Sunday, October 31, 2021

Gets It All From His Mother

 HAPPY HALLOWEEN and wish Fiorella well--she's dedicating today to rereading Lolly's story and, as she remembers, it gets pretty ragged toward the end. Her ultimate goal is to have all the pages shaped up and ready for beta readers by the middle of November--which, of course, translates to early December in your girl's world. 

You'll be glad to hear that Granddaughter has settled on what costume she will wear for trick-or-treating this evening--it's Little Red Ridinghood, the same bright red outfit she had on yesterday. Hoping this means she will maintain a loyal and decisive personality as she grows older...and will always choose a bold colorπŸ˜‹

Ye gads! The medical powers-that-be have prescribed yet another four-per-day pill on Fio, which brings her up to sixteen a day. With that much sour going down your girl's gullet, don't you think she needs more sweets to balance everything out? Like maybe left-over Halloween candy of the chocolate variety? πŸ˜ƒ

Clever, clever Fiorella bought an orange angel food cake at HEB yesterday with the thought that the whole family would share it as a "Halloween cake," but as with many of her ventures, this one fell flat. Better luck next time, kiddo....

(Son L, a professional artist, showed me a sample of the work he does, and I am proud to say that artistically, he's a chip off the old gene pool.)


 

 


 



 

 

 


Saturday, October 30, 2021

A Full Day

 Relax--your girl is not going to jump off a cliff. Not only does she has she put all her stupid pills in   correct amount and order again, but Son L took her on an expedition (masked, of course) to H-E-B, and then, as a side-trip, stopped by Walgreens so she could pick up her meds. On the other hand, she hasn't started working on poor, leftover Lolly again. 

The joy of the day was seeing Granddaughter run around the house in her Little-Red-Ridinghood outfit, although her daytime choice was no indication that was the one she would wear for Halloween. Apparently B has a couple more costumes in her closet. Hmm...wonder if she could trick-or-treat the block, then change clothes and move from house to house again...and again...and really make a haul.

Your girl may not have worked on Lolly today, but she did go through another of bag of family photos, weeping as she went. There are still more to go, but Fiorella is thinking about putting them aside for a while. You can only cry so long before you turn into mush.

Fio is thinking more and more about the renovation of her child-size clothes closet. She's even started drawing plans, which may or may not work. Then, of course, there's the bathroom she shares with B. 

And between your girl's health, Halloween, family, and remodeling, she's been reading an old romance by Susan Elizabeth Phillips to get in the mood again.

 

 







Friday, October 29, 2021

Halloween Jokes?


 Maybe it's a Halloween trick, but Fio's computer is playing games with her--sometimes she can type on it, sometimes she can't--so if your girl stops in the middle of a sentence, you'll know what's happening--or rather, NOT happening. 

Before running into a system failure with her computer, Fiorella was in her studio, clearing out  photographs from, lo, these many years ago. Ye gads--did your girl ever look that fat?! And that hair-style did NOT become her.

But somehow, when Son L came home in the afternoon and laid on his hands, the sky cleared and your girl could talk to the whole wide world again. Hmmm....could the whole scene have been some kind of technological Halloween joke?

After going back to the studio, Fiorella did get a lot of work done today, and she expects this stage of her effort will be finished up tomorrow, which means, she hopes, that everything will look neat and clean so she can turn her attention from the looks of the studio to the use of it. 

As your girl sees it, Lolly will be the first guest.


 



Thursday, October 28, 2021

You Tell'm, Fiorella!

 Running late--Fio's computer went out on her. Apparently it was something about the way she closed it down, which she still doesn't understand. Whatever, thanks to Son L, she's back on the job again.

Although the sun is shining brightly, the wind is slapping the tall bushes outside Fiorella's bedroom against her window to announce that Halloween is soon upon us. Granddaughter has finally settled on her costume--or maybe she hasn't--but Fiorella is hoping that she'll put together a majorette-gypsy-cowgirl outfit like your girl did way back one.

Fio is still working on the studio, and it's amazing how much more room there is in it now that she's reluctantly cleared out most of the boxes. It's hard to trash things that, while you were preparing to move, you scoured the house, post office, and supermarkets for.

