Fiorella, Blow by Blow

Fiorella had a great morning yesterday. She drove from her driveway in the boondocks of Georgetown to busy North Austin without encountering a single red light until she hit Koenig Lane, which was only a brief pause. Then, when she was pulling into Starbucks to meet up with friend Evelyn, another car obliginging backed out of a primo parking spot which Fio quickly claimed.

Inside the store, Fio and Evelyn had an even better time than usual, and a guy who knew Evelyn stopped at their table to talk about the basketball program he runs for disadvantaged kids. Fio was uolifted and her eyes went damp. After the Singapore surrender, she needed to hear from someone who was doing his best to make the world a better place.

Next, Fiorella met with her brother and friend Paula at Dan's Hamburgers, and it was a merry threesome. Turns out that Brother and his wife are thinking of attending the family reunion in Ohio that Fio and Daughter have already committed to.

Fio's ride back to Georgetown was uneventful, thank goodness, because Fio hadn't gotten much sleep the night before and was about to conk out, which is exactly what she did when she got home.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Cast Iron Plants

Brother and his wife donated a big pot of iron plants for Fio to plant in place of the fungus-ridden sages she'd had to hack out, for which she is very grateful, but she didn't realize how hard it would be to separate the individual stems for planting. She tried a screw driver, scissors, a hammer, a shovel, a pick, and, finally, her chain saw. The plant sacrificed several young blades by throwing them into the chain to foul up the saw and save their community as a whole, but Fiorella prevailed and now has enough rooted stems to finish off the west side of the house.

She also understands how that plant got its name.

Aaron and Vienna

Fio's Austin offspring were not at Brother Bill's birthday/Thanksgiving celebration, and here's the reason why: THEY WERE ATTENDING NEPHEW AARON'S WEDDING IN HONG KONG! The bride is the lovely Vienna Wong.  Fio and Husband met Vienna's parents and sister at Christmas a couple of years ago, as you may remember.

Aaron is the last man standing of the cousins, the last to get married, and Fio wishes all the best for him and Vienna.

Thanksgiving Leftovers

Fio's books arrived yesterday morning, the ones she'd bought from her publisher at her author's discount price. Two boxes were perched like orphans on top of the garbage bin next to the street, and Fio threw them into the trunk as she and Husband left to drive off to her brother's for the family Thanksgiving feast. The first thing she did when they arrived in Austin was to open both boxes to see if the rain had damaged any of the books, which it hadn't.  Then she autographed a book as a gift to her brother and his wife.

Later that evening, when Fio and Husband were home, Husband claimed a book for himself, asked Fio to autograph it, and started reading--and kept on reading, which was a joy to Fiorella.

Two books down, twenty-eight to go.

In Memoriam

Happy birthday to my father, who sang "Little Brown Jug" to me as he drove me to Sunday School when Mother was in the hospital giving birth to my brother, who taught me how to swing a golf club,  who financed my daughter's college education.  Dad had a generous heart and a noble spirit.
And I hope he is with me still.

Celebrate!

Fiorella had a week-long birthday celebration--Facebook and RWA congratulations, Minnesota son and wife calling, Husband taking her out to Fish Daddy's on her actual birthday, friend Paula treating her to breakfast at Dan's, the pastor leading the small Wednesday noon congregation in singing Happy Birthday to her, Friend Sharon taking her out to Dan's for an afternoon hamburger, Brother and his wife taking her out for dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse on Saturday evening, her Austin children treating her to cake and ice cream on Sunday afternoon.

The happiest birthday week ever!

Lurching in Where Angels Fear to Tread

Fiorella absorbed her mother into herself, as Mother did hers. Mother valued reputation, appearance, and academic success so Fio tried to live up to maternal expectations.  Determined to give Brother and Fiorella the Dick-and-Jane childhood she had missed out on because of an alcoholic father, Mother made her home into a warm, safe nest, which Fio also tried to do for her children.  However, Mother  hung back from the kind of challenges and adventures that Fiorella confronts head-on.

In that, Fiorella resembles her father. Tally-ho!

Ka-boom!

According to the latest news, half the population of the German city of Koblenz is being evacuated so authorities can defuse a WWII bomb that's popped up in the Rhine River.

And, wouldn't you know it, today is the fifth day of Brother and Sister-in law's cruise down the Rhine.

Not what they bargained for.