La Sposa

We will be 3

2007-05-09T02:16:00.000-07:00

So, the big big update today is that we found out that...

SALVATORE will be joining us all in the celebration!

That's right!

It's a BOY!!!! A BOY!!! A BOY!!!

So, Mimmo, myself, and Salvatore will be seeing y'all very soon! :-)

Invites are out...

2007-05-06T00:54:00.000-07:00

Dearest friends and families,

By now, you will have all received your messages in a bottle :-). We are getting so excited to see you all so soon and CELEBRATE!!!

Wanted to update here with some new information. Again, please feel free to email me with any questions you may have: lislac@hotmail.com.

AIRPORTS:

The 2 closest airports to Berkeley are:

1) Oakland International Airport (OAK)

2) San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

I've added a link to the right to reach the OAK & SFO websites.

DIRECTIONS TO THE BERKELEY MARINA & PARKING:

I've also added a link to the right where you can download and print out directions.

The Berkeley Marina is located behind the Doubletree Hotel just off of Marina Boulevard

From Eastbound 1-80

Take the University Avenue exit. Stay right and go straight under the overpass (follow signs to 4th Street/Marina). Make a right onto Hearst Street. Make a right on 6th Street. Make a right on University Avenue. Follow University Avenue over the freeway towards the water. Veer right onto Marina Boulevard. The Doubletree Hotel will be on your left.

From Westbound I-80

Take University Avenue exit. Make a left onto University Avenue. Veer right onto Marina Boulevard. The Doubletree Hotel will be on your left.

From the South Bay

Take 880 North. Exit to 980. Then take 580 West towards San Francisco. Veer right onto I-80 East towards Berkeley. Then follow directions from Eastbound I-80.

ITINERARY:

12:45 pm - 01:00 pm Board at Doubletree Hotel Guest Dock, Berkeley Marina
01:00 pm - 01:30 pm Dockside Ceremony on Sun Deck
01:30 pm - 04:15 pm Cruise on the San Francisco Bay with drinks, lunch, & dancing
04:15 pm - 04:30 pm Dock and Disembark at Berkeley Doubletree Guest Dock, Berkeley Marina

MEAL REQUESTS:

Please let me know if you need a vegetarian meal as soon as possible as I can request this with Hornblowers.

ABOUT THE EMPRESS HORNBLOWER:

The Empress Hornblower is a 100-foot motor yacht, built in Freeport, Florida in 1988 and refitted in 1990. Her exterior is reminiscent of a turn of the century Paddle Wheel Riverboat while her interior provides the elegant amenities of a luxurious hotel or banquet room. Empress Hornblower is equipped with the rich woods and shining brass typical of Hornblower's Yachts. Her two interior decks feature mahogany bars, chandeliers, wall sconces, hardwood dance floors and plush carpeting, as well as a fully equipped galley where all meals are prepared fresh by Hornblower's talented chefs. Her promenade deck and expansive sun deck, complete with bar and awning, enable guests to enjoy sun-filled afternoons and starlight evenings. Guests are seated at tables graced with white linens, china and brass lantern centerpieces.

See you all soon!

xo,
Lisa, Mimmo, & the growin' sweet potato

We're Coming!

2007-03-18T03:09:00.000-07:00

Well, dear family & friends, we are on our way soon!

For those of you who don't know, La Sposa began as my chronicling of being an American bride in Italy through all the stages of pre-wedding planning. It then became our photo album to share with everyone far away our 2 nuptials - Italian/Catholic and Greek/Orthodox. Now, with La Sposa, I will try to include as much info for our California Wedding Cruise on June 10, 2007:

1) Travel - For those of you that will be travelling to Berkeley, I have included links to the right of places to stay in Berkeley. I also included all the budget search engines, as sometimes they're the more economical route to go when booking. Please feel free to email me with any questions at lislac@hotmail.com.

2) Registry - As Mimmo & I are currently living in Italy, we will not have a wedding registry, as I have not been able to find an international one. If this changes, I will update the blog here to let you know.

3) The BIG news - For those of you that don't know, we are PREGNANT! :-) So, on June 10th, I will be a 6-month pregnant, 3x married (in one year!) bride! We are looking forward to celebrating with you all! I started a new blog with all the pregnancy details at: http://calitalimamma.blogspot.com

See you all soon!!!

xo,
Lisa & Mimmo

June 10, 2007

2007-02-18T16:58:00.000-08:00

We're Coming!

Save the date for our California Wedding!

Sunday, June 10, 2007
aboard The Empress
with Hornblowers' Cruises
at the Berkeley Marina
in Berkeley, CA

More details to follow!

*Image by permission of artist Jennifer Davis. "Mississippi". http://www.jenniferdavisart.com

Nesting Part 2

2006-11-02T11:59:00.000-08:00

I am resting. A lot in these days. And, so's Mimmo even though he's working a lot more than me right now. Our new home is very comfortable. I've just started venturing into cooking meals for the family. Had Gilda, Tullio, & Salvatore over last weekend and cooked spaghetti with octopus for the first time (octopus that Mimmo caught!) and they claimed it was "buono!". Today, I had Teresa, the twins, & Stefania over for lunch and roasted chicken with potatoes, made spaghetti with crabs, and carciofi (articokes) alla romana. So, I guess you could say that I'm nesting.

I need to be writing more, but La Sposa seems to be coming to an end here and it's time to open up a new blog. I started one before La Sposa that I never formatted. Look for a link to come!

The view from our new home

Reflections...

2006-11-02T11:34:00.000-08:00

There are many, but I feel as if I missed sharing a very important one and that is the incredible gratitude that I feel toward my dear testimonia/soul sister/woman (uh, matron sounds so wrong) of honor J.

Jill and I have been through a lot together and being with me as I went through the wedding process was an intense one. So, to Jill, thank you for always being by my side and staying on the ride even when it got bumpy. For giving me so much encouragement, reminding me to take good care, and to stay in my truth. I would not have been able to make it through without you, my dear friend.

Jill & I at Emilio's February 2005

Jill & I in Bacoli September 2006

On the edge of the world...

2006-11-02T11:21:00.000-08:00

...at least, that’s what it felt like being on that spot with the sun going down…

Il Cielo 2

2006-11-02T11:17:00.000-08:00

The sky that day.

Emilio's

2006-11-01T23:49:00.000-08:00

Although we didn't get married there nor have our reception there (which were the original plans), we took some of our pictures there. It truly is an eden.