On the way home from a kiddie park, Son L stopped at the local H-E-B and, while he and Granddaughter shopped, Fiorella stayed in the car, pulled out her trusty tablet, and wrote down goals for rerouting her life. Her time for being a victim is over. She will not let a stupid snowstorm and difficult people determine her future. Onward, Fio! Reach for the stars! 

ANNOUNCEMENT! THE FIRST THING SHE WILL DO IS TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT REWORKING HER CLOTHES CLOSET SO IT SUITS A GROWN WOMAN RATHER THAN A CHID. Then will come work on the bathroom she shares with her granddaughter, who doesn't have even half the make-up Fiorella does!

 







Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Movin' Along Hopefully, But With A Tear in My Eye

 Your girl's at a stand-still again, which drives her crazy. There are a lot of things that she's needs to work on--and has been--but her efforts don't seem to get her anywhere. Despite all her promises, the studio is still  a semi-mess, she hasn't started reworking Lolly's story, and she backed off to trotting next door to ask someone she's never really met to link her into a Spanish-language station. To top it off, her TV hero,  The Indian Doctor, is being mercilessly attacked by the same villagers who lauded him when he was healing their wounds or saving their lives in earlier shows.

Two hours  later, Fiorella has settled herself down by climbing up and down a stepladder to move half of her life into one of her set of four six-foot tall book shelves. Your girl swears every word is all true, but see if you can make any sense out of that last sentence.

OMG--Fio will be opening up about fifteen years of blog conversation pretty soon, and you'll notice her style and presentation has changed through the years--for the best, hopefully.

Your girl made some Halloween cut-outs (jack-o'-lanterns and baby bats intertwined) and hung them so they could be seen from the view into the house from the front door. What else would be suitable? 

Fiorella is still sleeping on one side of the bed to give Sonia plenty of room, and when she wakes up each morning, the first thing she does is reach out to pet the dog who isn't there . πŸ’—πŸ˜’

 

 


Monday, October 25, 2021

CONTINUING ONWARD, ONWARD, ONWARD!

 It's painful for Fiorella to walk into her bedroom and not see a big, happy dog lying on the bed, her tail beating like a drum to greet Mommy. Fio loved her Sonja Dog and wil always miss her, but time is passing and every day Fiorella is getting stronger and bolder. Wish her well in her new manifestation.

The first thing Fio she is going to do is seek assistance from the next-door neighbors for finding a Spanish-language soap opera like the one she watched back when Husband was alive. Not that he shared her interest in languages--in fact, she had to call him down for deliberately interrupting her show a couple of times.

Your girl is working on her studio too, trying to put everything in its proper place, or at least, its semi-proper place. You have to understand the situation: Fiorella has done her best to save everything she's written or drawn on ever since she was in grade school. Yes, she's a fire hazard. (Umm...anyone want to come over and help her?)

Why is it so hot? This is October, almost Halloween, and your girl has to take work breaks while cleaning up her studio, which is at the front of the house. 

If you want to see a good TV show, check out Indian Doctor. Of course, Fio, whose doctorate was in that area, may be a bit prejudiced. (And, yes, Fiorella still has a couple of nice saris tuck away somewhere.)πŸ’—




 

 



Sunday, October 24, 2021

Hither and Thither

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Storage shelves here, there, and everywhere--at least Fio hopes there are, because she has plenty of things to fill them with. Right now, she's busy putting away her art, photos, newspapers, calendars, comedy routines, family genealogy, and reams of paper--with more to come.

Tomorrow will be Lolly's day to shine. Fiorella will be going through her story chapter by chapter to make sure everything sticks together. Then she'll take care of the rough corners, although that will take a lot longer.

Fio is putting up a good front, but inside, she is about to topple over from the heavy load she is carrying. Losing Sonia Dog was a hard blow after all those preceding blows, and Fiorella still isn't settled in to her new home and neighborhood where she knows no one and no one knows her. 

Daughter kindly drove Fio over to visit her nephew and his wife today. No, there wasn't  a family feud that had kept them apart, just that Nephew was living in Austin all this time while Fio and Husband had moved many miles up the highway to Gtown.

