Archive for the ‘puppy love’ Category
And Baby Makes Four!
I’ve been holding in this news since late on August 31st, when I found out that we would be having a new addition to the family:
(A web cam photo is better than nothing, right?)
Yes, it’s another one with four legs, and her name is Stella. That’s “star” in Italian. Get it? Luna=“moon.” We’re so celestial.
So does Stella look familiar? Just in case you forgot (how could you?), here’s Luna:
Well our mini-Luna seems to have been abandoned by some vacationers. For those who don’t know, it’s quite common for Italy to experience a dramatic increase in stray dogs around holiday time–some people just can’t be bothered lugging their pets around or making proper arrangements for them apparently.
Disgusting, I know.
Anyway, aside from the fact that I can’t comprehend why someone would leave their dog at all, I really don’t get why they’d let this cutie loose at the end of holiday. But she was found by the side of the road with a collar, so it seems that’s what happened.
P got suckered in pretty darn quick when he saw the Lun-essence, and although I didn’t really *want* another doggie around, she’s warmed my heart too. She’s quite sweet, very lovable, and look at those ears!
Even Luna has taken to her, although Stella is sometimes still a reluctant playmate. She’s a bit skittish, understandably, and has huge separation anxiety. At first she wouldn’t let P out of her sight, but she’s doing a bit better on that front. And she has also learned to sit (most of the time) and give me her paw (all the time where food is involved).
And if you’re wondering about how big sister Luna is adjusting, I have to say that she’s been really great through all of this; Luna’s normally pretty aggressive toward other females, but within the first 24 hours of Stella’s arrival, Luna was ready, coaxing her to roughhouse a bit. So cute!
I can’t help but feel like a proud doggie mama who did something right in the last two years. You think that’s overstating it a tad?
I just can’t wait for the day when they’re snuggled up together so I can snap a photo. I’m confident that day will come.
It’s just a matter of time.
Benvenuta Stella Bella &
Happy Love Thursday everyone!
P.S. Remember that today we’re on Spaghetti Strike! Read more here.
destination calabria:photo tour of a medieval village in southern italy (part I)
It’s been a while since I’ve posted some photos, and I think it’s time. I’m still camera-less, but I do have some shots stored away, so let’s go back to a lovely day in May when Luna and I took a walking tour around a section of the village.
It all started out in the little piazza near my house where the main church is located; truth be told, I hadn’t even brought my camera but then I saw these:
So I went back home and grabbed the macchina fotografica. I don’t know how these roses ended up there, but it’s certainly not uncommon to find flowers outside the church in the morning.
By the way, we have 13 churches here in all (reminder: 300 people), but only one operates full time. I promise to write more about the history of the village at some point and how it’s been largely abandoned (inspired by Farfallina!) but until I can get more photos to accompany it, we’ll just have to stick with what I’ve got.
Here’s the bell tower of La Chiesa Matrice/La Chiesa di San Salvatore, built in 1218.
After we wound down one of the winding streets, I saw this cactus giving a helping hand to a piece of fallen fruit:
The fruit is a fico d’india (Indian fig) aka prickly pear. I’m not quite sure why the one in the grip of the cactus is ripe when none of the others are–and actually I’m not sure why that one is ripe at all.
Remember this was May, and their season is now (sorry I can’t get a good photo for you Gil, but do check out Sara’s post!), so that coddled one sure was special.
Moving on. . . .
Want to go in?
Sorry, but there’s really nothing else behind there except this:
No one (human) lives in this part of the village, and so much of it is falling down, boarded up, and otherwise abandoned-looking.
Here is my very favorite abandoned house. 
If you peek in through the crack in the front door, you can see la famiglia gathered inside the small room on the first chilly night of the year:
La Mamma stirring the sugo one last time before getting the water ready for pasta, resting the wooden spoon on the side of the terra cotta pot, and wiping her hands on her well-worn but clean apron.
La figlia embroidering sheets in preparation of her upcoming matrimonio, pulling the thread up through the fabric and back down, over and over, her feet resting on the old braciere.
Il figliolo and Papà playing briscola in another corner, their many layers of clothes making each throw of a card less dramatic than it normally would be.
[I may or may not have spent many hours sitting near this house over the past four years.]
But back to 2007, and back to greenery, which is just around the corner.
Can you find Luna?
And finally, a quick glance back at where we’ve been before we move on.
Won’t you come back and continue our passeggiata?
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[tags]calabria, southern italy, badolato, medieval villages, dogs[/tags]
it’s all on you
My fellow She Who Blogs-er Jennie Boo has tagged me to write another 8 things about me, and darn it, I’m fresh out of Sognatrice trivia.
So…I’m asking help from you, faithful readers.
What would *you* like to know?
I’ll answer the first eight questions you post in the comments in response to Jennie Boo’s tag, but I promise to eventually answer anything you ask–while reserving the right to offer up a “No Comment” or an “I don’t recall” just like any remotely public figure, of course.
Fire away! We’re waiting….