Down by the Water

2006-10-27T17:39:00.000-07:00

The day of our Greek wedding we were blessed with what my sister deemed "magic lighting". So, it was off to the port once more and these are the best of the best (and what has taken me so long to sort through...because when you have "magic lighting" and Elena Maria LaCuesta behind the camera, there's not a bad picture in the bunch.)

Another Cake Cutting

2006-10-27T01:46:00.000-07:00

From the streets of Napoli to Baia

2006-10-26T06:28:00.000-07:00

Mimmo and I headed to Baia, our new town, with everyone following once more to eat it up!

You're Greek, now, honey...

2006-10-25T03:58:00.000-07:00

Moms

2006-10-25T03:54:00.000-07:00

Us with our Mammas.

Part 3

2006-10-25T03:47:00.000-07:00

The walk together, united as husband and wife. 3 times around the altar.

Part 2

2006-10-25T03:38:00.000-07:00

The second part is when we drink together from a chalice of wine. The chalice represents our life together. Theo Ioanna and Theo Milton gave us as an engagement gift this beautiful silver chalice with our names engraved. It took us awhile to drink it all because the priest was short and when he gave it to me, only a few sips would reach. I remember Mimmo saying "Buono!," after he tasted it.

The 3 Main Parts: Part 1

2006-10-25T03:27:00.000-07:00

So, there are 3 main parts to the Greek Wedding. The first is being "stefana-ed" (I just made that word up) which is the crowning. Elena made our crowns which were beautiful. A mix of seashells and decorations, joined together by a type of nautical rope instead of a traditional ribbon. Very special and very fitting of Mimmo and I. She was the koumbara, which meant that she blessed us 3 times by crossing the crowns 3 times and placing them atop our heads.

Beautiful Church

2006-10-25T03:12:00.000-07:00

It's a tiny church, but incredibly beautiful and perfect for an intimate celebration like ours.

The Arrivals...

2006-10-25T02:59:00.000-07:00

There were 11 of us total at the Greek wedding (including Papa Giorgos), but we still rolled out the red carpet...

What I remember that morning...

2006-10-24T12:39:00.000-07:00

Coming down the stairs of our new apartment (we're on the 3rd floor) and seeing the signore sticking their heads out the window, looking down on me and shouting "auguri!".

Trying to find a parking space in downtown Naples.

Waiting as Mimmo parked the car and a tourist bus passed me by with heads sticking out the window. I waved to them.

Waiting in front of this shop as my sister got her film together and people walked by and took pictures of me with their cellphone cameras.

1 down, 2 to go...

2006-10-24T12:20:00.000-07:00

Wednesday morning, September 27th we were getting ready for our second wedding. This time in Napoli at the Greek Orthodox Church. Needless to say, I was way more relaxed this day. My sister made a bouquet out of some of the flowers I'd received from the 1st wedding, She also did my hair and loaned me her beautiful veil that she had made and wore the day she was married. Mimmo and I both got ready at the house and drove together in our little corsa. Jill took this pics when they were behind us on the road to the church. That's Castel dell'Ovo in the background...

Recovering or should I say the one-day pause...

2006-10-23T06:32:00.000-07:00

We're still doing this. I just went to return a dvd today and Gilda, one of the owners of the shop asked me if I was working alot right now. Nope. "Still on the luna di miele?," she asked. Yep. Our honeymoon has been about taking as much down time as possible since we didn't get a chance to get away yet. Between the Italian and the Greek wedding, we had a one-day pause which we all spent at the wine bar, Capo Blu, sleeping..I mean, celebrating...Theo George cracks me up...

The end of the night...

2006-10-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

Mimmo and I were about to pass out by the time it got to the 1st dance (which came at the end of the night!). We made it through and passed out the confetti to the aunts and uncles as Theo George, Tullio, & Elena showed us how they really felt after all that food and dance...

The Cake

2006-10-22T11:25:00.000-07:00

After 11 courses (it was a neapolitan wedding after all!), we got to the 12th which was the cake! Mimmo and I ate my gluten-free one when we got home and damn, was it good!

Yes, of course we Greek danced...

2006-10-22T11:11:00.000-07:00

How could I not? Theo George even led!

The Band

2006-10-21T23:20:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing Neapolitan band for the wedding. Everybody was on the dance floor.

Me & Zia Pina

2006-10-21T23:02:00.000-07:00

Zia Pina is my favorite Zia. She's 83 years old and goes to the gym everyday! She's from Naples and she reminds me that it's ok to go against the grain, just be you, and not care what other people I think. I love this woman and am so glad she's in my life right now!

More Family

2006-10-21T02:10:00.000-07:00

Mimmo with his cousin-in-law (?) Carmella

Mimmo with his sister, Teresa

Mimmo's dad, Salvatore

Me with my in-laws, Salvatore and Gilda

Mimmo with his cousin, Salvatore and Theo George

The Entrance

2006-10-21T01:59:00.000-07:00

When we entered the restaurant, they had the italian music flowing and a flower-adorned tray of prosecco glasses to greet us. I don’t know what kind of face Mimmo’s making there?

Waiting

2006-10-21T01:51:00.000-07:00

We made it back to the reception and were told to wait outside until they were ready to announce us. We had enough time to get a toast in with my sister and brother-in-law.

Supermercato Idea

2006-10-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

While we were sitting outside at Bar Pina, the owners of the supermarket across the street called out to us "Venite, venite!," (come here, come here!). I guess Gli Sposi bring good luck to a business if we pay them a visit, so I was told...pretty funny stuff...

La Sposa con cafe...

2006-10-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

Well, we needed to stop and get a cafe. Yes, it feels a bit like an Illy commercial, no? :-) 3rd pic is with Enrico, our local barista at Bar Pina and the 4th is us waving at all the people as they passed by and shouted "auguri!"

Our Attempt

2006-10-17T10:01:00.000-07:00

We finally "opened" the buffet and skipped out of there, prosecco in hand, to try and take some shots by the water. But, it was becoming nighttime and already was a stormy (or as Winnie the Pooh would say, "blustery" day). But, the blue is still nice though...

The Buffet

2006-10-17T09:55:00.000-07:00

This one's for Matt...