On the side, your girl is having a terrible time finding the right frame for one of her paintings. You can probably hear her teeth gnashing from miles away.

Tomorrow will be Lolly's day to shine (hopefully) when Fiorella goes through her story chapter by chapter to make sure everything sticks together. Then she'll smooth off the rough corners, which will take a little longer.


 


 




 

 


Saturday, October 23, 2021

From Mourning to Poetry to the Heart

 

Please bare with Fio because she's done it again--erased all her notes from yesterday that she was going to shape up today, which means you are getting a clean slate, like it or not. 

Yes, Fio is still in mourning, especially when she goes to bed at night, but she's trying to forge ahead. Lolly's story has been put off way too long, as has the arrangement of the art shelves in the studio. And your girl would also like someone (1) to fix her up with a nice Spanish-language show, and (2) run off her last three years of Fiorella so she can put them in a solid folder with all the others. Any takers?

Going through the latest pile from the Pflugerville storage units. Fio found a nice, framed picture of her late husband and, on the spot, decided to hang it up in her bedroom. She'd forgotten what a handsome guy he was--no wonder our children are so good-looking.

Your girl wants to gather together all her poetry, from junior high on, and put it together in a book. Of course, some of it is gone forever, but maybe its ghost is floating on the wind and will inspire another  little girl walking home from school with a feel for rhyme and rhythm. 

But what about "modern" poetry, Fiorella? Aren't rhyme and rhythm out of style? Well, as your girl sees it, the world is big enough for everybody to enjoy fanciful writing in their own way, but she herself is betting rhyme and rhythm will out-survive its latter-day rivals. You can't beat the measured beat of a heart.

 

 

 




 



 

 




Friday, October 22, 2021

Sorrow

 Fio would like to tell you that she is at peace with her loss of Sonia Dog, but she isn't. In fact, she weeps for her in and out and has had dreams where she and Doggie are being chased and hiding in various places inside the house and out. 

It didn't help that this morning, Fiorella's visiting nurse told her that she had overplayed her coumadin and should back off till Monday. Yes, your girl is in a mess (as usual) although all she wants to do is get her studio in better shape--which is harder than it sounds because she needs a lot of muscle to help with the  heavy lifting, and Son can't pay attention to his job, wife, kid, and mother all at the same time. 

The pandemic, of course, has to take part of the blame too. We're all nervous about hiring strangers to come inside our homes to help us.

Back to the beginning and if you're wondering, yes, your girl has a color photo of Sonia framed and taped to the front of her bureau so it's the last thing she sees when she goes to sleep at night.


 



 

 




Thursday, October 21, 2021

Addendum

 The first thing Fiorella did when she woke up this morning was to look over and see if Sonia Dog was okay, that she'd made it through the night, but then she remembered that there was no sweet-faced doggie to greet her with a snort or an extended tongue bath and there never would be again. Yes, Fio is still in mourning and her brain won't accept the reality of Doggie's death. Instead, it keeps looking around to make sure Sonia's food bowl and water bowl are filled, that she's hasn't spit out her meds in favor of some delicious but harmful food, and that she can still climb up on the bed and curl up beside Mommy.

Even now, at late afternoon, Fiorella brain is trying to search out Sonia and make sure of her comfort, but such is not to be. Your girl's dog days are over, but she does have her memories, like that sweet Sonia licked the tears off Fio's face , unaware that the reason Mommy was crying because she knew that Doggie's time was up and she would never see her again.

In the evening, Daughter lured Fio over to her house while Son L and Daughter-in-Law scrambled to clean up your girl's bedroom and replace her old sheets, pillows, and comforter with new ones. πŸ’—πŸ’—πŸ’—

 

 

 


 


Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Eulogy for Sonia

 Fiorella did not realize how much she loved Sonia Dog until, now, when baby dog isn't here to bark hysterical greetings at her, to snuggle up beside her at night, to lounge all over their shared bed as if she owned it. 

