Not Much to Say.

  

The closer Fiorella gets to going under the knife, the more anxious she gets. After all, it's her HEART that's being played around with, and she'll be all alone. 

That's it. More tomorrow, hopefully.

 

       

  

Fio Through the Day

 Good news! Fiorella practiced long enough on the piano today that her fingers tingled. Also, they are beginning to search out the right keys for themselves instead of having to pause for instructions from your girl. It's another step upward!

Daughter came over to the house and picked up a box of things Fio had packed for her a month ago. She also took home two paintings that your girl doesn't have room for--a lovely floral arrangement and the seascape painting that was Husband's favorite. So glad Daughter has an eye for good art.

Hip, hip hooray! Fiorella checked out an unlabeled box on top of one of her filing cabinets and found all of last year's leftover Christmas cards--the ones featuring a kite rising high. Hmm...now what can she do with them?

Son L bought Fio a Coke when they picked up her groceries this evening, and she gulped it all down as soon as they got back to the house. Mmmm! She'd forgotten how they electrified a mouth!

 Darn! Your girl seems to have run out of good movies to lull herself to sleep at night. Any suggestions?

 

 

Fiorella's Austin Roots Are Showing Again

Austin has changed in the twenty years that Fio was out in the boondocks, and there's no way she can find her way around the capital city anymore. Instead, she has to rely on her family and a ride-share program., both of which have their drawbacks. Her kids can't always be available, and the ride-share program requires a seven-day notification. Ah, for the days when your carefree girl would zoom down the road in her cute little Miata💗.

Okay, speaking of 💗s, Fiorella will admit that she's a bit nervous about the heart transmission she's going to have on March fourth. Please send a prayer in her direction.

Congratulate your girl--with the help of friend Jane💗, she's going to be riding high, wide, and handsome in Facebook again. Yep, posting pictures on FB was another skill Fio had lost to trauma.

WOW! Son L treated Granddaughter and Fiorella to an ice-cream feast at Dairy Queen this evening. What a great way to end a so-so day! 💗💗💗

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All's Well That Ends Well!

 10:00 Fiorella's day has started out well. She had an inspiration regarding how to handle a difficult in-house situation, received an email from an RWA friend telling her how to post pictures on FB again, was able to solve all four of the newspaper anagrams within minutes, and sang a a bit of a light harmony above the TV and granddaughter's renditions of "Mary Had a Little Lamb." WHOOPEE!

10:45 Your girl just grabbed her weights for the first time in at least a year and lifted them up ten times. Yep, Fio is coming into her own again! (Now if she can just remember her new Amazon account password.)

2:00 Fio has hit a snag--it involves passwords, of course. She's trying to record her various codes, but can't do it because she can't remember them, which, of course, is the reason she wants to write them down. 

3:25 Your girl just got in from going up to the mailbox to pick up what looks like a ton of mail. Most of it is probably ads, but the only one Fio's opened so far is from her church, reminding her that Ash Wednesday is soon upon us, which made her start crying because of all the friends and relatives who have gone before and then was was intensified by the the fact that she was wearing the mink jacket she'd bought for her mother years back.  (PS: final count of mail--24)

5:00 A traveling insurance nurse came to the door to check Fio out and guess what? YOUR GIRL IS PERFECT--even though she's the queen of chocolate! But even better, the nurse was willing to talk with your girl, which pleased her so much that she autographed one of her books and handed it over.

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Fio Writes When She Has a Headache---

 Fiorella is plowing through all her concerns as fast as she can. Yesterday, she visited a dermatologist and now she's scouting for a handyman--someone who's a foot taller and a lot stronger than she is. As she's said before, those heavy paintings aren't going to hang themselves.

Daughter has found Fio some therapists that she might be able to talk to about her near-death experiences in last year's snowstorm.  Now to decide which one to get an appointment with....

Sorry about being so late to post today, but Fiorella has a bad headache, which is unusual for her. Okay, she'll 'fess up--she had a dark mark removed from her forehead yesterday and the doctor warned her she might suffer the consequences for a while afterwards. 

Fio, who's entire wardrobe consists of a mountain of jeans, shirts, and sweaters, has decided to pick up a couple of dresses. After all, she isn't living on acreage anymore. 

