~ I WON~

Oh my gosh.....I WON:-) YAHOO, WOOHOO, YIPPY SKIPPY and it's about time!! (only kidding on the last one) If ya know me personally then you know this...I NEVER win nada, nothing, zilch, zero, etc...etc...I used to live in Lake Tahoe and maybe on occasion would try my hand at gambling..HAH...never won a jackpot!!! When my kids were young they attended Parochial schools and we constantly had fund raisers. I purchased more raffle tickets than anyone I know, mainly cause I did not want my kids bothering others when selling them. I also bought ALL the Girl Scout cookies so my daughter would not pester the neighbors..go figure!...I digress...... Point is I have never won a prize. Well, my day has ARRIVED....I won the "caption" quote contest from Lallees Cottage:) This little bee was a photo she snapped and asked us to offer a caption for him:) I think LALLEE should win a prize for the photo!!!! I offered this....."Float like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee"....can't take the credit...it is from the Greatest Boxer that ever lived, Muhammad Ali:-) Thanks so much Lallee....this is such fun:)
Hug Life
Peace,
Marylou

~THIS GAL ROCKS~

My dear sweet bud, Zoe, from Casa-Preciosa at ebay has the most "fantabulous" shabby chic items available. You gotta go check her out...simply go to ebay and do a seller search for Casa-Preciosa and then visit her ME page. This gal has "the look" and you will fall in love with her treasures:) Go take a gander, she has the most grand cottage decorating ideas for your CASA!!
Hug Life,
Peace, Marylou

~AND I LOVE HER:-)~

She is my pal, buddy, confidante, and all around best friend:-) She puts a smile on my face when I feel down and knows when I am stressed or simply unhappy. Her name is "SASSY" and I love her:) I think she loves me back:-) We are quite the pair, just a couple of clowns short of a circus:-)
Hug Life,
Peace...Marylou

~AT THE END OF THE DAY~

HUBBY AND I JUST OPENED A NICE BOTTLE OF WINE, SHARING THOUGHTS, DREAMS AND HOPES:-) WISHING YOU ALL A WONDERFUL WEEK TO COME FILLED WITH JOY, GOOD HEALTH AND LOTS OF LOVE:)
Hug Life,
Peace, Marylou

~SPIES??????????????~

My dear friend and co-hort blogger, Ellen, sent me this horrific story. Apparently 14 squirrels were recently arrested in Iran found with some type of radar equipment on them......Iran has considered them SPIES!! And there are peeps who actually think I AM SQUIRRELY!! Now I have seen everything....better go out in the back forty and check for any rodent wearing a turban or holding a glock! Yeah...better go do that! What's next??? Sparrows with little notes tied around their feet holding messages in code?? Whoa...we really gotta be careful with the MOLES!! No, maybe little raccoons, ya know they have a permanent mask anyhow:).....running across the border with government data...heck, I think we already have the rats involved, aren't they all in Congress?? Okay, enough of my silliness.....just had to share this with ya. Thanks Ellen for keeping your eyes and ears open:)
Hug Life and remember....next time you see a squirrel DO NOT, I REPEAT DO NOT GIVE HIM ANY INFORMATION REGARDING GOVERNMENT SECRETS AS HE MAY BE A DOUBLE AGENT ENGAGING IN ESPIONAGE:-)
Peace, Marylou

~FROM ONE NUT HOUSE TO ANOTHER~

Just stopping in after having a bite for dinner:-) YEP..My name is Marylou and I LOVE SQUIRRELS...I have been to SA, Squirrel Anonymous to no avail. I collect porcelain squirrels & have a sweet shelf in the hallway where my vintage rodents are proudly displayed:) I also regularly feed the fellas & gals in my backyard. I buy that cute corn on the cob which has a holder that attaches to my trees for them..... and always have their NUT HOUSE filled to the brim:-) If ya can't beat em might as well join em!!! The male tree squirrel takes twice as long, as the female, to groom itself. They are the cleanest animal in the rodent family. I just love that fact as sometimes my DH takes longer than I in the powder room:-) They also have a brain equated to the size of a walnut, interesting analogy, don't ya think:-) I am NOT making this stuff up, I googled it!!

