Of Mermaids & Soul Sacrifices

Have you ever seen a mermaid?  I have.  There's one in our living room, up high on the shelf, one hanging on a towel by the dishwasher and another by our front door, although I don't see that one too often because we are back-door kinda people but still, I know she's always there.  Now my dream is to meet one myself and have a conversation with her, to learn all the tales she might have to tell.  Mom says mermaids aren't really real.  Supposedly they are just figments of the imagination of sailors that have been out to sea a wee bit too long.  I'm out to prove her wrong and I'm keeping a lookout each and every day as we walk along the river and I gaze out on the water.  I'm hoping word gets around and maybe, just maybe there is one out there who'd be just as interested in meeting me as I am in meeting her.  Do me a favor and pass the word please.

 

One day recently we changed directions when we hit the beach and headed west instead of east.  We passed a sign that said NO TRESPASSING but we'd been told that just referred to cars, not to us walkers.  It was interesting to see the lovely homes that nestled along the way, how fun for those folks to have the water and sand just outside their windows.  Suddenly we came upon something we'd certainly never seen before, it was a fence made out of shoes!

Yes, shoes of all sizes and colors and the fence seemed to go on forever.   Well, this was a mystery and I was determined to solve it.  Where did all of these shoes come from?  Were these offerings to the Sea Gods?  Were they placed there to "shoo" off trespassers or was this all that was left of those who treaded where they didn't belong?  I enlisted Moms help and asked her to ask around and see what she could find out.  She hit public media, made some phone calls and received the help of some friends with insider information.  Turns out that the folks who live there have collected the washed up shoes for the past fifteen or so years from their daily walks.  Flip-flops, tennis shoes and even a boot or two have all added up in a tremendous way and I dare say, there may not be another such fence anywhere else to be found.  I feel so lucky to know about this one and if I ever discover an abandoned shoe along the sand, I know exactly where to take that sacrifice where it will be united with other members of its tribe and where it's soul/sole will be revered.

Loves & Licks,
Stella

Casa Sweet Casa

No matter the size, your home should be your very favorite place on earth~   There's nowhere you should feel more comfortable and safer than your very own casa.  When the world occasionally feels mean or even scary, your home should be your soft place to land, where you can just be cozy and loved and wrapped up in your favorite soft, fuzzy blankie, both figuratively and literally.  I've been thinking a lot about homes lately and have noticed a thing or two.

I've heard that waterfront homes are quite desirable so I have no idea why these seem to have all been abandoned, but there are hundreds available. Now might be the perfect time to move right in.  They are rather small but the view is incredible and tiny homes are all the current rage.

Here are a few duplexes that might be a better fit for some families and as you can see, there's even a greenbelt between properties for added privacy.

For those who prefer a higher "perch" this one comes complete with a huge nest but immediate occupancy would need to be negotiated.

If you are considering becoming a landlord, this little multi-family residence might be just the ticket.  Minimal upkeep, maximum profit.

That dream home you've been hankering for can be yours and is guaranteed to to impress your neighbors with its fancy-shmancy exterior.

And this one... talk about unique!  I've never seen one like it before, have you?

So there you have it, a summary of properties you might enjoy calling yours.  Give your favorite Realtor a call and take that first step towards home-ownership before interest rates rise and while the surplus of homes remain high. And just so you know, just like kids, pets and Volkswagen autos, homes enjoy having their own distinct names.  Ours is lovingly referred to as Casa de la Risa ~ House of  Laughter and my feline siblings and I try our darnedest to help keep it that way.

Loves & Licks,
Stella

PS- Mom says its obvious that the tv has been tuned to House Hunters a tad bit too often.  Say what?

Watch your language

You know... words can hurt.  Even little words, just two little letter words even.  I never like hearing the word "no" and I doubt if others do either. It's usually used to put an end to something fun, like barking, chewing or rolling in something deliciously awful.  I'm older and wiser now so I don't hear it quite as often but when I was just a little guy... oh my!

My feelings got hurt just the other day when I heard my mom tell a friend that she had been "as sick as a dog."  Excuse me, I've never been sick a day in my life. I don't think she said it to offend me but still.  It got me thinking about some other things I've heard about animals that I'm just not certain are at all truthful like~

As lame as a duck  Now,  I've met a good share of ducks on  our daily walks and yet, I've never ever met one that was lame in any way.  I suppose its possible but certainly not normal, right?

As weak as a kitten  Wait, wait, wait.  Is this referring to the same kittens that have sharp claws, little needle-like teeth and can jump and climb way higher than I can?  Yea, that's what I thought.  Sorry, I don't see a thing weak about them, they are ferocious.

As drunk as a skunk  I have never personally met a skunk and it sounds a bit judgy to me but I have seen them scurry through a field and well, okay, there might me some truth to this one.  They do appear to be rather evasive for one reason or another.

Mom says these types of phrases are called Similes, but I haven't confirmed that with outside sources just yet.  She says they can be used as an insult or as a compliment.  I much prefer compliments so I asked for a few examples and really liked these.

As busy as a bee  It's true, I've never seen a bee that didn't appear to be on a mission of some sort.  I have no idea exactly what they are up to but it doesn't appear to be evil so I'm okay with letting them be just as busy as they want to be... or is it bee?

As proud as a peacock  And why not, they are just beautiful.

As free as a bird  Oh yes, if only I could fly!

As happy as a lark  Now there's a goal we should all be aiming for.

So the moral of this story is, before you use other species in vain, consider the feelings of that funny duck, adorable kitten or even that skunk that might have had one too many, a little too often.