She's also thinking that she would have been better off painting a splotch of red around that aforementioned dark mark and telling everyone she was honoring Hinduism.

 

 

 

Up to Date Again

  There are things Fiorella want to do and things she has to do, and dang it, the latter usually wins out. (Your girl has probably said this once, but she's saying it again just to get the point across.)

Fio wants to spend her time writing, painting, making music, and learning languages, not hauling off to doctors' offices every time she turns around. And, by the way, she thinks that seascape that her husband liked so much might pay off a few bills for her--but whom does she check it out with?

Speaking of, Fiorealla can't help but wonder if, in the future, academics will study your girls' blogs to try to understand how people lived in the early 2000s. 

Okay, Fio will confess that when Son L drove her over to Walgreens to pick up her prescriptions, she also tucked a B-I-G box of Russell Stover into the deal--but however much chocolate Fio rella ate today, the pounds of happy tears she shed after taking phone calls from Brother and Daughter ballanced it out.

Cold, cold weather coming her way, but at least this year around, your girl will have have firewood, food, and family around her. If only Sonja Dog had made it this far💗😢

 

 

 

The Good and the Bad

 Your girl suddenly realized that, with her recent studio work, her taking control of her own mental health, and her piano practice--which is now bearing semi-musical fruit--she is taking even more steps toward her recovery from the traumas of yesteryear. LOOK OUT WORLD--FIO WILL RISE AGAIN!

In anticipation of her return, Fiorella is also working on her posture and runny nose so she'll look her best on television. 😁

More good news--Fiorella's free ride service has found a driver, Bobby, who can take her to her doctor's appointment today!  Now to figure out how she can get to tomorrow's appointment with a dermatologist

BEGINNING OF THE END: Bobby left your girl at the doctors' office, but it was the wrong office and she had to hobble all over the place looking for the right one, which was hard to do with her gimpy knee, and afterwards, she had to get back to the wrong office for Bobby to pick her up.

MORE BAD NEWS: Cheriot is having problems attracting drivers, which means that Fio may have to start attracting drivers on her own. Wonder what the going rate is for a high school kid with a fresh, new driver's license?

TO TOP IT OFF, daughter and sister-in-law have broken it to Fiorella that there is, of yet, no self-driving car😞

 

 

 

READY, SET, CHARGE!

 Yes, your Fio is up and at'm again. 

Son L couldn't help her with the shelves she was trying to construct in her sewing closet because only one stake was available to hold them up, which meant there was nothing your girl could do but stare at the open closet until an idea came to her--and it did when she suddenly realized, that BALANCE was all she needed. Two discarded plastic boxes did the trick, and Fiorella will not only get two shelves out of them, but a third one--from a cardboard box top balanced on top of the second box!

Fiorella's second achievement regards her recovery from the traumas of yesteryear. She'd needed to talk to someone about it for quite a while, but didn't want to over-load the family with her own leftovers so she started searching after a professional. Unfortunately, her first choice was a psychiatrist, whose major interest was in dispensing pills, of which your girl already has too many of, but he was also kind enough to give her a list of other kinds of mental health practitioners, so, on the urging of her twice-a-month hospital nurse, she decided to give it a try.

But first, she had to find how much, if any, insurance coverage she had and , which seemed to take forever as she was moved from one person to another. But it was worth it--full coverage, and the mental health people will be sending her more information in the mail. Of course, then your girl will have to choose a professional--which may be hell in itself--and after that will be the problem of getting appropriate transportation.

But Fio, you say, you've been praising Chariot to the skies--won't they be available? Well, it turns out that Fiorella struck it lucky with all the rides she took last month, but there's a scarcity of drivers this month. Maybe she wore them all out.😕

Catching Up #2

In case you wondered Fiorella sits a constant Shiva for the ones who have formed her but are gone: Eileen Buida, Mrs. Ruebright, Miss Osborn, Nicole Domingue, Sharon Kite, Jeannette Faurot, Edna Gustafson, Eve Paule, Ellen Paule Schaffer, and more....

 

Your girl has probably posted this nasty little poem before, but it bodes repeating.