The Pics

2006-10-16T23:58:00.000-07:00

The tradition here is that the bride and groom open the buffet before skipping out to take pics. So, Mimmo & I were one of the first to arrive at the reception and found ourselves with ample waiting time and losing light. So, my sister got right to work and pointed out places outside the restaurant where she wanted to take some pictures. Here's some of the winners...

Il Cielo

2006-10-16T06:40:00.000-07:00

The sky that day looked like this:

In the Car

2006-10-16T01:37:00.000-07:00

When we got into the car is probably when I really started to relax and truly enjoy the moment. When the car pulled down to the end of the street, 2 of the shopkeepers - Pina, who is my DVD woman and Russo and his wife who own the gas store - both threw petals, rice, and candy at our car. In the car was Mimmo's nephew (also named Mimmo) who was our driver and my sister up front with the camera.

Here we go....

2006-10-16T01:23:00.000-07:00

I love this pic with Jill, Kristine, & Nora in the background.

A sea of family and friends rushing to give their "auguri" and kisses.

Mimmo and Zia Nunzia.

Me surrounded by some of my favorite aunts and cousins (aquisiti - most of whom are married into the family)

Mimmo with his cousin, Salvatore.

And now presenting...

2006-10-16T00:54:00.000-07:00

After the ceremony & the signing, I remember walking down the aisle and a bunch of elderly women applauding for us from the pews. In Italy, as it also is in Greece and I'm sure many other parts of the world, everyone in the town is technically invited to your wedding in the church. There was one of the women who came from the pew to embrace and kiss us with all her force. She was quite off her rocker, bless her. She followed us outside afterwards as well and as Don Carmine was "presenting us" outside for pics, she kept shouting out as us many different forms of "auguri" (congratulations) which kept us laughing. Last pic is of her on the left.

The Final Blessing and Signing

2006-10-15T02:28:00.000-07:00

We made it through the questions & the small-print vows (which Mimmo's eyes were straining to read) to our final blessing which was very beautiful. On to the signing of the book with our testimonie.

And the million dollar question is...

2006-10-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

There were parts of our ceremony where I felt like a game show contestant. Don Carmine suprised Mimmo and I both by asking a question of us. I was in such a surreal state, so I'm unsure if I understood him right. Basically, I think he said "Usually the priest gives a homily, but I thought that I would let you both speak," (insert Lisa panicking "What! No. He's not serious, right? Oh god, and he has a microphone!") He went on to say that many people that we loved were not able to make it that day and what would we leave behind for them corresponding to our theme of love? The mic was placed in front of Mimmo first (Thank GOD!) and he answered "joy, peace, serenity..." blah, blah, blah, I can't remember. It was a good answer. I stole the first part and echoed his "joy, peace," and I think I added a new word and then I said I would leave many thanks to all those who were teachers for me and couldn't be here today. I remember hearing Mimmo's dad say something and his mom and brother shushing him and immediately I thought "Oh shit, I didn't understand the question right. I gave the wrong answer. I just made a fool out of myself at my wedding in front of all these Italian people,".

Then when it came time for the rings, again, in a very Alex Trebeck or "Let's Make a Deal" way, Don Carmine presented the rings with a question...yes, if you answer this right, you two can take these rings and wear them for the rest of your lives. The question was "Look at these rings very closely. Where do they begin and where do they end?," Oh, I know, I know! Again, mic was placed in front of Mimmo first (why?! i was ready!) who said very matter-of-factly, pointing to the ring "Well, it begins here and ends there." BEEP. Wrong. Try again. Don Carmine went into an explanation of how they did not begin or end, they were eternal and at the end of his speech, he said "Ok, let's see if you're a little more awake now...which hand do we wear the ring on?," We both showed our left hand. Ding, ding, ding ding. We got it right. Then he had to ask "And, why do we wear it on our left hand?," Mammamia. Stumped again. Ummm....As we didn't know the answer and no one in our bridal party knew, Don Carmine posed the question to the congregation. As no one could answer, he asked us all to make a fist with our left hand and then to slowly, one-by-one, starting with the pinky finger, straighten out each finger. The ring finger is the most awkward to straighten out because that's our most vulnerable finger. Allora, that is why we wear it on that finger,

The good news is, even though we kinda sucked at playing, he gave us the rings and we got to do our vows anyway. :-)

The Readings

2006-10-12T03:53:00.000-07:00

Tulio, Mimmo's youngest brother did our first reading from 1 Corinthians 13, followed by Pippo (the ex-mayor of Monte di Procida) of the Psalms and Don Carmine read from the Gospels John 2:1-11 (which is also read in the Greek Orthodox ceremony).

La Ceremonia

2006-10-12T03:01:00.000-07:00

Our wedding ceremony was a mix of cultures and again, many suprises. Don Carmine wore an Orthodox stole (epitrachelion) and led a different kind of procession where he went down the aisle with incense just like the Greek priest did at our Greek wedding. We had a unity candle which was an American import. And, we did not have the traditional Catholic mass for our wedding as I could not take communion. Instead we had many many blessings...

A Neapolitan Church Entry

2006-10-11T13:06:00.000-07:00

Napoli, for those of you that don't know, is a a city full of beauty and chaos. Such was also my entrance into the wedding ceremony. Don Carmine explained to us before that Mimmo would wait halfway down the aisle for me. Don Carmine would enter at the beginning of the church with the flower girl and ring bearer, behind them would be myself and my mother and then behind us would be my bridesmaids. Huh? I found it confusing before and even more confusing then as quickly Don Carmine said as we entered "Le damigelle?," who were behind me as he instructed now that they should be in front of me. But, it was already too late. The music was going, Don Carmine said "Va bene" and off we went. The expressions on Don Carmine and Jill's face speak volumes to the experience. Most of what I remember is that my mother was crying as she walked me down and several voices told Mimmo that he needed to take my veil off from my face. I remember feeling a deep sense of relief when Mimmo took my hand and we walked down the aisle together. We were in the beauty and chaos together.

My Girls

2006-10-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

I was incredibly lucky to have Jill, Kristine, and Nora by my side that day. Jill was a true testimonia. She really went on the full ride with me, witnessing (and supporting me in) everything. Kristine came all the way out from N.Y. the day before the wedding and left the day after! And, I couldn't have imagined getting married without having Nora (who has been on this Italian ride with me since we met 3 years ago in Sicily) next to me. I also want to say that I felt the presence and support from so many of you who couldn't be there that day.

