a bad situation between her and one of her older son's pre-kindergarten teachers. But all in all, Fiorella survived--and prospered--with the help and comfort of friends and family.

Another thing Fio had forgotten about was that her father-in-law had collected books by Texas authors like J. Frank Dobie. Hmm...wonder what Fiorella can get for them? 

Darn--Sonia's vet took a vacation without notifying the dog food people where to deliver Doggy's special food. Looks like her majesty will have to make do with a more plebeian brand for a while.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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