              True Grit--itude:

You are so kind to always think of me--

To let me know the error of my ways,

To guide me, chide me, Procrustes bed-size me

To nip my heels when'er my footpath strays

     Five minutes alone in an alley, you snit,

      And I'll show you how much I appreciate it!

 

Hey, hey, hey--for those of you who are familiar with the John Thompson book, after a shaky start, Fiorella is now up to Bill Grogan's Goat and going strong. Can hardly wait for A Frolic in Velocity. WHOOPEE! (After all, how can she compose if she can't play?)

As you can tell, Fiorella is on the way up again. She's walking tall and planning great things, like finishing off her studio so she can start writing and painting again. Like making herself more comfortable in her own surroundings. Like maybe buying a self-driving car so she can have more independence. IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE LATTER, CONTACT HER.

 

 

 

                          

 

     

Catching Up Again

 It's about time for Fiorella to run into Carolyn Evans once more--if she hasn't died or changed her name again. Your girl won't say our lives have been parallel--far from it--but after high school, we always seemed to run into each other every 10-20 years. Fio's life took the usual path: college, marriage, etc., while Carolyn, who was the epitome of the intellectual wild side, was not usual in any way. Actually, Fio ran into an old friend of Carolyn's a while back and took down some interesting notes. Hmm...maybe she can use them in a book.

 

I walked into my room 

And thought I glimpsed my doggie on the bed

But it was only a ruffled coverlet

My Sonja Dog is dead

 

Hope is a snake that curls within my breast

A sharp-tongued viper aimed against my heart

A blood-coiled serpent, most unwelcome guest ,

That strikes from time to time when I'm off-guard.

Hope is a Scaramouche, a clever fool, 

A honeyed braggart, slick, a worthless flirt,

A quack deceiver, lord of ridicule,

Who gulls my brain when I am not alert.

Hope is a misshaped branch, a crooked tree,

Which grows unbidden in my dismal yard, 

The soft, sweet fruit of which will poison me

If I ignore its proven ill regard.

     But do not slay it--let the villain be--i

      For murdering hope would murder all of me.

As you can tell, Fiorella is going through old writings, and there are a lot more of them in her studio. They make her both sad and mad--with the latter, of course, give her the energy to keep on expressing herself even if no one is listening.

     

Moving Forward!

 You'll get an extra today because Fiorella forgot to push the "PUBLISH" button yesterday.

Dan Patrick, Texas's Lt. Governor-- an academic's nightmare, a journalist's field day, a nation's laughing stock. SHAME!

Fiorella just chawed up a nice-sized Russell Stover Easter bunny to help her get through the day. Her remote has added annoying CC to the shows she watches, Blogger has loaded so many suggestions on the top of the screen that she can't find POST, her nose is still running like a leaky faucet, she is as yet without a therapist to dump her worries on, and she couldn't get through to Chariot yesterday.

One good thing--although Fio still can't remember how to post a photo on FB, it suddenly dawned on her how to post a colorful message. Does that mean her lost talents will, in time, return?

Yes, Fiorella is still practicing on the piano every day, and, this morning, she even attempted to sing one of her own Christmas compositions--but broke down in tears toward the end because it was so darn sweet.

PS: Your girl has decided to work on straightening her shoulders and lifting up her chin, necessary for singing, playing the piano, and her own self esteem.

Enigmatic

 Have suddenly realized that the ladies who met up with my friend's mother each month to play cards were more interested in conversation than who scored the highest points.

"Oh, water colors," Fiorella said, watching the child at play. "No, they're paints," her mother corrected your girl. Having brought up to be polite, Fio didn't tell the mother that any watery paints are called water colors and so labeled in museums or displays.

 

It's harder for me than it was ever before

'Cause there's no one to share my life anymore

 

 Your Choice--

It's in and out for a shower

And you have to stay on your toes--

Or you can lie in a tub for an hour

Meditating on poetry and prose 😊

 

Fiorella's been working on her studio all afternoon, trying to line up the piles: art, teaching, writing, and family. Most of her romances and music are still stuffed into drawers, but as soon as she gets this layer finished off, she'll open up the files again. (Are you getting exhausted just listening to her? )

From Bomb to Shakers

Fiorella's visit to the psychologist was a bomb because Fio didn't know that psychologists have specialized nowadays and are not in the least interested in doing anything but prescribing pills. Ah, well, Daughter and United Health Care are going to try to hook your girl up with someone who has more empathy.