(Photo by P)
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[tags]dogs[/tags]
getting to know luna
In the comments to yesterday’s post, Ally Bean asked me whether my most perfect puppy Luna is bilingual. HeartinSanFrancisco praised her ability to bark in Italian.
I now realize that you all know far too little about this Furball o’ Love, and lucky for you, I found this great meme filled out by Mushu the Bichon Frise over at A Spot of T, my fellow She Who Blogs member, so you can get to know Luna a bit more (I added the last question, though, just for my pooch).
Oh, and if you’re one of those people who hate when bloggers write about their animal friends, I forgive you, and I invite you back tomorrow when there (probably) won’t be a mention of Luna.
But I make no promises. Look at this face!
1. What kind of dog are you? A really really cute one. Some say I resemble a Basenji, and indeed, my tail does curve in a most peculiar way.
2. Are you a boy or a girl? Girl power! You can read about some, um, complications of being a girl dog here.
3. How old are you? I’m 2 ½ years old but I don’t feel a day over 2 ¼.
4. Name one thing you received as a gift on your last birthday. Nothing. I hate my humans. No, seriously, my birthday is two days after Christmas, so I get a few days of fun—my favorite is always a raw hidey kind of bone thing (not actually raw hide but I don’t know how else to describe it) and beef jerky treats from my Nana in America.
5. Choose one word to best describe your physique. Forte (strong)
6. Share a quote. “I spilled spot remover on my dog. He’s gone now.” (Steven Wright)
7. Have you ever been stung by a bee? If so, where? No, knock on wood. Dang sometimes I wish I had knuckles.
8. Who’s your strangest family member? I’m going to have to go with Papà P because the shorter one with the longer hair usually feeds me (plus she’s typing this).
9. Who’s your favorite family member? See Number 8.
10. Do you make an effort to be environmentally friendly? I do keep my own “compost” pile.
11. If you were given a blank canvas and water colours, what would you paint? Il mare (the sea) that I have yet to set paw in.
12. When is the best time for you to take a 20 minute nap? This is a trick question, isn’t it, because when *isn’t* it a good time for a snooze?
13. Your hair? Floating about the house right now because of shedding. Oh, like the color and stuff? Caramel but for my white paws and strip down my chest.
14. What do you want to be in 10 years? A sly old bitch.
15. What you’re not good at. Playing nice with other bitches. And believe you me, they’re all bitches.
16. What are you wearing? A black leather collar with my name in faux-diamond studs.
17. What aren’t you wearing? My harness, which is only for walkies.
18. Your mood? Chill. Except that it’s boiling hot.
19. Your kitchen? My home, actually, since I don’t do the steps to go downstairs–they’re kinda scary. My food and water is in the kitchen and Mamma also put a bed in there just for me, so I don’t miss the downstairs at all.
20. What are you thinking about right now? How freaking hot it is.
21. Love? I’m full of it.
22. Foreign languages? I consider English my fourth language. Doggie is, obviously, my first. Italian is second, and Calabrese dialect is my third.
If any other animal friends would like to play, please do and link to me and to A Spot of T.
Oh, and Happy Love Thursday everyone!
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[tags]dogs, memes, love thursday[/tags]
What’s Cooking Wednesday: Pasta with Fresh Tomato and Basil
Summer’s here! Luna says, “Mamma mia, fa caldo!“
It’s hot. This means that cooking during the day is ill-advised, so our usual lunchtime pasta course often finds its place in the evenings (unless I’ve made a lovely summer pasta salad). But a requirement is still that it must be fast and easy; it cools down in the evenings, but not that much.
So this week’s What’s Cooking Wednesday is one of our summer favorites, a seasonal salsa with fresh tomato and basil–quite possibly my most favorite dish in the whole world. I can’t possibly overstate my love for basil, so you’ll be seeing a lot more of it around these parts, I promise.
I’m leaving the “pasta” here in the general term as we’ve had this dish in the past few days with penne and with linguine (as shown in the photos).
Always delicious.
Pasta with Fresh Tomato & Basil
(Pasta con pomodori e basilico)
4 tbl olive oil
1 small sweet onion, chopped
3 small cloves garlic, crushed
2-3 large, ripe tomatoes, chopped coarsely
8 large basil leaves
1/4 cup water
salt to taste
1. Put water on to boil for the pasta of your choice.
2. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and then add onion and garlic. Cook for a few minutes until onions are translucent and garlic is just starting to brown–don’t let it brown though.
3. Tear 6 of the basil leaves and stir into the mix.
4. Add tomatoes and salt, and mix everything well.
5. Add water periodically if sauce begins to look too dry (depends on how juicy your tomatoes are).
6. Let cook for about 15-20 minutes on medium-high heat, and with about 5 minutes to go add the rest of the basil.
7. In the meantime, once the water is boiling, prepare the pasta; everything should be ready at about the same time.
8. Toss the pasta with the salsa, coating it well, and serve hot with a sprinkling of grated cheese on top (and peperoncini on the side if you like it spicy).
Buon appetito!
Michelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived.
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