Doggie had been with Mommy for so long that it seemed like she'd live forever, but cancer, arthritis, and old age took her down. Fio remembers when she and husband traveled quite away down the road (to what she now realizes was a puppy farm) for a standard mastiff, and that Doggy, who did not appreciate being jerked away from her mother, scratched up your girl's arms so badly that Husband had to stop at a country store and buy band aids so her arms wouldn't bleed out.

Sonia had many good years in the five-acre spread we had at the time, and she was a wonderful comfort dog when Husband died. The snow storm was a horror for both of us, and having to be alone in a kennel for two months wasn't to Doggie's liking, but when we were reunited, all was well, except that Doggie had to live in a smaller house with no woods available. 

But whatever was happening or going on, Sonia was devoted to Fiorella and her family, slept with Mommy her every night, barked whenever the door bell rang, and tried to adjust to city living. 

But now, Doggie is gone, and who will Fio talk to? Who will sleep beside her? Who will lick her when she cries?

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

No Title

When Sonia Dog is gone

Who will I talk to when I'm alone?

Who will snuggle up beside me at night?

Who will comfort me when I cry?

Tears for Sonia Dog

Today is Sonia Dog's last day on earth. Having talked to the vet, your girl has decided it is better that Doggie be euthanized than live in continual pain that she doesn't understand. Arthritis and cancer are hard to explain to a dog, even the smartest and sweetest one in the world.

Fiorella's decision was not made lightly. She loves her Sonia with all her heart, and she prays there's a canine heaven where her boon companion, the dog that stayed with her through one of the worst episodes in her life, can join the line established by doggies Sophia Vasa and Freelove Nicklebeer so many years ago when Fio and Husband were first married.

Will Fio introduce another dog to you? She doubts it. Your girl still has a lot to unpack, a lot to get caught up on, and a lot to think about--like that a new friend having asked her to paint a large family portrait. Is Fiorella up to it? We'll see.

To immediately contradict herself, Fio's thinking about putting another dog in the next book she writes, but that won't be for a while.

Please pray for Fiorella, Sonia Dog, and every canine on earth and in heaven.

 


 

 







 


 


Sunday, October 17, 2021

Thinking Things Out

 Wanna know how weird your girl is? She doesn't think athletes should be paid, that sports should be for fun, not profit.

Fio just put a call in to Sonia Dog's veterinarian. Sweetie Doggie started limping yesterday, and it got worse today when she attempted to get through the gate from Fio's "suite" to the rest of the house. The vet won't be available till Monday or Tuesday, so it's up to Yours Truly now.

It's interesting how nice Fiorella's fingernails look now that she's not lugging around, large, heavy cardboard boxes heading for storage.

It seems like there is too much going on around everyone else, but not enough around Fio--except for that garish pillbox that the medical powers-that-be wanted her to use. Your girl tried for a day, then dumped the pills out on the table and located them in their original positions. The basic problem is that she can't bring herself to trust any pill that doesn't come straight out of a bottle--and have a Greekish name on it.

 Fio has abandoned her plan to make a wee corner in her bedroom into a dressing table and now has her eye on bigger game: the large mirror covering the area above the sinks in the bathroom that your girl shares with her four-year-old granddaughter. It's about 40" high and 80" long, which is totally lost space, and your girl is pretty sure a good handyman could take down the mirror, cut it into suitable portions and end up with THREE mirrors--a generous one above each of the two sinks and a long, tall one on the back of the bathroom door. Then shelves could be added along both sides to house the mess along Fiorella's side of the double sinks and the mess that will come when Granddaughter gets older.

Anyone up for the job?



Saturday, October 16, 2021

Moving On, On, On, On, On......

Sorry to be so involved the past few days, but your Fio is back into circulation again. She spent most of the afternoon at Daughter's house, where the clan had gathered for an early holiday, but while Daughter, Son, and their families watched the big football game (which the Longhorns lost), your girl was in Daughter's bedroom drinking in a continuing cop show. The hero was a heroine, the setting was Pennsylvania, a lot of blood flowed, and everyone was sleeping with everyone else. Just a typical Saturday afternoon show....