Fio never knew how much she could yearn for someone to talk to. Between Covid and living in a silent house, she feel's like she's been put in solitary. (All in all, it's a wonder that Robinson Caruso didn't just jump back into the ocean and drown--but then he did have Friday and a squawky parrot.)

Son L has just come by to tell her that he's arranging for her bed, which has sunk to the carpet, to be repaired. It's a family heirloom from her late husband's side of the family and Fiorella feels safe in it. 

If you're wondering how Fio's piano studies are going, the answer again is  s-l-o-w-l-y, but still, she persists. She also wants to get back into art and writing, but as with everything else, shee needs extra help, especially with high places and heavy lifting. Hey--maybe when the hired hands are working on her broken bed, she'll talk to them about some of her other too-heavy-for-Fiorella problems. (Where are the dang Boy Scouts when you need them?!)

Your girl is so tired of having a runny nose and a froggy voice. Yes, she's tried allergy pills, but they don't do the job. 

P.S. Fio, bought a new salt and pepper set because she couldn't get the current salt shaker to work right , but when she came in from an evening ride, the new set was back on her desk and the defective set was in the center of the table again. Elves? 😂

P.P.S: Now it looks like it's going to be salt shaker WWIII😄

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trying to Get Back into Shape

 The funny papers don't seem to be as funny as they used to be--or has Fiorella finally outgrown them? 

Your girl needs to get a hamper for her dirty clothes, but where can she find one? Are such things even in existence anymore? And while you're looking around at for the hamper, could you please get Fio a Prince Charming who would rebuild her clothes closet and be available at all times to do things like hang paintings, put shelves in her sewing closet, repair her bed, and drive her anywhere she needs/wants to go? 

Looking around her rooms, Fiorella decided it was time to take the designs she'd made with fallen oak leaves down from the windows and hall. The neighbors will probably give a communal sigh of relief.

So much of Fio's angst would be abrogated if she had a good book to read--and the same if she had someone to talk to. 

Finally got hold of the orthopedist's office and her appointment is in mid March which means that she gwill be hobbling for another month yet. Please think good thoughts in the direction of Fiorella's left knee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KEEP ON GOING, FIO!

 Your girl is on the warpath now. It looks like Fiorella's original psychologist, the one her neurologist recommended, was switched out for a newbie, and, although Fio probably OKed the switch, it never dawned on her that one shrink wasn't as appropriate as the next one.

Fiorella will have a few days off midweek, and then a hospital rep will check up on her on Monday, she'll have an anti-coag check on Tuesday, and on Wednesday, she'll visit a dermatologist to make herself pretty. Got all that? The anti-coag and dermatology visits will be by means of CHARIOT and the third visit is a hospital walk-in that Fio hopes Son L can handle.

Please remind your girl to call her knee doctor. She's hurting.

As the family matriarch, Fio has decided to draw up a family tree so that everyone knows where everyone else stands, especially in regard to the ranch land.

Your girl was about to put away the computer when it struck her like a lightning bolt that she was still sitting shiva for friend Ellen, and would be for the rest of her life. And yes, Fio is crying again--not only for Ellen, but for herself. She had walked into the psychologist's office dressed in blue--jeans, shoes, and an open long-sleeved blue-plaid shirt over a white shirt because she would, at last be able to tell the truth--but all the shrink heard was that she'd had to pull on THREE layers of clothing during the storm and asked her if "3" had a special meaning to her.)

 

 

NO-GO PSYCHIATRIST

 Fio is sad to say that, despite all of her efforts, she and the shrink didn't click. He was too young and unsmiling, and your girl was too old and teary. He just hasn't been around in the world long enough and Fiorella has been around way too much.

Hurrah! Fiorella just had a call from Daughter and she clued Fio in regarding psychiatrists: PSYCHIATRISTS are the ones who prescribe drugs while THERAPISTS are the ones who listen to you., which means that your girl will be out shopping for a nice therapist for herself--because she has plenty to unload.