Manuela was born to be a flower girl and took her role very seriously :-). I am so happy to be her Zia.

Btw, my sister (who was plenty busy behind the camera) really shared the role of Matron of Honor with Jill. I can't even begin to explain the magic that my sister made happen, including getting these bouquets done for them the day of the wedding! My sister is pretty incredible.

Allora...le belle damigelle...

Tradition

2006-10-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

My wedding day was full of unknowns for me, especially the traditions in Monte di Procida. I say Monte di Procida because I don't know if these traditions are the same in Napoli or Italy. No one explained to me before or after, so I still don't know their significance, but here they are...

Outside the home of Lo Sposa and also La Sposa (in this case, I got ready at my sister-in-law, Teresa's house), there is a ribbon that is tied. Before leaving for the church, Mimmo and his mother and myself and my mom exit the house and untie the ribbon together. Flower petals, money, and candy is thrown at us.

Another tradition is that the mother of lo sposa buys my bouquet. Before she leaves to go to the church, she and her husband come to my house and present the bouquet to me. Also, Mimmo's brothers and sisters and my mother and father-in-law send me huge bouquets of flowers to my house.

I don't have the pics of my mom and I untying the ribbon, but below are the ones of Mimmo and also when his parents came to present the bouquet to me at Teresa's.

La Famiglia

2006-10-11T11:47:00.000-07:00

Mimmo's family represents the masculine contingent (3 brothers and his dad), while mine is definetley all estrogen (my mama and my sis). Together now, we are 5 men and 5 women.

Lo Sposo e La Sposa Glam Shots

2006-10-11T01:15:00.000-07:00

Here's a sampling of some of our solo shots...

Yia Yia's with me...

2006-10-09T07:14:00.000-07:00

My grandmother couldn't make it all the way to Italy, but I got to carry a very special piece of her with me on my wedding day. Thanks to my Thea Ioanna who went through her jewelry to find this. I wore Yia Yia's pearl necklace that she wore the day she was married. It was extremely touching to have it on me.

Getting ready

2006-10-09T06:37:00.000-07:00

Mimmo and I both forgot something the morning of our wedding. Mimmo forgot cufflinks and I forgot my coprispalle (the shrug to cover my shoulders in the church) at the cleaners. But, just like my experience in the theater, things do come together...Tulio went to Teresa's and grabbed cufflinks from Aniello and my mom loaned me her scarf and she wore Nora's. Of course, la sposa takes a bit more time to get ready than lo sposo. Allora...there's a bit more of me here....

The Night Before

2006-10-09T06:23:00.000-07:00

Mimmo and I met up at Bar Pina and went on a vespa ride to Aquamorta where we walked the pier. We came back to Bar Pina where Jill was waiting. Unbeknowst to both of us, Jill took these pics.

The Views

2006-10-09T06:11:00.000-07:00

The views from Emilio's are spectacular...

Food Preview

2006-10-09T06:07:00.000-07:00

The day before our wedding we did a food preview for my family with a proper pranzo della domenica at Emilio's. Theo George couldn't get over the amount of food...but, he didn't know that this would be nothing compared to our reception. This of course is just a sampling, but what you see is octopus, breaded mussels, and homemade pasta with clams.

Meet the Family

2006-10-09T06:04:00.000-07:00

Here's some days before pics with my dear california clan...oh, how i miss you guys and oh, what fun we had!

And, we danced....

2006-10-02T13:15:00.000-07:00

Oh, did we eva....

Aaahh, nesting...

2006-10-02T12:48:00.000-07:00

Mimmo is making dinner in our new place as I write this from our new phone line (DSL to come...they said in 10 days :-) Vediamo...

So, we got through 2 weddings in 2 days last week and many many beautiful photos to sort through by my talented, lovely sister. These two I thought were really interesting because they seem to represent the 2 cultures - the first one being from out Italian wedding and the second being from our Greek one...I told Mim, "You even look more Greek in the second one," :-).

I have many stories to share with y'all, but need some time to just let it all seep in...

For now...here's just the first glimpses...

Outside at the Reception of our Italian Wedding, September 25, 2006

After our Greek Wedding at the Port of Aquamorta, September 27, 2006

Yes, I do take requests...

2006-08-30T06:41:00.000-07:00

Well, within reason, of course...:-)

This one's for Jamie, cuz he asked...

"The Good Ship Mimmo" as Matt (who took this pic) coined it...

Buon Ferragosto!

2006-08-15T21:55:00.000-07:00

Today is Ferragosto or the Assumption Day (the day that the Catholics celebrate the Virgin Mary going up to heaven). In Italy, it's one of the biggest holidays of the year (probably only second to Pasqua) and it's also the occasion to eat A LOT of food! Gilda, my mother-in-law, made a reservation for the whole family to have our Ferragosto lunch today at La Polena, where we'll have the reception. I was really suprised by how beautiful it was and am so excited to be celebrating our wedding there.

Mimmo with his parents, Salvatore and Gilda

Manuela, Mimmo's niece and my flower girl

I'm laughing because Tulio had to take 3 pics to get to this one

Tulio, Mimmo's youngest brother and Teresa, Mimmo's sister

Antonio, Mimmo's brothers that lives in New Jersey, and the twins, Salvatore and Manuela (Teresa's kids)

The Whole Russo Clan (well, almost... Rossano, Mimmo's other brother is in New Jersey and Teresa's husband is overseas for work)

Another day at sea

2006-08-13T01:08:00.000-07:00

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Today, my friends Melissa, Mario, & Romeo joined us on board for Romeo's first day on a boat! Che bella!

The last pic is a glimpse of Monte di Procida from the sea.

Can't Sleep

2006-08-09T21:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a really full day. Perhaps this is why I conked out so early and now I am up at the crack of dawn. So many of these past few days have been full, but yesterday was a bit of a preview for me of what my festa perhaps will consist of.

In Monte di Procida, the tradition is that when you are getting married, you go to each house of your invitees and hand deliver your invitations as a couple. Sometimes the sposo (the groom) can't partake in this because of work or more nowadays because he just doesn't want to, in which case, la sposa and her mother or mother-in-law go together. A large part of our wedding invitees are Mimmo's family (his father who's a Russo is one of 13 and his mother who's a Coppola is one of 6). Allora, Mimmo and I decided to go together on the vespa as this would be my first time meeting a lot of his aunts and uncles. We started with my favorite aunt, Zia Pina.

