It's delivery day! Fio has finished feeding the mouths of all her charities, she mailed a check to the newspaper delivery guy last week, and as soon as she finishes this post, she'll be in her baby car taking chocolate kisses to Mazda and Click, with a side trip to Chase bank to deliver chocolate Santas to Lisa and Stephanie. These people have been good to Fiorella and giving them Christmas treats is the least she can do.
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Speaking of good people, Fernando, the guy who takes care of Fio and Husband's yard--and does his best to take care of us--took down one of our dead trees and we now have enough firewood to last through next winter. Fio always gives Fernando a Christmas bonus, but he deserves far more.
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The fire is lit, the stage is set, and the picture of Baby is hanging from the mantel, but FB will not accept Fiorella's photo. Must be Trump getting his revenge on Fio for last year's Christmas card, the one in which she compared him to Ghengis Khan.
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Showing posts with label Fernando. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fernando. Show all posts
Friday, December 15, 2017
Thursday, May 11, 2017
The Yard
Facebook is, as advertised, really great for connecting with old friends and acquaintances. Of course, Fio always tries to put her best foot forward. The photos she posts are framed and cropped so no one will know Fio has a pile of mulch in a corner of the yard and the bayberries still aren't hiding the AC units the way she wants them to.
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Fio's latest outside endeavor, aside from the driveway edging, is lining the west side of the house with cast iron plants. The flowering sages, which had reigned there for about ten years, caught some kind of fungus infection and Fio had to whack them down to the roots, then ask Fernando, her wonderful yard man, to finish the job. But, alas, Fernando comes just once a month so Fiorella has to do the replanting replacement all on her own. Dig, Fio, dig!
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The only drawback to having a driveway lined with rocks is that a riding mower can't get over them gracefully, which is the reason Fio and Husband replaced the rocks with easily-movable four-foot-long landscape timbers at strategic places along the way. Then Fio realized that although Husband can get his own riding mower through four-foot gaps, Fernando's professional mower needs a five-foot gap. So, yes, that was Fio you saw at Home Depot having eight landscape timbers cut to five-feet plus (just to be sure), lowering the passenger seat of Husband's car as far as possible so the timbers could be loaded, then driving slowly and carefully home and unloading them. And one of these days, she promises, she'll get them distributed.
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Fio's latest outside endeavor, aside from the driveway edging, is lining the west side of the house with cast iron plants. The flowering sages, which had reigned there for about ten years, caught some kind of fungus infection and Fio had to whack them down to the roots, then ask Fernando, her wonderful yard man, to finish the job. But, alas, Fernando comes just once a month so Fiorella has to do the replanting replacement all on her own. Dig, Fio, dig!
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The only drawback to having a driveway lined with rocks is that a riding mower can't get over them gracefully, which is the reason Fio and Husband replaced the rocks with easily-movable four-foot-long landscape timbers at strategic places along the way. Then Fio realized that although Husband can get his own riding mower through four-foot gaps, Fernando's professional mower needs a five-foot gap. So, yes, that was Fio you saw at Home Depot having eight landscape timbers cut to five-feet plus (just to be sure), lowering the passenger seat of Husband's car as far as possible so the timbers could be loaded, then driving slowly and carefully home and unloading them. And one of these days, she promises, she'll get them distributed.
Friday, April 14, 2017
Updating Fio
Fiorella has been blessed by two daughters-in-law whom she not only loves, but likes. Thank you, guys, for your good taste in females, and thank you, Jen and Lauren, for being not only wonderful women, but good people .
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It's Easter season, so Fio's put on about three pounds. Who can resist chocolate bunnies?
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Fio's been out on the acreage a lot lately, exploring areas she probably shouldn't be feeling her way through alone, but what the heck--getting lost every now and then is part of the game. It's also a good way to meet neighbors.
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The gigantic rock pile that neighbor Marvin delivered is fast diminishing, but that's okay because (1) the mura pequena is nearing completion, and (2) in her explorations, Fio's found several new caches of rocks.