Regarding the piano, Fio is still working on it daily, but it's a lot slower going than when she was a child.

Regarding Fio's intake of four vengeful chocolate bars after she got home from the the appointment, the girl couldn't help it--but her indigestion will remind her of it later.

Ah, well, tomorrow is another day, Daughter has said she'll help Fiorella find a therapist, and there's always laundry to do--but Fio wants so much more.....

Valentine's, Psychiatrist, Christmas Cards, Sewing Closet, HELP!

💘 HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO ALL! It's also the day Fiorella will visit a psychologist to get help reclaiming her life. She's dressed in blue, the color of truth, so wish her well. (This is a get-acquainted meeting so Fio won't be blabbing all her secrets at once.)

Your girl's fingernails have suddenly started cracking like crazy. Hmm....it wouldn't have anything to do with her trying to play the piano again, would it?😉

Fiorella is up against a wall when it comes to proceeding with her studio. That sewing closet needs shelves and there's a heavy painting to be hung. Volunteers?

And again, where--O where--did your girl stow her leftover Christmas cards? And  why--O why--didn't she write a Valentine's poem this year?

There are no 12" sticks in Son L's garage that can hold up the shelves in Fiorella's sewing closet ....Ah, for the days when Fio could rattle around in a messy three-car garage and find whatever she needed for whatever wild scheme she'd just thought up. Uhmm--would any of you out there in the real world be able to supply them? 💘

 

 

From Birthday to Ingenuity!

Guten Morgen! Buenos dias! Fiorella's household is still whirling with birthday celebrations and it's hard to keep track of everything and everyone. So far, Granddaughter has had a party and an overnight--but there's more to come.

 Son L drove your girl over to HEB to pick up her food order yesterday evening--Shredded Wheat, a couple of small steaks, bread, three gallons of milk, and four packs of chocolate. That should last her for another week, although, strangely, her chocolate always runs low😋

Yes, Fio is practicing piano every day and she's proud to announce that she's up to piece number seven, "Christmas Carol," in John Thompson's Second Grade Book, but it hasn't been as easy as it was when she was a kid and hadn't stuffed her head full of all the rest of the world.

Another one of your girl's aims is to improve the duck-and-cover posture that she's used as a turtle shell of protection for everything from the weather to uncomfortable situations to criticism to downright attack. 

Fiorella KNEW that saving her plastic bags was the right thing to do, and today, she is moving her panties into one bag, her bras into another, etc., all to stuff in the lower drawer beside her bed. (Mother, who could figure out what to do about anything, would be proud.)

Tomorrow is the day that Fiorella scoots off to the shrink. Wish her well--and you know she'll tell you all...maybe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did Fio Miss Another Blog? Sorry, but Sometimes That Will Happen

 So grateful for Chariot, Austin's free-ride program for older people. Your girl has used it twice already and signed up for four more rides this month, all to doctors she's starting out with or catching up with. (And, of course, she's sent off a generous check to Chariot to express her appreciation.)

Now, if Fio could just find that stack of leftover Christmas cards, the ones with kites on them. The first person she's meeting up with on her Chariot list is a psychiatrist, and she's hoping that one of those cards would save him a lot of time when it comes to figuring out your girl's temperament.

As you remember, Fiorella's other activity is teaching herself to play the piano again, and although it's slower going than when she was a kid, her music muscles seem to be warming up. Pray for her. 

 Just got a letter from an old romance-writing friend and she's going great guns. Fio, of course, is happy for her, but would be even happier if she herself were in a situation to work on her own stuff--such as the long-awaited Lolly story.

Please excuse your girl, but she's been doing a little bit of picking up in granddaughter's room, a fair amount of time keeping an eye on some delicious-looking cupcakes, and--the thrill of the day--helping a 13-month old get up onto Fio's piano bench so he could rattle the keyboard. His family is musical so we'll see what happens next. AND REMEMBER, YOU SAW IT HERE FIRST!

Totally changing the subject, Fiorella is planning to add another doctor to her repertoire--an eye, ear, nose, and THROAT specialist. She's tired of croaking like a frog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From Gourmet to Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

 You might say that Fiorella is a gourmet. After all, she's very limited in her food choices. If you ever invite her to dinner, remember that her favorite beverage is milk, she prefers steak or the white meat of chicken for the main course, and, of course, her favorite dessert is chocolate.