Anyhoo...just thought I would share my love of the rodentia species with ya. Wishing you all a great evenin', gotta go check the back forty and make sure my friends are all happy:-)
Hug Life,
Peace, Marylou

~MORE PICS:-)~

I know, more pics....why you say??? Well, because my darling DIL spent a year planning this big day and I am a proud mom:)

GENEVIEVE & ANTHONY!!

The bridal party!

Yummy Chocolate Cake.....everything was pink & brown:-)

Mother & Son dance to "It's a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong:)

We came, we laughed, we cried, we danced, we have wonderful memories BUT..... we are exhausted:-)

AND THEY "ALL" LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER:-)Thanks so very much for taking this journey and sharing with me!!!! Hug Life......Peace, Marylou

~OFFICIAL WEDDING PICS~

The happy bride & groom with my husband Chris and myself:)AND........
The groom, my son and I:-)
Here is a fun one.....way into the dancing of the evening we had laughs with my daughter, her friend, Chris & I.....a little silly BUT HUGGIN' LIFE with all we had!! WOOHOO:-)

~A WORRIED MOM~

This is what my son does each day. He is the gentleman in the middle. He is a FIREFIGHTER!! I am proud of him but I am fearful everyday. I know I must accept his job and the dangers that come with it but somedays I simply remember that little bundle of joy I brought home from the hospital on Dec. 11, 1979:) I tend to forget that he has grown into a fine young man....a soldier in our community. I have learned a new respect for our civil workers...our firemen & policemen (women too!!) Each day they don a uniform which they proudly wear to protect all of us. They do this as they have CHOSEN this path simply to help others in need. I am awed at their giving and total commitment to their opted fields and am often reminded of our soldiers who are fighting in another land for our freedom AND safety. I salute ALL our men and women who have elected to stand strong and protect ALL that is important to us...whether it be a small grass fire to a speeding car to a fighting battle in a land far from home. God Bless you all and let it be known.....IN THIS HOUSE WE ARE HONORED, GRATEFUL & EMBRACE ALL THAT YOU DO!

Now......go make it a grand day and be proud to be an American:)
Hug Life
Peace, Marylou

~AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER:)~

Still waiting for the proofs so my sister-in-law sent me this lovely pic of my son and his bride. LOVE IT and LOVE THEM:-)
Hug Life,
Peace.....Marylou

~CAUSE HE'S A FIREMAN:-)~

AND THE RING WAS DELIVERED BY...........:-)This was the ring bearer, sitting in a fire truck pulled by the flower girl......why.......cause the GROOM is a FIREFIGHTER:-)

~THE WEDDING, A GLIMPSE~

My husband and I at my son's wedding....still waiting for the rest of the pics:) These were taken with cell phones..haha..... Will post the pro's PICS asap:)
Hug Life........Peace, Marylou