Those pill bottles that Fiorella saves have all been washed, dried, and stuck into an equally sanitized plastic bag which will be stuffed inside a box and addressed to Matthew:25 Ministries, 11060 Kenwood Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45252, which processes the donation and sends to needy countries overseas.  Your girl's' pill bottles are all the same orange-top, see-through bottle thing, but otherwise, the program asks that you separate the pills by color and type. All pills also need a good wash-through and drying, of course.

Fiorella has been running around like a chicken with her head cut off (a rather vivid expression her mother, who never beheaded a chicken in her life used to use) to get her bedroom and her studio in shape, but she's still behind. Her bedroom closet needs to be renovated, as you know, but her studio needs even more attention, and so does her half of the small bathroom. So, yep, your girl's looking for an experienced handyman. Son's plate is already brimming over with requests from her and there's only so much that one man can do while holding down a job, taking care of the needs of his wife and child, and trying to stay sane. Any volunteers?

In the meantime, can anyone recommend a good Spanish-language TV serial that Fio can sharpen up her almost non-existent Espanol on?



 

 


Friday, October 15, 2021

STEPS FORWARD

 Her day was so dark yesterday that Fiorella couldn't quit crying, but today, Fio received a tentative commission for a family portrait. Yes, this morning, one of the ladies who checks on your girl to be sure she's still extant, asked about the artwork on her studio wall and Fiorella, of course, who was THRILLED that someone was in the least interested, explained all. Now, nothing's for certain--Fio's painting hand may have gone to pot or the client's enthusiasm may melt away--but it's enough to drag your girl out of a black, black pit for at least a day.

In the middle of it all, Fio is on the brink of hiring somebody to rework her clothes closet, which was designed for a five-year-old. Then there's the dressing table, which she desperately needs and which she thinks she can squeeze into the far corner of the room. And, later on, she'll work out some minor remodeling of the bathroom that she shares with her four-year-old granddaughter. 

Fiorella was devastated by the loss of her treasured Halloween decorations, but she's going to take it as an indication that she should stop being such a sweetie, gather her strength, ram through the barricades, and move forward into a new, more purposeful life--with with no looking back!




Thursday, October 14, 2021

Good Tidings

Congratulate Fiorella--she got her taxes in on time. She walked up to the community mailbox in late morning as a Post Office truck--probably loaded to the hilt with last-minute filers like Fio's--pulled away from the curb and started a turn-around to head to the main road. Your girl, who's never been accused of being shy, immediately sprung into action,  yelling and waving her envelope. The driver paused, grinned, and stuck it in his bag. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Am watching Sonia Dog closely. She's older than Fiorella in dog years and has arthritis and a bad shoulder. Hoping the special food supplements and the pain pills that Fio ordered from the vet will come soon.

Whoopee--Fiorella and Son L will be driving over to Pf tomorrow to claim more of her belongings--and her Halloween decorations, if they can find them. Would love to claim the piano too, but that's even more iffy.

Double whoopee! Your girl read through her second published book today, the first time she's ever done so, and THE STORY HOLDS! In fact, it's FABULOUS! Why in the world did she get so self-conscious about it?


No Go

 Fio would like to tell you that she had a good day, but she didn't. Every time she turned around, things seemed to go wrong. Wish her a better day tomorrow.


Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Appologies for Running Late

 O M G....Fiorella just found a collection of little romances she'd written w-a-a-a y back when--probably high school. Hmm...better look them over to see if she can get some ideas for the story she's working on now.

This was your girl's discovery day.  After discovering the smaller romances, she found a couple of more substantial ones, including plans for her vampire series. She also found one of her pairs of glasses, and she's betting that tomorrow, she'll find the good pair under the bed.

The best news today is the Fio was finally able to reach the vet and order more arthritis and pain pills for doggie.

Oops--Fiorella forgot to publish yesterday so you'll get a combined Monday-Tuesday report, and this time, it's her fault, not the computer's. 

Yesterday's big news was that Halloween preparations are on the up-swing. Fio and Daughter-in-law have staked out which windows each of them will decorate, and Son brought home appropriately wicked looking cardboard cats and pumpkins for his spouse. Your girl, who's always made her own decorations, is anxiously awaiting their retrieval from the attic, but if that fails, she can cut bats out of heavy black paper she found in the art section of her studio.  