Fiorella is making progress on her piano studies, but not as much as she'd like. Warning to all: don't ever think that once you've reached a certain level in something that you can automatically pick up where you left off 😕

Those shoelaces that four girl bought were too long for her shoes so she cut about two inches off of each lace and double-knotted their ends. Hoping it will work--what else could she do?

 What would you do if, like a friend of Fio's, you had lupus and had been suddenly asked to pay $4,500 per month for a drug, Benlysta (only available through Senderra) that was keeping you alive? SHAME! 

.

 

 

Catching Up Again

Let's forget about the Fiorella's health right now and concentrate on what she's doing to rejoin the human race--like her music. Your girl practices piano every day, no matter what, and she recently found sheet music for a lovely little Christmas carol she'd written years ago. Ah--the days when Fio could not only sing and direct, but compose.

Daughter drove your girl over to a Target store yesterday evening to fill a short "lady list"--mascara, socks, shoelaces, and the like and--they had a great time--or at least, your girl did.

Fiorella has swept the floor of the parlor in case she can entice the nice lady down the street to visit again. Now to figure out what to do with the extra lamps and that pile of needlework in the corner. 

Thank you, thank you to friend Marion, who sent Fiorella a long, newsy letter, and thanks also to friend Paula, who called Fio this morning and commiserated with all your girl's sorrows. 💗💗

WOW! Both of the house cats have been chumming up to Fio and investigating her rooms lately. If they weren't both males, you'd guess they were looking for places to nest. Hmmm....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking at the Future

Let's face it--Fio's down in the dumps because she's stymied. and bored. She isn't moving along as fast as she wants to on the piano, her bad knee is getting worse, her bedroom is more crowded than ever, her clothes closet is still overflowing, her studio hasn't swallowed all the new storage items yet, and no hero on a white horse has dropped by to rescue her or even TALK to her.

In case Fiorella hasn't mentioned it before, somewhere along the line, she wants to pick up a Soaker Tub like she had in her former house. 

This is a month filled with doctor appointments for your girl. She's already gotten her INR checked and will follow up with heart and anti-coag(ulant?) checkups, plus dermatology and psychological appointments. The first two are heart stuff, the dermatology visit is to see what modern medicine can do about a dark mark on her forehead, and the psych appointment is to get some of those bad experiences of the past four years erased from her memory. 

This is also the month that Fio is practicing on the piano more and more regularly, which is difficult for her not only because she's rusty as can be, but her half-blind left eye blurs the notes. Maybe a pirate patch would help. (She tried a Covid mask, but it kept sliding off.)

Hip, hip, hooray! Fiorella's senior citizen chauffeur program allows two free rides per week.😁

 

 

Warning--Bad Day Again

Another bad day. Apparently, Fio missed a doctor appointment. Also, as reported, the city tap water has been contaminated. Also, she can't find any Kleenexes anywhere in the house. Also, she has a full-length mirror and a heavy painting that still haven't been hung. Also, as usual, she has no one to talk to but her blog.

 

CIDER

Here I stand, a widow

Sleeping all alone

Bereft of love and comfort

My future carved in stone

So while I yet am breathing

And walking on this earth

I'll take a swig of cider

For all that it is worth

Living With Fiorella

 Sorry about yesterday, but sometimes Fio gets very low. Here she is, stuck in an unending pandemic in which she has to carefully regulate where she goes and with whom. Then there's the unpacking that's still left to do and the family relationships to be mended. Oh, and by he way, we're now under a "boil water" mandate in Austin.

The only good news so far today is that Fiorella is rid of whatever it was that made her computer give her a bad time with capitalizing yesterday. Hmm...some of her other keys have been acting up a little too so maybe she should take said unnamed computer in for service. But where?

Another thing that drives Fio crazy about the Covid  is that she rarely gets to food shop herself, but has to give her list to Son L, who calls it in. The pick-up is usually with her in the passenger seat, which is nice, but she can't add anything in by then. (She really likes it the rare times she's gotten to go into the store--masked, of course--and and could look at everything as well as everyone.)