Zia Pina is married to Zio Umberto, a brother of Mimmo's dad. I love Zia Pina for a variety of reasons. Zia Pina is 10 years older then Zio Umberto. Zia Pina is a verace (real) Napoletana, meaning that she's not from Monte di Procida, but from the city of Napoli which is a whole 'nother story (think Danville vs. San Francisco or Long Island vs. The Bronx). Zia Pina and Zio Umberto adopted 2 girls and one of them had a daughter who just had a daughter. This granddaughter who now is a mom is very young...perhaps 16? And, so Zia Pina and Zio Umberto are pretty much raising their great-granddaughter together with their granddaughter as she's too young to understand the resposibilities of being a mom. Zia Pina dances. Zia Pina is 83 years old! Zia Pina rocks my world and I'm so glad she christened our delivering of the invitations by being first yesterday. "Am I invited? Really?," she joked.

Delivering these invitations was literally an entry into each and every household. All of them tried to offer us something to eat and/or drink ("No, thanks Zia Maria, really we've just had 5 coffees!"). Some of them showed me photographs; told me stories of Mimmo when he was young; and, asked un sacco di domande ( A LOT OF QUESTIONS) : Why did we choose "Sant'Anna" in Bacoli to do the weding? Why are we doing the reception at La Polena and not at Emilio's? Are we going to live here or in California? Are we planning to have kids right away? Do I understand Italian and dialect? What did I do for work? Am I catholic? What's the difference between Greek Orthodox and Catholic? How did we decided to invite the aunts and uncles and not the cousins? Do I like it here? Do I want another coffee?

This story about having kids is quite a funny one as I know, depending on how the question is asked, if what they're really trying to get at is "Are you pregnant?,". And, just for the record guys, because I know some of you have been thinking the same thing (you know who you are - mostly my own family :-), no, I'm not pregnant. I had to answer this question twice yesterday - once in front of Mimmo's whole family at lunch as Antonio, Mimmo's very blunt brother from New Jersey who just arrived, decided to ask me in a very loud and uncouth manner "So, what's the rush? are you guys gonna - boom - boom - boom start a family NOW?," as he pointed to his stomach and the rest of Mimmo's family stood still, waiting to hear the answer. Then when we went to Zia Velia and Zio Biagio's, Zia Velia said "Oh, well, now, this is a new thing. You guys never mentioned it when we saw you at the end of May. Had you decided then or had you just decided recently..." to which Mimmo replied "Lisa's not pregnant, Zia Velia, if that's what you're getting at," to which she was a bit embarrassed. We all just laughed it off and Zio Biagio smoothed it over by saying "Well, it would just be all the more beautiful if she was,". Uh, let me just get through getting married first, people! :-)

By 7:30 pm (we started around 3:00pm) we were almost finished. We just had 2 more Zias to go, but it was getting late and we decided to call it a night. So, today we'll finish the other 2 and I am off to the post office to mail the others to the states. The second part of the tradition is, instead of R.S.V.P.-ing ("What's that?," the guy asked me when I ordered the invitations) all the invitees come to your house to bring gifts, talk (ask more questions), have coffee, etc. and then they say whether they're coming or not. If you look at our invitation, you'll notice in the lower corners that there's 2 addresses - Mimmo's parents address is on the left and my mom's address is on the right. So, as soon as you get your invite, you better pop over to 916 Indian Rock and pay my mamma a visit - talk, ask loads of questions, drink lots of coffee, and say whether or not you'll make it not!

And, while I'm gushing...

2006-08-08T04:51:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to give a big shout out to my dear, beautiful, soul sister, kristini (that's what I call her, but she's Kristine, KK, Kuroiwa, etc.) who has a really thoughtful, touching, soul-searching, and REAL blogspot called kill the buddha (it's listed on my links under Kristini's blogspot). Have a look-see:

http://www.kill-buddha.blogspot.com

Kristine's blogspot was an inspiration for me to start my own to just write, write, write my way through the process to find and express my own truth...she is doing this!

Thank you, Kristini. You rock, my sista!!! Yes, Yes, Yes!!!

Thank you, emails, Thank you, phone calls, Thank you....

2006-08-07T23:55:00.000-07:00

Perhaps Tsilli will only get this...

Yes, I have the Alanis Morisette "Thank you" song running as I wrote the title. When Tsilli and I were packed up and driving cross-country together from our respective NY and Chicago lives, we started making up a song (as one is inclined to do on a cross-country road trip) to the tune of Alanis Morisette's very annoying "Thank you, India...blah, blah, blah..." song. It was a joke that never ceased to be funny for us...for instance, anything - really anything - could become inspirational for the song - again, you gotta sing it to the Alanis Morisette tune...

"Thank you, cornfields, Thank you, hippie towns, Thank you, thank you, Flagstaff, yeaaaahhhh"

I'm feeling very thankful as I woke up early and just got an encouraging email from my dear friend, Tsilli Pines, who is in the middle of her own stress of a big Portland move, knee-deep in boxes and new neighbors. But, Tsilli reminded me to keep my eye on the prize:mimmo; that all the concessions we're making for our families in the Italian wedding will give us room to make the Berkeley wedding all the more our own; to hang in there and remember that it's quite "INSANE" (as Tsilli wrote in all caps) to be planning a wedding in a couple of months, so I should cut myself some slack. And, she also said all kinds of sweet Tsilli things like how she wished she could be there with me to offer support, how they *really* wished they could be here for the real deal in Sept., etc which brings me to my thank you, song...

"Thank you, E-mails, Thank you, phone calls, Thank you, Thank you, good thoughts, yeaaaahhhh"

Really guys, even when y'all tell me that you wish you could be here to support me as I go through this, I can feel your support from over here and I am so grateful for it and for you all. It means so much to me to hear your encouraging words and even when there's been communication problems because of logisitical reasons, the attempt is just enough sometimes...like my Theo George who is trying to change his ticket so that he can come to my wedding here...even if he can't, it really is just the thought that counts and I'm deeply touched that you're even thinking of me, so THANK YOU.

Big love, Big Italian face squeeze, Big and grateful thoughts from me to you!!!

Sailing...takes me away....

2006-08-07T04:35:00.000-07:00

Mimmo and I have been having some r&r from wedding planning when we can on the boat...

"and when the wind is right you can sail away and find serenity". Sing it, Christopher Cross.

Carol took these pics last week...