Love & Licks,
Stella

Fantastical Imaginations

One thing I've inherited from my mom is a most wonderful imagination.  Sometimes we use it for good and sometimes we just plain scare ourselves silly with it.  Like on today's walk at the grove...

We had the pleasure of being the first hoomans to arrive on the beach this morning.  No other footprints were embedded in the sand except for ours, such fun!  I noticed right off though that there wasn't nearly as much of a beach to run on as usual.  Mom tried explaining to me that the tide was "in".  In what?  This made no sense at all to me so she continued by describing how the moon, yes the moon, had this magical force that pulled the water towards it.  Yea, right... I'm not a naive little puppy any more and maybe I'd have fallen for this a year ago but not now.  I mean really, the water being pulled by the force of the moon.  She comes up with the craziest ideas ever.

The logs that are scattered along the beach were all moved around like they often are.  I can only surmise that some giants (not monsters, just kindly giants) come out at night to play and have a great time rearranging things, kind of a giants version of pick-up-sticks.  Today's layout gave us plenty of opportunities to climb over, under and around them as we made our way along the shore.  I was keeping a watchful eye out and first I thought I saw a lizard with a very long tail... but it turned out to just be some vegetation.  Next I spied a dorsal fin!  I'd just heard about a shark attack on the news so I was trying my best to stay as far away as possible.  Thankfully, once we got nearer, it turned out to just be a rather vicious looking stick.  Whew, that was a close call.

Sea lizard?

Shark Warning!

After welcoming Mr. Sun to a new day of a new month, we headed home.  Mom says October is the official start of pumpkin spice season and thanks to Trader Joe's, I have some holiday appropriate treats to celebrate with.  I'm telling you, these goodies are delicious!

Here's wishing each of you a most pumpkiney spicey day!  And by the way, if anyone can please explain where the beach went, I'm pretty sure I'm capable of handling the truth.

Loves & Licks,
Stella

The Chronicles of Stella: The Chronicles of Stella~ Early morning adventures...

The Chronicles of Stella: The Chronicles of Stella~ Early morning adventures...: What a fantabulous start to our day.   What time to you go to bed at night and what time do you wake up?  I put myself to bed at 7 pm nearly...

The Chronicles of Stella~ Early morning adventures

What a fantabulous start to our day.  What time to you go to bed at night and what time do you wake up?  I put myself to bed at 7 pm nearly every night.  I'm not sure why I chose that time but by then, my little bed is sounding mighty fine to me.  My mom is an early, early, ridiculously early riser so by 6:30 am, we've already been up for hours.  The cats and I have had our breakfast and Mom has polished off her pot of coffee so we are ready to bundle up and head out for our walk.

Hello sunshine

Good bye Mr Moon

Today was pretty much amazing!  We had the harvest full moon setting on one side of us and the sun rising on the other.  We got the privilege of being the very first footprints in the sand and saw a huge ghost ship pass by.  I'll admit, it scared me with its fog horn!  Mom saw something bobbing in the water and it turned out to be a sea lion or a seal, I don't really know the difference.  He was having a great time playing in the fog topped water but as Mom was getting her phone ready to snap a photo, the seal saw me, popped up a bit higher in the water and then just disappeared.  I'd love to try diving down deep too but the flotation device I'm forced to wear when we are in the water makes that a near impossibility.  Maybe when I'm older I'll get a chance.

Ghost ships are kinda scary

I know there are folks who like to sleep later, some much, much later, but I'm here to tell you, they miss out on some wonderful starts to the day.  Isn't it amazing that after all of the sunrises I've ever seen, I still have never seen one repeated.  Each and every one is as unique as you and me are.  How cool is that?

Love & Licks,
Stella

Mona and Me

My friend Mona took me on a new adventure yesterday.  Turns out that there is a beach just a couple of miles from my house... that my mom has never ever taken me to before.  It's called Willow Grove and my friend Mona knows all about it! 

This is my friend Mona Stein!

Mona's mom and my mom are friends so when we were invited to share a walk with them, we jumped (me literally) at the chance.  What a great discovery.  It only took us a few minutes to get there and it was a treasure trove of new smells, one of my favorite things to do. 

Hello Mr/Mrs Sun

It was still a wee bit dark when we arrived at the waters edge but the sun was trying it best to wake up.  Pretty soon we watched it stretch and shine into the morning sky.  Pure bliss I tell you.  Good friends, water lapping the shore and a ton of new things that needed checking out.  We saw flowers along the shoreline, perhaps a bouquet sent sea bound in memory of a loved one.  We saw at least a kazillion little shells all over the sand, and a fish that had washed ashore and was no longer among the living.

Flowers on the sand

A big bird was perched on a piling and he kept a close eye on everything we did and especially on that fish.  We even saw a gigantic ship, up close!  Oh sure, I'd seen ships before but they were always far, far away.  This ship was close enough I could have swam to it, if only Mom would have let me.  I really don't like that little word that starts with an "n" and ends with an "o".

Were we being spied on?

I'd sure like a ride on this big boy

After looking to our right and looking to our left, we happily determined that no one else was around and so we decided to be wild women and break the rules.  Off came the leashes and Mona and I were free!!!  It felt so good to run and explore.  We chased each other and even got our toes wet in the water.  Man, it was cold.  We dug a little, we peed a little and we sniffed a lot.  That's a great way to start the day.

Girls just wanna have fun 

It was a wonderful  morning and I can hardly wait to go again.  Thanks Mona, for sharing this special spot with us and enjoying it with you was the bestest ever. 

Love & Licks,
Stella