Can you hear Fiorella's rumbling growl from wherever you live? She received a quick automated call giving her a phone number to report into for tests, then cut off. Meanwhile, Fio was still trying to find a pencil and, of course, only got the first couple of numbers so now she'll have to call around to her various doctor's offices to find out who wants to test her for what.

Hey, hey, hey--just had a nice chicken lunch with Son L and met a lovely German Sheppard whose owner told me was a descendant of Rin-Tin-Tin (if you remember the name),  then stopped by Hobby Lobby to check if they had a suitable frame for a certain picture--which they didn't--but they did have a nice paper palette, which your girl grabbed onto. 😊

Fiorella just paid her taxes so--ho-hum-- next comes Beggars Night 😞


Sunday, October 10, 2021

FIVE FOR TEN

Fio has paints and brushes now so she's been playing around with a picture that she'd painted years ago of her first home in Ohio, and she thinks she's improved on it. (The painting, not the house 😁).

Your girl is chomping at the bit to get going on Halloween decorations, but WHERE ARE THEY? In storage, in the garage? Just let Fio know and swoop in after them and she'll take care of the rest. And, while we're on the subject, when are we going to decorate the front door? That's one of Fio's specialties 😊.

Fiorella has changed around her bedroom for a better fit, but now she has to re-think the whole scene, which means that she's spending a fair amount of time staring at the new scene, which isn't quite right. (Remember, relentless staring is how Fio works things out 😐).

EEEEEEK! WHERE IS FIO's LITTLE PINK BOOK,  THE ONE SHE KEEPS HER FRIENDS' BIRTHDAYS IN?  Hiding along with your girl's Halloween decorations? πŸ˜•

When Sonia goes to dog heaven and is asked what her name is, she'll probably say "Good Dog," which is just what she is πŸ˜‡.


 

 

 


Mommy is betting that when Sonja Dog goes home to rest and God asks her what her name is, she'll answer "GOOD GIRL," because that's what Fio usually calls her and exactly what she is πŸ’—.






THIS IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED ON THE NINTH!

 Fiorella has turned over a new leaf--she's determined to be more pro-active, and the initial action of her charge forward occurred in the middle of the night, when, after seven months of staring at her bedroom in dismay, she decided to DO something about it, namely clear off the top of one of her beautiful black chests and move one off her beautiful (but heavy) matching lamps onto it. Then, this morning, she cleaned up the lamp, which had about a pound of dust on it.  Stay tuned--more will follow when the mood hits your girl again.

 Una problema--Fio had forgotten that there's a decorative ridge that sticks out too tightly between the     bed and the wall for her to manage relocating the chest by herself. In fact, it may take an army to do the deed. Hmm...Son 's hurt his back, but Fiorella's wondering if Daughter's guy could be sweet-talked into taking care of it for her πŸ’—πŸ˜

Strange...now that your girl has pulled several handfuls of dog hair out from under her bed and put them in the trash, she isn't snorting, sniffing, or sneezing as much as before.

Have you noticed that Fio's more recent posts have been more upbeat?  





 


Friday, October 8, 2021

Halloween Preps, Art, Eyes, and Neurologists

 BOOO! Halloween is fast upon us, and there isn't a speck of black or orange paper in the house. Fio's banking on a cache in the attic (which only Son L can navigate), but if we wait much longer, your girl will have to climb the ladder herself. Of course, we could buy out a store or two, but what fun is that? 

Hmm....the neurology clinic that your girl patronizes has called her two two days in a row, but when Fiorella answers her phone, all she gets is a series of dings. Do they know something she doesn't?

Now that Fio has acrylics and brushes again, she thought she'd be using them in painting pictures of her new countryside and its inhabitants, but the only thing she's ended up working on to date is a picture of her childhood home in Ohio that was finished long ago--or rather it used to be finished. The newspaper that Fiorella wrapped it in for transit wasn't enough protection and now she has to concentrate on restoring the house's previous glow.

Dang! Fio just bumped into the painting she had done many years ago of Husband as a child and broke the frame her father-in-law had made for it. Yep, your girl hasn't had any luck with paintings today!

