Liebster Award - For Me? I want to thank all the people that made this possible . . . heh?

Thank you David, from the always smart and always acerbic Brits in the USA. He makes me laugh out loud and get a jealous-boner most every time I read his blog. Damn him and his creative mind.

The Questions and My Answers 

1. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
St. Paul, Minnesota

2. WHERE ARE YOU LIVING NOW?
Minneapolis, Minnesota (I'm very exotic and world-traveled)

3. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Pacific Blue

4. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED
The Great Gatsby - theatre
Love, Marilyn - television

5. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
I've been reading Anna Karenina FOREVER. Love it, but can't seem to finish it.

6. THE POWER GOES OUT. IT WILL BE OUT FOR SEVERAL HOURS. WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOURSELF?
Light a million candles and pretend.

7. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Morning Joe - MSNBC

8. GREATEST STRUGGLE AS A WRITER
Ideas. Ideas haunt me. When I have to do anything creative it's just painful. Once the idea hits it is a breeze. I wish I knew why. Or I don't want to know why.

9. WHAT IS THE ONE BOOK YOU THINK EVERYONE SHOULD READ?
Look Homeward Angel, Thomas Wolfe. Even though I think everyone should read lots and lots of F. Scott Fitzgerald.

10. IF YOU COULD BE ONE OF THE GREEK GODS WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
I would love to be Bia - Goddess of Force, but truthfully, I'm more like Eris - Goddess of Discord.

11. WEIRDEST THING YOU'VE EVER BEEN TOLD BY A FORTUNE COOKIE
There are no heads harder than empty ones.


SEVEN RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME

1. I recently read 7 things you should know by age 50. I knew not one of them.
2. I ogle men like a man ogles women. Is this weird?
3. I joke about being annoying, yet fear this to be true.
4. I cry a lot. I don't think this is weird. It makes people uncomfortable. Why is that?
5. I am bossy beyond. I work on this always.
6. I drink bourbon.
7. If I could go back to school again, I'd study anthropology.


My Nominees....

I'm still thinking who I should bestow!


Here are the rules for the Inspirational Liebster Blogger Award:

1. Display logo in your blog to show you've been nominated.
2. Link back to your nominator.
3. Share 7 things about yourself.
4. Nominate 7 other bloggers for the award.
5. Notify your nominees.

James Gandolfini

The things I take pleasure in, I can't do.
~Tony Soprano

Actor James Gandolfini Dies

I inhaled the Soprano series via Netflix the summer I left my wasband. I had a tiny apartment in the Twin Cities and, at that time, didn't watch much TV. I sat in a large green chair in my tiny living room and watched episode after episode that summer. Drinking either iced coffee or rum and cokes, depending on my mood and the time of day.

There are certain actors that enthrall. Certain actors that when you discover them in the credits, you sit up and anticipate their arrival on the screen.

So sorry for his family. So sorry for us.

Just in Time for Summer - SUMMER!

It's gorgeous. It's lovely. It's A+mazing. It is everything I want. And everything I need.

It rains some days. Long soaking rains that, even though they bring down tons of leaves and mini-branches from that f-ing cottonwood tree next door, (the biggest tree in my first-ring town out of Minneapolis) wash everything clean and shiny and frankly, feed my slightly morose side that loves gray, dreary days. Nothing wrong with a little dreary permission to feed that side for a minute.

But then out breaks the sun. The lovely sun. Flooding the sky, the yard, my hair - flooding good moods all around here.

I've been working on a bit of flowers around the Chez Emerson (yeah, me!) and enjoying how lovely their wet and droopy little heads look in the early morning and how proud and tall they are in the early afternoon.

I work on filling pots just out of George's reach; beyond the gated area of our yard. He cries with his ball in his mouth. He wants me to throw that ball a million times and then a million and one just because. I'm certain the neighbors think I'm killing him. He moans and wails - you've never heard such a din.

I run to Target to buy a few things and laugh out loud when I get to my car because I'm driving with the top down and get to simply throw everything through the roof. Who wouldn't love doing that? I drive around with my new summer hat and braid my hair so I can comb it later. Who cares about hair right now? It's a horrible mess, but I don't give a rat's ass. Well, maybe that rat does, but I sure don't. It's bad hair; I don't want to fight it.

I grill with Pup - yes, of course, that's me! Heh. We eat on the patio. We talk about the grandbaby that is coming. We talk about the next couple of months. We stare into space and daydream.

Yes, it's just in time.

btw - It's Paul McCartney's birthday! Hey Jude you dude.

Boys of Summer

Brian Dozier

Apologies . . .

. . . or not!

Tequila and Love

We've been  home from our family vacation for a few weeks now.

Daisies!

Sitting area in our lovely room. 

Important poolside reading. 

Views from room. 

Lobby

Pup got us the most beautiful room we've ever had. We were directly on the beach and were right above the little pergola where people were married every day. About five weddings on the beach every day we were there. I'm kinda estimating. There was a gorgeous setting off of the lobby where ceremonies were held as well.

The week was full of the usual shenanigans that accompany being away from home with endless amounts of free alcohol at your disposal. I won't mention any names, but one of us (could have been me) drank too much during the day at the pool and when she went back to her large and lovely room she swayed and tilted a bit in the shower wondering to herself, "Am I going to do the Mexico in Mexico?" Code for unbecoming behavior. She recovered enough to go to dinner with no ill effects. Score! Ha!

Hanging out with our kids was the best ever. We got to know the boys so much better. I'm in love with everyone in our family. We are so charming!

The boys, and sometimes the girls, played catch in the pool, we floated in the pool, we sunned ourselves like turtles by the pool.

We would get gussied up and go to dinner every night. We walked along the beach in the gorgeous dark, we did shots at the outdoor disco-like area. Even Pup did a shot or two. We laughed.

Our little grandbaby, safe in his momma (yes, it's a boy!) had a fantastic time as well. I hope Bella didn't find the rest of us too obnoxious. I'm certain she did a little bit.

When can I go back?

For No Apparent Reason . . .

. . . Kurt Russell in Tequila Sunrise . . .

After all, it is summer.

For No Apparent Reason . . .

. . . let's have a white glove day . . .