New Year's Resolution

Piece by piece, Fio is taking down her Christmas decorations.  The fireplace stocking are unhung, and the mantel has been liberated of its winter scene and miniature lampposts.  Red ribbons no longer bedeck everything bedeckable. The "Twelve Days of Christmas" bells are packed away. The multiple tinsel garlands have been retrieved from the driveway and the house, wound into sparkling balls, and placed on the dining room table, which functions as Fio's command central. The wreaths and the stray fake greenery fronds are stacked on the table too, and THIS YEAR FIORELLA WILL ORGANIZE AND LABEL ALL HER PRETTIES BEFORE RELEGATING THEM TO THE GARAGE!

Yeah.

Brrrrrr

Has Fiorella told you how much she enjoys cold weather? She loves breathing cool air as she walks around the driveway, loves the fire burning in the grate every evening, loves to snuggle up in bed with a blankets and a comforter over her.  Of course, this is cold weather in Central Texas, and it's of very short duration.  Fio might feel differently if she lived in--say--Minnesota.

Fiorella's Christmas Sonnet, 2015

Christmas Fire

The firewood salvaged from our fallen trees
We've dried and heaped upon the fireplace grate
To counteract the deep midwinter freeze
Which lowering temperatures prognosticate.
Steel strikes flint, the tinder pile is lit,
A quick flame flashes, then  is gently fed
Until the fire is burning bright and brisk
Its fingers reaching high, its embers red.
Cackling and raging and roaring with each bite,
The hungry fire consumes the waiting wood,
But after we have gone to bed  at night
The flames burn out--untended, unrenewed.
      Yet warmth awakens us upon the morn--
      Merry Christmas to all!  Christ is born!

Ups and Downs

Husband built a fire in the fireplace, but it fizzled.  Visiting Son, who was feeling good and getting a lot done, came down with bronchitis.  The handyman debacle is still hanging fire.  On the other hand, WHAT THE HEART WANTS sold six more books last week.  Maybe there's hope for the world after all.

Relief Is in Sight!

Fiorella's finished her Christmas decorating!

Well, not quite--she can't stage the mantel over the fireplace in the den until Husband connects up the lights on the little houses, and there's a plateful of clip-on birds sitting on the dining room table that she has to put somewhere, and the mailbox that needs to have a bow tied around it, and the tinsel garland at the entrance to the driveway that has to be repaired.  But after all of that is taken care of, Fiorella can sit down and relax.

Relax?  No--she has presents to wrap, a contract relating to the family business to get signed by Husband and Nephew, and her own publishing contract to find and sign.

Still, she's more up to date than most years.

Autumnal Rite

Yesterday Husband spent half the afternoon outside chainsawing trees and splitting logs.  Then he made a fire in the fireplace, our first one of the season. 

Welcome, Autumn.