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Fernando came yesterday and planted three nandenas for Fio, mowed the lawns, pulled out the remannts of a dead tree, and cleaned up the driveway. And you wonder why Fio gave him an Easter tip.
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It's Easter season, so Fio's put on about three pounds. Who can resist chocolate bunnies?
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Fio's been out on the acreage a lot lately, exploring areas she probably shouldn't be feeling her way through alone, but what the heck--getting lost every now and then is part of the game. It's also a good way to meet neighbors.
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The gigantic rock pile that neighbor Marvin delivered is fast diminishing, but that's okay because (1) the mura pequena is nearing completion, and (2) in her explorations, Fio's found several new caches of rocks.
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Fernando came yesterday and planted three nandenas for Fio, mowed the lawns, pulled out the remannts of a dead tree, and cleaned up the driveway. And you wonder why Fio gave him an Easter tip.
Thursday, March 2, 2017
How Fiorella Lives Her Life
Fiorella had a wonderfully social day yesterday lunching with friend Jane Perrine, then driving into Austin to visit with friend Deborah Radel. Politics was the topic of the day and both of her friends were so clever that Fio laughed herself silly. Jane fights the good fight by contacting her representatives and contributing to various liberal causes, while Deborah is looking forward to the next one. Empowerment is addictive.
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Fio has started exploring the unknown territories of the five-acre wooded tract that she and Husband live on. Yesterday she discovered a charming dell off the side of the north driveway that Fernando, her yardman, who also likes discovering things, had obviously mowed. She also found the north branch of the dry creek that edges three sides of the property. but she didn't go too far because that area is unfenced and she didn't want to get lost. Again.
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The last day for El Color de la Pasion is Monday, March 6, and all its plot threads are rapidly being resolved. Rebeca is homeless, Amador is in jail, the guy who raped Tene is in jail, Nora has committed suicide, Nazario was visited by the spirit of his late wife who tells him to marry Norita (Fio thinks),Rafaela is back with a chastened Milagros, Lucia and Marcelo are engaged (again), and Lucia will be sole owner of the art tile factory, Your Fio plans to buy the whole series and watch it again. It's a great way to learn Spanish, she picks up drama pointers from it that she can use in her books, and watching it before she goes to bed ensures a good night's sleep.
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Fio has started exploring the unknown territories of the five-acre wooded tract that she and Husband live on. Yesterday she discovered a charming dell off the side of the north driveway that Fernando, her yardman, who also likes discovering things, had obviously mowed. She also found the north branch of the dry creek that edges three sides of the property. but she didn't go too far because that area is unfenced and she didn't want to get lost. Again.
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The last day for El Color de la Pasion is Monday, March 6, and all its plot threads are rapidly being resolved. Rebeca is homeless, Amador is in jail, the guy who raped Tene is in jail, Nora has committed suicide, Nazario was visited by the spirit of his late wife who tells him to marry Norita (Fio thinks),Rafaela is back with a chastened Milagros, Lucia and Marcelo are engaged (again), and Lucia will be sole owner of the art tile factory, Your Fio plans to buy the whole series and watch it again. It's a great way to learn Spanish, she picks up drama pointers from it that she can use in her books, and watching it before she goes to bed ensures a good night's sleep.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Christmas Thanksgiving
Merry Christmas to Fernando, who has done our heavy yard work for the past two years. Yesterday he not only neatened up our stacks of firewood, but pulled fallen tree limbs out of the dry creek area and chainsawed them to add to the pile. He also whooshed our front porch, back porch, and the entire length of our driveway free of leaves, plus pulled a couple of loads of rocks up from the creek to place alongside the driveway. All in all, it was about four hours work, which was twice as much as Fio pays him for. Oh, and as Fio helps him learn English, Fernando has been helping her learn Spanish. Muchas gracias, mi amigo.