I just cut my wedding invitations with nail clippers and other stories...

2006-08-06T15:34:00.000-07:00

I can't stop laughing.

I go from moments of having a nervous breakdown - crying uncontrollably to moments of laughing so hard that my stomach hurts.

It really is funny being la sposa.

Yes, as the title goes, I really did just complete cutting my wedding invitations with Mimmo's nail scissors. I got the reception invitations with the couple dancing the tarantella, but they didn't fit inside our main invitation. So, I've been really busy and I knew tonight I would have the time to cut the invitations. I talked to Jill as I did this, laughing at the appropriateness of the situation. I was telling Jill, "You know how in America, you can go to Kinko's at like any hour and they have one of those paper cutters? Those don't exist here.," I asked Mimmo tonight if when he stopped by his mom's, he could get some scissors from her. (Also, in Italy, everything is closed on a Sunday, so there was no option to buy some). Mimmo returned with a pair of very old scissors that were so loose, I couldn't cut straight. So I went to the bathroom and grabbed the teeny tiny nail scissors and just went to work. "Jill, can you believe I am cutting our invitations with nail scissors right now? I mean," I laughed "they're a bit crooked I think and this is gonna take me forever.," She laughed with me and said "It's totally appropriate. You're always gonna remember doing this."

Another thing I will always remember is my last nervous sposa breakdown which was 2 days ago in the middle of Naples. I went to pick up my veil and the women wouldn't let me try on my dress to see it all together. "We're *really* busy right now," she told me as she shoo-ed me out the door. It sucks in Italy because everything closes down in August, and in Naples, Friday was the last day that a lot of the shops were open before they closed to go on vacation for the rest of the month. So, as one might imagine, the shop people weren't in the best mood, trying to get as much done before they left on vacation. But, it was also really stressful for me to be dealing with them on this day as I was trying to get all the things I needed done before September. I left the veil shop and just burst into tears. I was in the middle of Naples on a busy street and this Signora came up to me and also an African woman very concerned. "What's wrong?," they asked. "Did someone steal something from you?," asked the Signora. I couldn't speak as I was in that tears/hyperventilating stage. The African woman hugged me. I heard the Signora whisper to her "Is she your friend?," and the African woman whispered back "No, I don't know her...?!" I just couldn't stop crying. The African woman gave me a tissue and said "Don't think bad thoughts,". The Signora said "You're young and you're beautiful,". I kept crying. I couldn't stop and people were looking at me. The Signora asked "What is it?,". I tried to talk through my embarrassing array of tears "I'm getting married..." She interrupted me and whispered low for dramatic effect "Oh, and, you've seperated?!" "No..." I knew I couldn't explain and I also knew that I just needed to cry. The African woman gave me a package of tissues and they both tried to say comforting things before they left me on my way. I called Mimmo immediately after and he kept trying to tell me to try not to stress myself out, that he was with me, that everything would be ok, etc. When I told him what just happened, I had to laugh at the scenario. "Only in Naples," he said.

Ok, I gotta get off this thing and on to bed. I talked to Leila tonight which was SO great!!! Yay!

Tomorrow, it's on to more invitation printing (yes, they're all cut now :-) and looking at gluten-free wedding cakes :-)

Yeeeeeehhhhhhhhhaaaaaaa.....

Buona notte, tutti. xo

Our Invitation

2006-08-05T02:20:00.000-07:00

The Main Invitation

Invite for the Reception (we haven't printed it yet, due to the venue change, but this is the image on the card)

Oh, I'm tired....

2006-08-03T19:18:00.000-07:00

I now realize why people go to Vegas...

Why almost every couple I've seen has the same idea in the beginning about how to do their wedding with the three S's:

Small
Simple
Special

And, how it turns into it's own animal with every single person having their own opinion; family members taking complete control of decisions, and the couple looking back as if a movie is being played before them of "This is Your Wedding: It No Longer Belongs to You". I've reached a point where I had to let go. I've reached a point where I had to have a good cry. I've reached a point where I realize that none of this is really important...the important thing is that at the end of a stressful day or moment or more appropriately WEDDING, Mimmo and I can look at each other and laugh, cry (me!), be upset (he!), and find understanding, compassion, love and consolation in each other. I love him, He loves me...that's what's important. I've reached a point today where my last request is...I just really need to dance on my wedding! I don't care anymore!

Of course I care, but I mean that at the end of the day (thank you, Nora Fitzgerald) maybe what remains small, simple, and special is just what we have. Let me all catch you up to speed:

Our original Small.Simple.Special idea: We have an outdoor wedding at Baia, Emilio's restaurant that he built overlooking the sea. We enjoy the view of the 2 islands, eat outdoors, dance, drink, and be merry with a small group of our closest friends and family. We do it in September which is one of our favorite months.

We have a celebration in San Francisco with the rest of my friends and family and some of Mimmo's f&f who are in the states and can't make it for the Italian wedding. We celebrate on a cruiser that goes around the s.f. bay with food, music, drinks, dancing, and spectacular views. We do it in May which is our other favorite month. (so far, this remains untouched and intact until I'm sure someone will try to break my balls about this too down the road...there's still time.).

Outcome: My mom is unhappy, Mimmo's mom is unhappy that we're not getting married in the church. Perhaps by the grace of their God, we find out in Monte di Procida that outdoor civil weddings are not allowed (as in much of the rest of italy) and that only the mayor (see Sant'Anna posting below) could marry us. We decide to get married in the Catholic Church in Bacoli with Padre Carmine (a cool priest). We have our reception at Emilio's.

The reaction: Mimmo's mom is thrilled we're getting married in the church. They're not so happy that we're doing the reception at Emilio's (refer to They're Breaking My Balls posting below). My mom is also happy we're getting married in the church vs. having a civil wedding, but now she wants us to ALSO get married in the Greek Orthodox Church. I actually went to Naples before she told me this (not like I didn't already know how she'd feel!) to talk to the priest there in the Greek Orthodox Church about getting married there or in the Catholic Church. I was hoping that we could have both priests do it together. This is not possible. He tells me that in Italy it's better to get married in the Catholic Church first and then the Greek Orthodox Church after. Otherwise, we'd still have to do a civil wedding first before getting married in the Greek Orthodox Church in Italy. Are you still with me? This is getting complicated!

