Martini Musings

  Where did the day Gogh???   See what I did there? I’m certain that my brilliant followers realize that I probably went to the immersive Van Gogh exhibit and if so, they would be right! A trip to the convention center in downtown Louisville was planned back in July, but thanks to my Covid, it had to be postponed. The exhibit ends this weekend and we were able to exchange our tickets for a day that worked for everyone and today was the day. When I first saw this advertised, I knew I wanted to go. I love art but I must admit I didn’t know a lot about Van Gogh. The commercials were fantastic and it looked like an experience not to be missed. The fact is I recognize some famous pieces of art, but I am not the person you want to ask about any art history or technique. I asked the troops around here if they wanted to go and everyone was on board. We loaded up the car to head out today…a big day since we can’t always get together to do somewhere as a group and sometimes, i...

  Are You Ready? Okay, for those of you who can’t handle talk about death, go ahead and shut this down. My Dad hates talking about wills, death, final wishes, and my Mom is very open about it. I have always felt comfortable discussing the topic. Usually, the topic was about my parents. Things are changing and now, and I am hoping to be prepared. No, I’m not prepared to die…in fact I hope to live a long while, but when I do die, I want to have my affairs in order so that my only child will be able to manage things easily and without throwing her hands up in the air, rolling her eyes or cursing my grave! Now, I have helped a few people along the way get their Power of Attorney, Living Will, and Last Will & Testaments. I bragged about myself using the line, “Preparing people for the end of life, one will at a time.” Even our small business, Happy Houser Tours & Events was prepared to help with funeral planning if someone wanted something a little less traditional (like I wou...

  Let’s Catch Up…   It’s been a minute since I last gave any updates so thought today, I’d do just that! NAME CHANGE!!! Thanks to all of those who embraced my name change. Some of you sent me a screenshot of your phone contact update letting me know you were on board! Some of you sent notes and your comments on the blog post were awesome. I even received a personalized mouse pad…(picture below!) As I mentioned, it is no disrespect to my Houser family members, but I’m happy to be a Marcellino again! I’m almost done with the updates/changes (Whew!). BIRTHDAY TIME!!! My boys (Gabriel & Adrian) are celebrating birthdays next month! How can it be that my first-born grandson will be turning three and his baby brother will be one??? This year, Katie & Anthony are doing a joint party for them! We all know it won’t really matter to Adrian and Gabriel is planning things like popsicles (the theme of the party!) and party hats! There will be plenty of cake and lots of ...

  What’s In A Name?   I can tell you that for me, it’s a lot. Your identity, reputation, and legacy bear your name. Today, I’m excited to tell you all that my name is Lisa Marie Marcellino! I made the decision to go back to my maiden name and as of August 3, 2022, the judge made it official! Four years ago, when I was finalizing my divorce, my attorney asked me if I wanted to return to my maiden name. I did not hesitate for a minute…”No! I’ve been a Houser longer than I have been a Marcellino.” That was that. I realize now, that I was in no shape to make that decision at that time. It was a time of heartbreak and grief for me and I had so much sadness that I could not even think of changing my name. It seemed like it would invalidate my life as a wife/mother and family member to the Houser family. If I could go back and do it again, I’m still certain that I would say the same thing. That was not the time to make that decision. I’m glad I listened to my heart. As I ha...

  Oh the Weather Outside is… Frightful! Yes, my friends, in Eastern Kentucky, it is devastating. We aren’t too far out from the December tornadoes in Western Kentucky. It’s a terribly sad time in my Kentucky. Thanks to those who contacted us to see if we were okay. Fortunately, we are a few hours from any of the damaged areas, but when Kentucky is on the national news for something besides the Derby or Basketball, we hear from friends and family. Remember back in August, last summer, when the Afghan refugees were settling in Louisville? You all came through with donations in a big way for those people. Then the tornadoes hit the western side of Kentucky and my resources were limited but we shared what we had left with them. There were many generous people who did much more to help the storm victims. This flooding in the eastern part of the state is gut-wrenching. I never even heard of Neon, KY and now, they are literally gone. People have come out in full force to donate an...

  Worry? Me?     I grew up with a mom that was a worry-wart! Yep…she worried anytime we were not in her sight. She has worried about me for 64 years. “Call us when you get there.” “It’s going to be dark, why don’t you spend the night?” “Oh it’s raining. Wait for the storm to pass.” I have assured both of my parents that I have lights and wipers on my car and driving in the rain should be ok. Combine that with all of the children and grandchildren and now great-grandchildren in our family, she is in a constant state of worry. I wonder if it is genetic... Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s nice to know that someone worries about me, but I hate that in this time in her life, she still worries. I’m pretty sure I can’t change that. As a mom and grandma myself, I get it. I can’t control much, but I can worry. Fortunately, I know that Katie & Anthony are taking good care of those babies & Katie & Anthony are taking good care of each other. But I do still worry. ...

  Look Who’s Back! The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of activity! Here’s a recap for those who may have missed it. On June 22, I headed to Pittsburgh to babysit for my two grandsons while Katie and Anthony took a trip to the Canadian Rockies. They had a great time and I am so glad that I was able to help them out. But, I do think I may have had my younger self in mind when I said yes! Each day was an adventure, and I wrote most of it on Facebook, but here are a few things I learned. Things I learned at Camp CeCe… 1.       Daily activities with a two-year-old don’t take long. So, if you start it at 8am, be prepared to be finished before 9am. You need lots of backup activities. Even though I thought Gabriel was advanced, he is still two and his attention span for most anything other than cars is fairly short. 2.     A snack bag is like magic! Gabriel learned that there were all kinds of treats in the snack bag and when it was ti...