Sunday, October 30, 2016
A Good Evening Out
People invigorate Fiorella, even at a ladies' wine-tasting party at which Fiorella doesn't partake of the main course because she's never developed a taste for alcohol.
As Fio started out for vecina (neighbor) Kathy's casa (house) at about four, her vecina up the street, Micky, joined her and they walked and talked the rest of the way together. At the party, Fio became acquainted or better acquainted with other vecinas. We talked about the vecindad (neighborhood)--the casa that is up for sale, current gentrification efforts, rattlesnake and coyote sightings--and we talked about our perros (dogs) and familias (families). Fio managed to get in a plug for Fernando's yardwork, and Kathy told everyone about the romances Fio writes, but the real thrill for Fio was when one of the vecinas, a native speaker of el espanol (Spanish), offered to help Fio with the language. Pobrecita (poor little one), she doesn't know how soon she's going to be called on.
As Fio started out for vecina (neighbor) Kathy's casa (house) at about four, her vecina up the street, Micky, joined her and they walked and talked the rest of the way together. At the party, Fio became acquainted or better acquainted with other vecinas. We talked about the vecindad (neighborhood)--the casa that is up for sale, current gentrification efforts, rattlesnake and coyote sightings--and we talked about our perros (dogs) and familias (families). Fio managed to get in a plug for Fernando's yardwork, and Kathy told everyone about the romances Fio writes, but the real thrill for Fio was when one of the vecinas, a native speaker of el espanol (Spanish), offered to help Fio with the language. Pobrecita (poor little one), she doesn't know how soon she's going to be called on.
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Jungle Drums
Fiorella gets a kick out of harvesting rocks in the wildwoods. It makes her feel good because she's using the resources at hand and is thus not only self-sufficient and eco-thrifty but--well--cheap.
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There's something exciting about owning a parcel of virgin woodland. Husband and Fiorella have lived on their five and one-third acres of jungle for twelve years and still don't know it all. While Fio was scouting for rocks recently, she discovered an area in the south woods where an eight-foot wide circle had been cleared at some time in the past. The remains of a fire circle sat in the middle of clearing, and to the side was a crushed beer can. Probably not a BSA encampment.
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Fiorella has written about the south woods a lot lately because it's a terra incognita that she has just lately been able to explore because the major yard areas have finally been tamed by a wonderful man named Fernando. God bless him.
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There's something exciting about owning a parcel of virgin woodland. Husband and Fiorella have lived on their five and one-third acres of jungle for twelve years and still don't know it all. While Fio was scouting for rocks recently, she discovered an area in the south woods where an eight-foot wide circle had been cleared at some time in the past. The remains of a fire circle sat in the middle of clearing, and to the side was a crushed beer can. Probably not a BSA encampment.
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Fiorella has written about the south woods a lot lately because it's a terra incognita that she has just lately been able to explore because the major yard areas have finally been tamed by a wonderful man named Fernando. God bless him.
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Monday, February 8, 2016
Television, Art, and Fences
Fiorella woke up after a good night's sleep thinking that the new X-Files was ponderous, self-absorbed, and that its monster was ridiculous. In contrast, Lucifer was light, clever, and its monster, the star. was charmingly naive and delightfully wicked.
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Fio hasn't drawn anything for a while, and her hands are getting so antsy that this morning she sketched herself in the bathroom mirror. Not bad--Fio, you've still got it
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The property-line fence that Fio and neighbors Mike and Kathy have been talking about for years has finally been built. Fiorella recommended her yardman, Fernando, for the job, and neighbor Mike, who designed the fence, took over from there. Good fences, good neighbors.
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Fio hasn't drawn anything for a while, and her hands are getting so antsy that this morning she sketched herself in the bathroom mirror. Not bad--Fio, you've still got it
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The property-line fence that Fio and neighbors Mike and Kathy have been talking about for years has finally been built. Fiorella recommended her yardman, Fernando, for the job, and neighbor Mike, who designed the fence, took over from there. Good fences, good neighbors.
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