~HOME.........AT LAST???????????~

I have returned from the depths of the vast deep sea:) I only hope I can remain home for awhile, between the wedding and the July 4th celebrations all I can say is........ I am POOPED:-) Well, the unthinkable happened....I knew it would....only a matter of time. Ya know what, in life if we all wait long enough "sh#t happens"..please forgive the profanity but sometimes the only words that truly express our thoughts and feelings are the "naughty" ones:-) I digress again....which I am starting to believe has something to do with procrastination and possibly A.D.D.....hey, look.....there goes a squirrel:) Seriously, if you can follow this post you are a better woman than I!!!! On Wednesday morning we boarded the sailboat, which I must mention is ours only to prove this irrelevant theory of mine. Because she is ours, since the year 2000 I have been aboard her many, many, many times. She is not small...33' and quite comfortable. She has a pilot house which makes her also known as a motor sailor so in bad weather we sit in the comfort of a sheltered room, gazing out to the white caps with no fear of getting wet...which most sailors enjoy,(getting wet) go figure!! I think I must be a "Dock" sailor:-)All this being said as we cruised out of our dock, with my daughter and her friend everything was "coming up roses". We had ravaged the local deli and filled the boat with all our favorite foods and drinks, loaded to the gills with Italian Prosciutto, several fab cheeses, salads, (all organic of course because of my daughter, the bio-chemist) and several amazing bottles of red wines. This happens to be my favorite manner of dining, an antipasto of delectable goodies and an amazing bottle of Merlot. Okay..I hope you are getting the picture. Everything I love in life is on this boat...my hubby, my daughter and my Italian REDS:-) (no ladies, not girls...wines:-)....The weather is co-operating perfectly with us, blue skies and temps well into the 90's but on the water it always feels so cool, that brisk breeze feathering ones face, heaven on earth. So, off we meander to take a soothing cruise under the Golden Gate Bridge, back around to Angel Island, a skip and a jump over to Treasure Island and lets not forget Alcatraz. Are ya with me so far??? Good! We are enjoying a very nice Louis Martini Merlot, some delish marinated olives and a lovely tray of tasty tidbits and I glance over at the horizon and for some strange reason my tummy felt odd. Can't explain this because it never felt like this before. Let me preface this by saying I had maybe 2 sips of my wine and had eaten a good breakfast so I know there is no reason for the churning in my tummy...gosh, could it be the flu coming on??? No, not that quickly!! Now my head is feeling rather strange, dizzy one might say. If you know me that is not unusual (big grin here) Back to the tummy dealy....I am not feeling well and decide to leave the top of the boat where the fresh air is and lay down in the aft cabin....BIG MISTAKE WHEN ONE HAS MOTION SICKNESS! YEP..........That is what I was dealing with. First time in many, many years. So, my daughter's friend is a doctor and he is explaining to me I need to NOT lay down but sit outside, watching something that is NOT moving...yeah, right, when you are on a moving boat what is not moving??? Okay, fair enough...the horizon seems to be stable so I try to focus on that being the good sport that I am:):) THAT DID IT.....I shall not go into detail but let it be known that the waters of the San Francisco bay and my face made more contact that I would have preferred as I leaned over the side of the boat and....well......I think you may have the picture and it is NOT a pretty one!!!! I now consider many fish groups and seals in the bay my new dear friends, we got kinda up close and personal:-) Dr. Dave brought me some ginger ale and I did my best to "hang" with the group but by the time the fireworks show began I was oohing and aahing to the "beat of a different drummer" wanting desperately to return to our dock and the comfort of my cabin.

I shall not forget this July 4th nor shall I want to return to our boat soon which I now refer to as that "demon".... I told my hubby, it will be a cold day in H#LL before I board this ocean floating menacing vessel!!!!! I believe mentally he believes that will happen sooner, rather than later...ahhhh, men and their toys! Peace to all and don't forget to Hug Life, even when the CHOPPY WATERS get ya:) Marylou

~WONDERFUL 2 B HOME:)~

Remember that famous line from "The Wizard of Oz"...."there is no place like home".........Well, I am so feeling that! Mind you, the wedding was a BEAUTIFUL fairytale, the bride resembled Cinderella and the groom a look-a-like Prince Charming....and some of the guests reminded me of those little fellas, the munchkins, or maybe those lolipop kids??? I digress.......everything was wonderful but it was a long celebration. So many parties... and I do believe some parties were parties to celebrate other parties??? Upon reflecting upon this I have come to the conclusion that I am simply getting older...(ouch).... and the "parties" are becoming harder for me to enjoy as I crawl out of bed at 6:00 in the morning, hair askew, drool on my pillow, to only ask my hubby..."where do we have to be today and at what time???" WOW...what a pretty picture I must have been, poor hubby:(

I am only kidding cause that is what I do...some call it sarcastic conversation but I rather like to think of it as "the truth"......(big smile here) The truth is the wedding was truly wonderful with much love, jubilance & regalement embracing the ballroom!!!!! A day I shall remember for a lifetime as I gazed upon the pride and joy on my son's handsome face!!

I am off today to board a sail boat that shall take me out to the middle of the San Francisco Bay to anchor and wait for dusk so we can look at sparkling thingies up in the sky....no, not the stars....fireworks. Why do I put myself in these positions???? Cause the word NO is not in my vocabulary...ask my sis, Giovanna......I know she is smiling upon reading this, if she is reading this:) I have not gotten to the wedding pics yet, see...as a well known procrastinator I can simply explain I had to prepare for this boat venture and the sparkling thingies in the sky:):) I shall post the photos asap:) Just had to keep ya all posted and in the loop. I do want to wish everyone a very Happy 4th of July and please say a prayer for me as I twist my neck and contort my body to glance at fireworks that took me 12 hours to prepare for and may last a total of 5 minutes:) AHHHHHH....the pleasures of life and pomp and circumstance! Peace to all and Hug Life.....Marylou