It looks like Fiorella's new glasses are gone with the wind. Luckily, she has another pair, and although they're ancient, they've been loyal to her for years. (The basic problem is that your girl's sight is so weird that she takes her specs on and off fifty times a day to compensate.)

 




Thursday, October 7, 2021

Memerable Moments

 "I am a mermaid," Fiorella's granddaughter announced as she played with her collection of aquatic plastic toys, and, like a lightening streak, Fio was  catapulted into the past and a little poem she wrote many years ago, even before she had children, and the remembrance made her heart race and her eyes blur with tears:

I am a mermaid, and no one knows

I hide my scales with calicos

I hide my tail in long, loose clothes

 I am a mermaid, and no one know 

*

 Fio has lost the little pink book she keeps her friends' and relatives' birthdays in. She also lost her glasses. Coincidence? Or are the gremlins messing with her again?!

On the other hand, Fio opened up the acrylic paint set she'd bought this past week and started repairing nicks and knocks her paintings had suffered in transit, and the feeling was like ambrosia. Your girl was born to paint. 

Music, art, languages, literature--they're all coming together again except for music, and this weekend, Fiorella and Son L be driving down to Pflugerville to consider another load, maybe with the piano in itπŸ’—


Wednesday, October 6, 2021

From Walgreens to Hachette Group

 Daughter drove Fio to her doctor's office, then over to Walgreens to pick up a prescription and find out if we could get booster shots at the same time. As it turned out, we'll have to wait a month more for them, but at least we're still on the list.

You want to know what kind of books Fiorella writes? Here's a paragraph from WHAT THE HEART WANTS. He aimed for her cheek, but somehow her lips were under his, and her full breasts flattened against him She was Reverend Ed's daughter, but she was also young, soft, and female, and he was not only male, but totally aroused as well. His body demanded action. and he moved his mouth over hers slowly, lingeringly, as Marguerite had taught him, all the time trying to control the wildfire that was raging through him. Hmm...how can Lolly top this scene?

Fio and Son L will be emptying out more storage this weekend. Hoping the piano will be part of the loot, but not sure how we would transport it.

Fiorella should add that it was really great to meet with her neurologist today. Not only is he a highly regarded physician, but a wonderful person--although he was a little shocked by WHAT THE HEART WANTS.

In case you want to check out your girl's romance novel, be sure you get the one published by Hachette Group and whose hero and heroine are Jase and Laurel.

 

 

 

 



 


Tuesday, October 5, 2021

Scalding Words

 Fiorella, as she's told you, has started going through her piles of writing and actually getting them somewhat settled in three tall file cabinets. There's a fair amount of throw-away in them, of course, but also some real gems, like this one:

America, bow your head in shame--

Ethnic cleansing is the name of the game

Clear out the black, the  yellow, the brown

Run gays and their  kindred out of town

Ridicule the halt, the blind, the lame

And do unto those who sorrow the same

Jail the actors, the artists, the press

Silence the women and make them a jest

Reject the migrants or throw them in jail

Allow graft and cronyism to prevail

In short, go after anyone who

Doesn't talk or think or look like you,

An automaton of self-fed hate

Which no force on earth can ameliorate


 





Yep. your girls has always been a crusader, and now you know what a tongue-lashing is.

Good news--Fio's doctor has prescribed doubling a happiness pill to xxxx her xxxxx.

Monday, October 4, 2021

From Filing Cabinets to Oil Painting

 If anyone out there enjoys sorting out filing cabinet contents, please drop in at the Plum house for an hour or two two--or twenty. Last year, when it came time to pack up all her half-finished stories, etc., your girl jammed everything, helter-skelter, into her three sets of metal cabinets, and now she's riding the whirlwind.

On the other hand, as she keeps reminding herself, when she's finished, she'll know where everything is and probably have a couple of empty drawers to boot. Also, because she is LABELING each drawer this time around, she'll know where everything is. 

Has Fiorella told you how much she likes the traveling nurses who come to her door to check up on her so that she doesn't have to hitch a ride to the hospital to take care of minor things like having her coumadin level checked? Fio is especially thankful to the ladies (no male nurses have rung the doorbell yet) because, with the pandemic, she doesn't get to talk with people verymuch anymore.

