Golden Greeting

Fiorella is the most creative person on the face of the earth.  Only she would take gold chocolate bar wrappers (which she had hoarded), cut alphabet letters out of them to spell  "HAPPY FATHER'S DAY," then tape the greeting, letter by letter, beneath the fireplace mantel.

Ta-da!

Dance and Sing

Dance and sing, clap your hands, leap for joy!  Fiorella's revisions are few and far between!  Yes, she has received the critique of WHERE THE HEART LEADS from her editor, and whole clumps of pages go by without a single red mark!

Now to tackle those pages that do have red marks on them.  And to consult the critiques her beta readers turned in.  And to finish writing COMFORT OF THE HEART, or whatever she's going to name the novella.  And to celebrate Father's Day and Husband's birthday.  And to clean up the house.  And to go through all the old photos and label them.  And to repair some old oil paintings,  And to get those little booklets made up for the NRWA conference.  And to revise and publish her short stories and her poetry,

Somehow, your Fiorella will work it all into her schedule.

Dad

My father was a self-made man.  When he was thirteen months old, his own father died in a coal mine accident.  The county tried to take my father and his two siblings, but his mother worked in other people's homes to support them.  In fact, the whole family worked--my father herded a family friend's cattle to and from the pasture and cut off chicken's heads for neighbors.

Dad was a good-looking guy and popular in school.  His nickname was "Buddy," he excelled in sports, and was elected president of his senior class.

His first job, with General Tire, lasted almost forty years, and he founded a company golf league and bowling league on the side.  He advanced to become the manager of the largest department in the Waco plant, won several sports trophies, and enjoyed his retirement.

But, most of all, he was a loving, caring father.

For a Very Important Date

It's after eight
I'm running late
So Fio has naught else to say
But HAPPY, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Thanks, Dad

Fiorella's father believed in milk, exercise, and helping people.

The milk was a no-brainer. His whole family believed in milk, and, as Fio has told you, she and her cousins still prefer it to any other beverage.

Exercise also was a family affair. Dad and his brother were both athletic--golf, bowling, tennis--you name it. Fio isn't much for sports, but she does like the feeling of her body moving, be it walking, jogging, or wiggling in place.

Wanting to help was one of Dad's nicest traits, and one Fio would like to think she's inherited, although sometimes it's frustrating. Some people don't want help, some don't appreciate it, and some reject it when it's given. But, like Dad, Fio keeps on trying.