There's nothing like anger to fire up your girl's brain, and and sort the through the momentous pile of Christmas songs and poems she's written, she's decided to gather them all into a booklet for the holiday this coming year, and maybe even add in something new!

Your girl has always written her poems and songs because (1) it was her nature and (2) she hoped her talents would be recognized somewhere along the line--which hasn't happened yet, dang it!

 

 

Depression

I'm horribly depressed today

And don't have anything to say--

All I do is sniff and cry,

Wipe my eyes, and wonder why--

I've always tried to be upbeat

With everyone I know or meet,

And in bad times, to share their sorrow,

And pray for them a fresh tomorrow--

So why is it that, when I'm low as can be

 There's no one around to comfort me?

P.S.

I found one of the Christmas carols which I composed a while back, which added even more tears.

 

THE DANG COMPUTER IS GIVING OUT!

 As you know, Fiorella is technologically challenged, and now she has to tell you that her computer is taking advantage of her handicap by fooling around with the dates her blogs are supposed to be published.  All she can tell you is that, contrary to the supposed time the yesterday's post came out, she does not post in the middle of the night.

Hooray for Fio! Day by day, she's been turning the parlor into a display case of music and her mother's--and grand mother's--collections of precious pretties, and now she's almost reached the end of her gussying up. The final touch will be the final cleaning out of the lower shelves so they can house your girls' collection of music books from various family sources.

DANG--Your girl stupidly put the Moo Cow Bars she had bought into her mini fridge instead of the freezer and now they've all melted.

Double dang--now, as you see, forella's 'shift' is suddenly not working unless she uses the Caps Lock key. Looks like there's a trip to a computer repair shop in her near future--or maybe a new computer. In the meantime, Fiorella will train herself to use the CAPS LOCK as needed.

To entirely change the subject of her current woes, Fiorella wants to announce that she has recently acquired a map of her late husband's family ranch, which looks to be about the same size as the acreage which she and husband used to live on.

 

Bit by Bit

 Son L roared with laughter when your girl asked for a calculator to tally up some numbers and referred her to her computer, which she mostly uses for FaceBook, keeping in touch with friends and relatives, and  writing her blogs. Fiorella did not laugh.😒

Congratulate your girl--she gathered together all her stray notes into one pile, got rid of the repeats, made two phone calls to be sure of her facts, then taped the remainder to her bureau so she'd see her list every time she walked by it. Now to find out when she's scheduled to see Dr. Risinger, the office of whom she spent a full hour trying to reach. Oh well--there's always tomorrow.😒

Today is moving faster than Fio thought. TRANSLATION: Son L swiped a couple of her cookies before she knew what was happening!😁

No snow today, just ice--and the weather is supposed to start warming tomorrow. Fiorella is of too minds: she certainly doesn't want to have a repeat of last years trauma, but she doesn't want to see an early spring either. 😕

Sorry that your girl is so dull today, even to herself, but if you were on hand, you'd get a kick out of hearing her trying to remaster John Thompson's Second Grade piano study. Yes, she's that bad, There's nowhere for her to go but up.😒

Oh, wow! Fio just walked into the parlor to make sure of the title of the above mentioned piano study and the room actually SPARKLED from the arrangements your girl had made of her mother's pretties the night before. Thanks, Mom💗💗💗

 

Your Evening Treat

 My nose--it drips

As the the temperature dips

And Kleenex becomes my friend--

I honk like a goose

Or a goose or a moose

When will this ever end?

 

Fiorella has almost all of her Mom's pretties on display in the parlor now. In fact, the only one she hasn't housed  is the set of lovely gilded glass which will probably wind up reigning over the front of the glass-faced secretary. Somewhere along the line, your girl will get everything  evaluated, but not until after the pandemic is over.

Now that Fio is moving on from the parlor, what's next? There's the piano, of course, but her main concentration for the rest of the month will probably be locating drivers so she can get to the five doctors she'll be visiting this month. Yep, your girl intends to be on the road again as soon as possible, even if it has to be on someone else's wheels.

In the near future, she also hopes to design herself a bathroom cabinet, finish the rest of her studio set up, and either be driving again or having a steady chauffeur. Yep, your Fiorella is planning a come-back, just like she promised in her Christmas card!