The next step: Ok, we've decided that we'll get married in the Catholic Church in Bacoli, eat at Emilio's after. 2 days later, we'll go to Naples and have the Greek wedding with just our immediate families and go to a Greek taverna there after. We'll stick to our California plan for May. OH MY GOD, YES, WE'VE GONE FROM OUR SMALL.SIMPLE.SPECIAL WEDDING TO GETTING MARRIED 3 TIMES!

The ball-breaking: Emilio's. Emilio's. Emilio's. Emilio's is the only thing of ours that remains and the only thing that they're still trying to pull out from under our feet. We go yesterday to get the invitations made and Mimmo's mom calls me right before and says "Lisa, don't put the name of the restaurant on the invitation,". I will not even get into this story as it's too fresh and too complicated, but I really understood that the truth of the matter is, we really can't do the reception at Emilio's. I've let it go and just surrendered. Mimmo feels bad. Really bad. We spend last night with some friends, lamenting our wedding-planning woes and find Emilio there too. Mimmo feels really bad to tell him about our situation, but Emilio has already understood and gives us a recommendation for another restaurant that we could eat well, make a bella figura, and would still fit our style. Now all of the friends who were consoling us in the process decide to weigh in their opinions about where the other restaurant should be. Me: "It's getting late,". Mimmo: "Time to go home.". I'm sure they were still up in the piazza discussing it after we left.

Ok, PEOPLE, so some of you reading this ARE THESE PARENTS and some of you reading this ARE these wedding survivors. Can no one see what a ridiculous, I mean RIDICULOUS thing this becomes? I am yearning for a bi-lingual Dr. Phil right now (oh, mammamia, did I really just say that?) to whip everybody's asses into shape....

Now, I just want to dance on my wedding day.

They're Breaking My Balls

2006-08-01T16:25:00.000-07:00

"All I have in this world is my balls and my word, and I don't break 'em for no one, you understand?" - Scarface 18" Talking Action Figure

How many times a day do I hear these phrases in Italian?!...”rompere le palle”, “non ha bbufa’ i pall” (in napolitano), "le mie palle sono piene"…which translate to “they break my balls”, “don’t inflate my balls”, “my balls are full”…yes, Italian men are a bit obsessed with their balls and like to say this often, especially in response to their wives, mothers, etc. when the women are trying to get the men off their lazy asses to do something. I understand this very well, witnessing Greek men in Greece and in my own family who respond in the same manner. And the women, with good reason, get so frustrated by this response. My friend Melissa - who is American and lives here as well - gets very offended by this expression with her own husband. I understand her frustration, but I also respond like a good-ole American gal when Mimmo says this by saying “ uh yeah, don’t break MY balls!”…I’ve really co-opted this male expression lately because in being la sposa, there sure are a lot of people who are breaking my balls…

Teresa. My sister-in-law. God bless her and god bless the fact that I can write about all of this in English and who cares if nobody reads it ‘cuz I just gotta LET IT OUT…Yes, Teresa, my very sweet (really, truly, usually) sister-in-law is really, truly breaking my balls right now. It started with our idea to have our reception at Emilio’s restaurant, Baia.

Teresa had a very serious discussion with me last week that began with the statement “Lisa, I have something a bit difficult and perhaps a bit indiscreet to say..” , “Ok.”, “My parents are really not happy about Emilio’s”. She went on to tell me that Mimmo’s parents want to make a “bella figura” (good impression); how Mimmo’s 25 aunts and uncles who are all elderly won’t be comfortable there; that the weather might be awful in Sept. and where will we all sit?; that the food isn’t that great (NOT TRUE) and Emilio can be rude. She went on to show me video footage from a party that she went to there in May and “look how cramped we were and we were only 18!” and then proceeded to show me video footage from the twins’ first communion last year at Chiar’ di Luna and “look how beautiful it was there and look how much space there was”. She repeatedly told me that if this was just our family, it would be no big deal; that she was acting as an intermediary for her parents who couldn’t express this to me; that I was the only one who could convince Mimmo to change it, etc…

I really listened to Teresa and really took to heart what she said. Even though it was a bit of a bubble-burst – Emilio’s being both Mimmo & I’s dream place – I truly didn’t want her parents to feel bad. I truly didn’t want her elderly aunts and uncles to be uncomfortable. I truly didn’t want anyone to feel discomfort on such a joyous occasion. And, ok, her footage of Chiar’ di Luna was convincing. I even asked her if I could borrow it to show Mimmo. I left Teresa’s house convinced that ok, as much as we wanted Emilio’s, it seemed better all around for everyone to do it at Chiar’ di Luna. I found Mimmo in the piazza and told him my feelings on the situation. He was noticibly upset “She really has you convinced, huh?,” I pleaded Teresa’s case and, in the end had Mimmo pretty much convinced as well.

I went to Mimmo’s mom’s house after and was all set to tell her about our change, surprise her with the good news, and bring a smile to his 70-year-old mother’s face. “Gilda, we’ve decided to not have the reception at Emilio’s, but Chiar’ di Luna,”. I was awaiting the big sigh of relief and huge hug and instead heard the words “What?! Why?! Do you know HOW expensive Chiar’ di Luna is. And, the food isn’t even GOOD there.” Mimmo shortly after came to his mom’s, I explained to him (VERY confused) the situation. Mimmo put his foot down and said “THAT’S IT. We’re doing it at Emilio’s and I don’t wanna hear anything more about it,”. His mom leaned over to me and whispered “Better to do it at Giovanni’s (Mimmo’s cousin’s restaurant) than Chiar’ di Luna,”.

OH, mammamia, how much are they breaking my balls?!?!

May you be blessed with many bambinos...

2006-07-31T11:34:00.000-07:00

Sant'Anna was the grandmother of Jesus and I guess the saint that I must call upon when I am in excrutiating pain from labor...read on....

"Saint Anne or Anna is known by tradition as the mother of The Virgin Mary. According to the non-canonical Gospel of James, Anna and her husband Joachim, after years of childlessness, were visited by an angel who told them that they would conceive a child. Anna promised to dedicate the child to God's service. Joachim and Anna brought Mary to live in the Second Temple when Mary was about three years old. St. Anne is a patron saint of Quebec and Brittany, and patroness of women in labor and miners.

The story is similar to the story of Samuel whose mother had also been childless and was named Hannah. The story was not accepted in the Western church until the 13th century although, in the Eastern church, dedications to Saint Anna date to the 6th century. In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, Anna is ascribed the title Forbear of God.

