Environment

Fiorella speculates that all things, sentient or not, have spirits and, as such, have the same desire to be useful that Fiorella does. That the fallen tree limbs volunteer themselves for the fireplace--which is so much more noble a sacrifice than rotting in the yard--and that the rocks trip her on purpose so she will notice them and add them to her driveway edging. And always soft-hearted, Fio makes a point of reassuring the branches and rocks she has to leave behind that she will be back for them another day.

Maybe Fio took Girl of the Limberlost too literally.

Here, There, Everywhere

Fiorella lives in a house of cords--the lamp cords, the computer cords, the printer cord, the thousand and one cords Husband uses which Fio fathoms not.  There are even cords in the garage--on hooks, in baskets, in drawers.

Oddly enough, Fio's great-grandmother, according to an old family picture, also lived in a house of cords.  Cords that were strung across the wall from (wonder of wonders!) electric light to electric light.

So maybe in the future, the electronic plug-ins will disappear like the the ones controlling the electric lights did.  Maybe charging will be done through the wifi.

Not that Fio knows what she's talking about, but you get the idea.