The Secret Leaked...

 So, maybe you've heard of rei... reinc... reincarnation before?  Dang, that's a hard word to remember and I'll bet it's a hard one to say too.  Anyhoo, there may those who now believe that I, Stella Claypool, may just be the reincarnation of a famous soccer player.  A VERY famous soccer player.  I may have even competed in the Olympics once upon a time.  There's a story that leads us down that road of to speculation of course but then isn't there always a story?

My mom used to hope and wish for a dog that enjoyed paying fetch.  The dogs of her past just never were much interested... although they were wonderful individuals that made their mother proud.  She once had a cat that adored playing fetch with scrunched up pieces of typing paper and she says that was fun but just not quite the same as playing with a pooch.  

And then came me...

To say that I am addicted to balls would be putting it mildly.  They truly drive me crazy with their ability to fly, roll, bounce and occasionally get lost.  I nearly eat & breathe balls, balls of any size, I just can't get enough of them.  I can play fetch as long as anyone can keep throwing it.  If you are visiting you can be assured, I'll bring you a ball and give you the most pleading of looks until you finally succumb to my magic and toss the darn thing.  So far I'm maintaining a no-loss win.  Everyone, and I mean everyone, eventually tosses the ball.  Needless to say, my mom adores this gift of mine and makes sure I get to run long and hard on a regularl basis. I adore it too but I knew there was more, more that I just couldn't quite put my paw on until...

Recently I began attending a new doggy day care in town.  Its called Whistle,  in like whistle while you work.  It's the coolest place with the coolest kids ever.  They all welcomed me right into the pack and I've made all kinds of new friends.  I actually enjoy going there instead of feeling like I'm being forced against my will.  There's all kinds of fun things to experience there, from arts and crafts to musical appreciation.  I was totally digging it all and would have been hard-pressed to pick my favorite activity until...

Just the other day at school, Mae, my daycare mom, introduced us all to a soccer ball.  A SOCCER BALL!!!  My heart nearly leapt right out of my chest an was pounding so hard.  I'd been waiting four long years for someone to give me a soccer ball.  It was like seeing a long lost friend.  With my very first kick the memories came flooding back.  Offence, defense, narrowing the angles, and focus, focus, focus on that goal!  It felt fabulous and I can hardly wait to play again.  I tried to keep the other kids in line but it quickly became obvious that these were a bunch of weekend warriors at best and not the series athlete like me.  That's okay, sometimes you're the audience and sometimes you're the star, it's all good either way.  Mom says they might excel at a sport I'm no good at so it all evens out in the end.

So, any ideas of just who I might of once been?  I sure wish Ancestory.com went further back, back to past lives.  When I listen closely I can still hear the roar of the crowd. Maybe you can too!

Loves & Licks

Stella

 Yesterday I turned four.  Yes, really I did!  I know I look much younger and I attribute that to healthy food, plenty of love and a really good gene pool combination, but I honestly am four years old now.  Can you recall when you were my age?  I know that's been a lot longer for some of you than others but it's such a special, once in a lifetime age, I hope you can remember.

Being four means I've been places, met lots of different folks and have a pocket full of experiences under my belt.  The best of the best is the friends I've made as I've traveled along lifes pathways.  Some have been much bigger than me, some have been much hairier than me and some haven't had much hair at all, but the one thing they've all had in common is that I loved each and every one of them to bits and pieces.

For my birthday yesterday I received a couple of new toys and yes, they are wonderful, all fresh and unchewed but something was missing... can you guess what is is?

Let me start by telling you a story about another present I received, it goes like this...

I'm a lucky pooch who has never gone without an extensive assortment of toys to play with, however, I tend to love them maybe just a smidgeon too much.  If there's a squeaker inside, and of course those are my favorite kind, I just can't seem to rest without doing my best to "kill" that darn thing!  I even give myself extra points if I'm able to extract that noise maker out of the tiniest hole,  like a surgeon doing fine, complicated surgery.  Once the squeaker has been separated from its host toy, the stuffing is next on the list.  Oh, the fun of leaving tiny balls of white snow like  stuff all around the house!  Unfortunately my mom doesn't share the sense of accomplishment I do and in fact, from the huffing and puffing she does while gathering it all up leaves me to believe she's maybe even angry or disappointed in my ways of showing love.  Once a toy has been thourougly loved in the methods mentioned above, the leftover corpses go to live in the closet, up high on a shelf where I can't even see them,  but my feline siblings assure me they are there.

 

And then came by birthday day...  Try for a moment to imagine sitting alone on the floor and then having an entire bag,  really big bag, of friends you've loved in the past but haven't seen or sniffed properly for the longest time, being showered upon you all at once.  It was downright magical.  There they all were, patched up beautifully and ready to play with once again.  Everyone seemed so happy to be back together and I smiled ear to ear, I just couldn't believe it was true and it seemed to me that everything was right in my world once again!

New toy that I hoped for & got!

The moral of this story is to remind you all that as amazingly wonderful as new friends are, all shiny bright, without any tatters yet,  no smell of dog drool on them and all their seams sewn shut nice and tight, they just don't quite compare to the comfort, of old friends full of memories.  I'm old enough now to understand that it takes time for new friends to become old friends and to be as loved and cherished as much.  I'm making it my mission to make that happen as quickly as possible though because without a doubt, old friends are the very bestest kind!

 So hug your friends, new ones and old ones.  Share experiences, make memories, lots of them, let them know just how important they are to you, even leave a little drool on them if you must.  Just be sure to treasure them even if you might not get to see them often, even if they have some flaws and never forge those who helped make you, you!

Loves & Licks,

Stella

PS ~ In full disclosure, one is already residing once again in Moms closet.  Sorry Hedgie