Your girl is still glowing from Daughter's kind words about how Fio has arranged and decorated her rather small bedroom, but there's still more to go. Fiorella wants a full-length mirror in the bathroom she shares with her granddaughter and, sometime along the line, she will call in a handyman to turn the clothes closet, designed for a child, into an adult's closet.

Did you ever hear how Fio got into serious painting? Well, all the Jewish girls were trying out Mrs. Fisher's oil-painting class, so, through Ellen's parents, your girl got included, and it opened a whole, big world for Fiorella,  a world that sparkles today and even unto the second generationπŸ’—

 



 


 

 


Sunday, October 3, 2021

Busy, Busy, Busy

 Just got back from a great get-together with Daughter, who hosted Fio with lunch and her company in downtown Buda. We talked about what was going on in our lives, laughed a lot, and feasted on one of the best salmon lunches your girl has ever had the pleasure of devouring. Afterwards, Daughter visited Fiorella's studio and we talked about the family pictures on the wall.

Interesting--at least to Fio. She thinks her multitasking talent is gearing up again because this afternoon, she grabbed a magnetic knob to open the door to the cabinet in which the garbage bags are stored so she could contribute to the family's weekly trash bins, but before she could unlock said door, Granddaughter pulled her over to show off her latest technological toy and Fio had to put down the knob. Then the telephone rang and she had to take the call. Then she had to find the knob again, then grab one of the plastic bags and lug it to the curb, all the time muttering en espanol. Heard enough?

Fiorella is diving into Lolly's story again, and, to encourage herself, she's reading her two published romances that were published about four years ago, before Husband died, she sold the house, and her life splintered into pieces with the move and Covid's affect on her personal relationships.

You know things are looking up for your girl when ordering a full length mirror is at the top of her to-do list.


 

 



Saturday, October 2, 2021

Hello, I'm Back Again!

 Again, the blog that appeared today was supposed to have posted yesterday. Why are the secret ways of blogging withheld from your girl? Ah well, proceeding on....

Three cheers for Fiorella! After several tries, she was able to hang a picture up on her door that she'd drawn of her paternal grandfather several years back. Not that she'd even seen him--he died in a Pennsylvania coal mine when Fio's father was just a baby--but your girl had a photo of him. God bless cameras and all their descendants.

Fiorella hadn't had any pretzels for years, but for some reason, she added them to her weekly food list, and guess what--she gobbled them down like chocolate. Her theory is that her system needed the salt.

Now that Lolly is all printed out, Fio has to go back over it, fill in gaps, correcting what doesn't work. She's hoping to get the story out on-line in a few months, but not sure how the system works now. (The old system took at least six months.)

Your girl hopes that the next thing on Son L's agenda is to run out her Blogs for the last two or three years. Then she'll box them all up for posterity. The pages will be backwards, of course, but maybe some technological genius will be able to--well, turn them all around😁

 

 

 

Your girl is so excited--Daughter is taking her out for lunch tomorrow! Now, what should she wear?

 



 

 

 

 


 In case you haven't guessed it, your girl is an organizer--sometimes an over-organizer--which is no guarantee that her plans will always come to fruition. Nevertheless, Fiorella moves onwards and upwards, always trying to save the world, her friends, her family, and--well--herself. Hope you do the same.

WHAT A DAY! Fiorella not only reorganized her desk (which took a lot longer than you might think), but got word that a licensed bloodsucker would come to the house once a month to check out her cumadin level rather than her having to play hostess every week to a machine that someone in her family would have to learn how to work.πŸ’—πŸ’—

On the other hand, she can't find her new sunglasses. Shhhh...don't tell anyone!

Hey, hey, hey! Looks like Fiorella got a lucky break. She'd been tracked down by the medical powers that be and told she had to use one of those awful finger-pricking machines to take blood every week, then turn in the results on line. Then, in came Fio's Lone Ranger galloping in for the rescue--

 

 

True Grit-itude

You are so kind to always think of me

To let me know the error or my ways

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

To nip my heels when'er my footpath strays

     Five mintes alone in an alley, you snit,

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