In Western iconography, Anna may be recognised by her depiction in red robe and green mantle, often holding a book. Images may also be found depicting Anna holding a small Mary who in turn holds an infant Christ — more elaborate carved statuettes open up to reveal Mary inside Anna with Christ in turn inside her. Such trinitarian representations mirror similar depictions of God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and were sometimes produced as pairs.

In the 4th century, and then much later in the 15th century, a belief arose that Mary was born of Anna by virgin birth. This was denied as an error by the Vatican in 1677. However, it is held that Mary's was an Immaculate Conception.

Her feast day is 26 July (Western calendar) and 25 July (Eastern calendar)."

Sant'Anna

2006-07-31T11:25:00.000-07:00

Mimmo has catechism class tonight at Sant'Anna. This makes me laugh for a variety of reasons...

Padre Carmine, who grew up with Mimmo, is officiating our ceremony and last week when we went to talk to him, he gave Mimmo a little book to study for his first lesson tonight. Last night Mimmo asked me, where is that little book? Um, where you left it...in the car. I think he's hoping Padre Carmine will cut him some slack, but I not-so-secretly am hoping Padre Carmine will ring his ass...It's the "goody-two-shoes" in me, I know...When I was in 1st grade, my teacher, Mrs. Primrose (yes, that was really her name, and it fit her to a T) said in my report card comments "Lisa is very conscientious." I remember, being 6 and *really* wanting to understand what "conscientious" was. I obviously learned it by grade 5, where I made it to the finals in the speech contest with my speech "My best friend is my conscience" (The theme was write about who your best friend is). Oh my god, WHO was I? You'd think that it was ME who grew up catholic...

Well, my Mimmo was the opposite of me growing up..he was the "bad boy", the "sgrignato" as they called him and he grew up to be an adult who has some major beef with the Catholic church. But, my Mimmo is also a "politico"...a die-hard della sinistra (leftist) and it took a very corrupt right-wing mayor for Mimmo to get married in the Catholic church. Meaning that if we wanted to do a civil ceremony only the mayor could marry us and Mimmo would've rather gotten married in the Catholic church then have Franco Iannunzi marry us. So, as much as his mother may hope that it was divine inspiration or that Mimmo was touched and led by the hand of God, it came down to political vs. religious beliefs. That's ok, she can't read English, so she'll never read my blog...she can think what she wants and hey who knows, maybe she's right? Maybe it's Sant'Anna that led him afterall...

I am thrilled that we're getting married in the church of Sant'Anna for a variety of reasons. First, because it's in Bacoli, which is my home. Bacoli is where I came to live by myself before I fell in with any of these Montesi. Mimmo is from Monte di Procida and there's a bit of a rivalry between the 2 towns and I'm always proud to be Bacolesi...the Montesi (ok, excluding my husband) are a bit more closed and old-fashioned then the Bacolesi who are much more open and fun. Plus, Sant'Anna is right down the street from my favorite DVD woman, Pina, who was my own kind of saint during the winter that I moved to Bacoli and found salvation in renting lots and lots of movies. I also am happy to be getting married there because it's a beautiful church and Padre Carmine is really cool and hey, if you're gonna have an italian wedding, you need to get married by a Padre Carmine, no?

So, I, still having a bit of the "goody-2-shoes" in me instinctively, wanted to find out who is/was this Sant'Anna. Padre Carmine, my mom & Mimmo's mom would be proud...she's a saint in both the Catholic Church and Orthodox Church...read the next blog entry above...

Lo Sposo e La Sposa

2006-07-30T17:40:00.000-07:00

2 in the morning when you're La Sposa

2006-07-30T17:20:00.000-07:00

Mimmo's sleeping and I'm wide awake...

Today he brought up the honeymoon...luna di miele...and where do we want to go? It's quite interesting to live in a country that is a popular honeymoon destination - Rome, Florence, Venice, Amalfi, Capri - all within our reach and so where does my italian future husband want to go? Well, Norway, of course! What?! I began googling tonight just to see what I came up with and found this quite funny:

"Origin of the Honeymoon Tradition

Today, the tradition of a honeymoon following nuptials has, long way from its original meaning. Today's "happy ending" to the wedding event is a far cry from its much different beginnings. The word honeymoon has its roots in the Norse word "hjunottsmanathr" which was anything but blissful. Northern European history describes the abduction of a bride from neighboring village. It was imperative, that the abductor, the husband to be, take his bride to be into hiding for period of time. His friends assured his and her safe keeping and kept their whereabouts unknown. Once the bride's family gave up their search, the bride groom returned to his people. This folkloric explanation presumably is the origin of today's honeymoon, for its original meaning meant hiding.

The Scandinavian word for honeymoon is derived, in part, from an ancient Northern European custom in which newlyweds, for the first month of their married life, drank a daily cup of honeyed wine called mead. The ancient practices of kidnaping of bride and drinking the honeyed wine date back to the history of Atilla, king of the Asiatic Huns from A.D. 433 to A.D. 453.

So that leaves us with the question of where the "moon" in the word "honeymoon" originates. One piece of folklore relates that the origin of the word moon comes from a cynical inference. To the Northern Europeans the terms referred to the body's monthly cycle and, its combination with honey, suggested that not all moon's of married life were as sweet as the first. British prose writers and poets, in the 16th and 17th centuries, often made use of the Nordic interpretation of honeymoon as a waxing and waning of marital affection.

Certainly we have, long way and there is a vast difference between the original meaning of honeymoon and its present-day connotation. The newer version is, of course, the more pleasant one!"

Oh me, oh my. Was Mimmo on to something here? Will we be drinking honeyed wine for a month of hiding in the fjords???

Here we go....

2006-07-29T01:45:00.000-07:00

La Sposa is "the bride" in Italian. And for me, making La Sposa is an attempt to find humor, empty out all my thoughts and anxieties, share photos, and really just release the fact that I am becoming "that bride". You know the bride I'm talking about. The one you thought you'd never become. The one you witnessed in your sister's wedding or cousin's wedding or heard stories about at your sister's wedding or your cousin's wedding. Dear lord, yes, THAT BRIDE! And, it is quite a shock to find yourself becoming HER, but damn...I'll just let her out here in all her glory because well, hopefully, you only become La Sposa once...so, I hearby christen her stay for the next few months...let the good times roll....