Enjoy!

 

 

My Cup Is Not Only Running Over, but Flooding the Countryside

 Miercoles--that's the day today. As you can guess, Fiorella is trying to relearn the days of the week en espanol. If only she could get hold that sexy show she watched a couple of years ago when the heroine was left at the altar and ran out on the street and hitched a ride on a bus, her gorgeous gown spread out around her. Sound familiar to anyone?

Fio's thrill for the day was a ride to Lowes, where Son picked up something to protect the pipes and your girl bought two two boards to finish off the shelves in the parlor. Sadly, as it turned out, while Fiorella did get the boards, the only bathroom cabinet the story carried was not to her liking. Of course, knowing Fio, you know that means: she's going to design a cabinet herself.

Other things on Fiorella's list to improve her living quarters are getting matching knobs for all of her inherited furniture, lifting her bed off its rafters (?) and resettling it, and SOMEHOW enlarging her clothes closet. Any volunteers to help?

What do you do on a rainy day 

When there's nothing else to do?

But make up ditties just like these 

And throw them out at you

 

Milk, milk, milk

How I savor it

Smooth as silk

It's my favorite

Fio's preference any time

Is to turn a word into a rhyme

It takes her away from the world for a while,

Challenges her, and makes her smile 

 

Help, help and save me--I'm in the clutch

Of a rhyming machine and its diabolical touch--

 But enough is enough and too much is too much

So I'll leave you alone to yourself and such

P.S. You know of course, I'm copyrighted

        So any copy must be cited 😀

   

 

Bita and Pieces Again.

 That blog that posted today was supposed to post yesterday, but Fio didn't realize that the tags in the upper right corner were hiding the POST button. Grrrr....technology wins again!

Now for today. The weather hasn't been as cold as your girl had thought it would be so she's been getting things done--like walking up three blocks to the mailbox and discovering that she'd grabbed the wrong key. On the other hand, Son L drove her to yet another wellness check and the doctor said that she was doing fine. Also, Fiorella had added a couple more pages to her piano practice. Your girl is progressing a lot slower than when she was ten, but her head wasn't overfull with a lifetime of living back then.

Eureka! Fiorella realized she could use the round xxxxxx that had been intended to light up her dark, dark closet could also be used to light up the walkway under her duck decoys, the ones that are stationed over the bookshelves. (And if you can't figure out what Fio is trying to describe, just skip it.)

Decided to do a little research on Dolly Parton and some of the other country western singers in times past, when singers were more important than video games. THINK ABOUT IT!

Did your girl mention that she's playing around with the idea of hiring a local high-schooler to help her with heavy lifting and dragging? The problem is that she doesn't know any local high-schoolers.

Dull Day, Dull Report

 Fiorella is NOT in a good mood. The weather is nasty, her newspaper was so sodden that it tore apart when she tried to dry it, she ran out of milk, and she couldn't seem to get hold of Chariot, the nice people who arranged a ride for her to ride and from one of her doctor appointments a month ago. Well--now she has five of them (appointments, not Chariots).  Son L thinks he''ll be able to take her to the appointment tomorrow, but the other three are up for grabs. 

The best thing that happened today was when Fio and Son L stopped by Dan's Hamburgers for lunch, then dropped by H-E-B, where your girl had a great time going up and down the aisles and loading herself up with chocolate, etc. The store was teaming with customers--but surprisingly and sadly, about a fourth of them had on their masks.

Okay, Fio will admit that she'd really like to avoid the doctor that she'll be visiting tomorrow because on their first meeting, she (the doctor) seemed not only cold, but devoid of any kind of bedside manner whatsoever. Maybe Fio misread her, but we'll find out in time.

Yes, Fiorella is still trying to re-master the piano, kicking herself all the while for not keeping up with it. But at least she can still read the keys, even if her fingers have trouble finding them.

From her own experience, your girl advises you to prepare for the worst tomorrow. This is been a dark, cold day in Central Texas, and apparently there are more to come. Be sure you have a pile of firewood and a larder full of food on hand--don't let yourself get caught like Fio did last year. SHUDDER!