More of Italy

After we left Lake Como, we headed to the charming town of Stresa for a couple of days. This town is located next to Lake Maggiore, the second largest lake in Italy.

There are three tiny islands and we are going to visit them all, but first let's take a ride in a cable car for a mountaintop view!

I am at the top of this mountain called Mottarone now. It's a bit foggy but you can see the islands in the background.

Okay, now we're on a boat to go to the islands! Wow, we are all over the place...

This island is called Isola Bella which means "beautiful island." There is a palace on it that belonged to the aristocratic family of the House of Borromeo.

Let's go inside!

Wow, there are so many works of art to see.

It's good to be king, isn't it?

Look at this gold throne, perfect for a stuffie.

But the real kicker is the outdoor garden and sculptures!

Okay, this is fancy and all, but I could use a snack! How about some fish and chips?

We also did a little shopping for some fine Italian scarves.

Italy has been so beautiful so far. I wonder what's next...

Italy!

Hey everyone, last month, I had the once-in-a-stuffie-lifetime opportunity to visit Italy!

Here I am looking out the window from the airplane. I had never been there before and was beary excited.

This is the view from our hotel in Varenna next to Lake Como.

There were so many cute cafes next to the water just like this one.

Aren't the buildings cute? My grandpa is in the background of this photo.

Look at this view! Lake Como is the third-largest lake in Italy and is surrounded by the Alps mountain range. I wish we could get on a boat like that one and go across the water...

...oh, we are getting on a boat!

It is so beautiful here. I wonder if there is any salmon in this lake...

Just charming little villages next to the water. You can take a boat like this one and get to the other side within 15 minutes.

Time for lunch, what do you say? Lots of pizza and pasta here, of course... this is Italy!

Next to our hotel, some people were shooting a commercial of some sort and had many Italian sports cars all lined up. Snazzy-looking car, huh?

Alright, stay tuned for the other places I saw in Italy! Ciao!

New shirt

Today, I was looking out the window wondering when the mailman would arrive. My mom said she ordered a new shirt for me for my birthday, but it was a little delayed.

Oh, the mail already arrived! It's a package from Build A Bear (of course).

I can't wait to see what it looks like.

Wow! It has raglan sleeves and a cool astronaut design.

There's a note from my mom. Thanks mom!

Okay, time to try it on.

It fits perfectly. What do you think? Just in time to wear this on my upcoming trip!

Bearthday fun stuff

I received this cool postcard from Little Fox in the mail last month. It's a postcard from the Great Smoky Mountains! This bear looks so cute, as all bears are! 😊Thanks Little Fox!

Next, I got a bearthday card from Droopy and friends. Look, this is a homemade card which is the best kind. It is made from buttons and craft paper. Droopy is very good at making cards. Maybe he could create a line of stuffie greeting cards?

Droopy also sent me something that I have never seen before. Also enclosed with the card were sheets of postage stamps... with my face printed on them!

Now I can write letters to my stuffie friends and everyone will immediately know it is from me just by looking at the stamp. Thanks Droopy!

I had a great bearthday! My mom said she ordered me a new shirt for my bearthday but it was a little delayed in shipping, so I have to wait a bit longer, but that's okay!

Update: Uncle Tibbs

A few months ago, we found Uncle Tibbs lying on the couch. He seemed to be in pretty bad shape at the time and quite stressed out.

It's always good to check-in with friends to see how they are doing in challenging times, so let's see what he is up to now.

Ah, there he is! He's... lying down... oh no... this is not looking good.

"Uncle Tibbs, are you okay?" I asked. He did not respond!

I moved closer.

"Uncle Tibbs...?"

Ah-a! Uncle Tibbs can't hear me because he is listening to nice, relaxing music on his earphones. He also has fresh cucumber slices on his eyes to cool any inflammation.

And he is being served fresh water with a slice of citrus on the side!

This looks like a wonderful spa treatment for Uncle Tibbs! We'll just leave him alone to enjoy it and won't bother him this time.

And hey... this looks so nice... I'd like to have one myself...

Remember to RELAX everybody!

Also, thank you everyone for the birthday wishes last week! I received some cool stuff in the mail and will show you soon next time!

Secretary job posting

As you may or may not know, I fired my secretary late last year and have been trying to take on all my blogging duties myself since then. It hasn't been easy for me and it also takes my time away from the high-level strategic decisions of running of a blog.

So, I have decided to put out a job posting for a new secretary. Do you know anyone who might be qualified? I plan to start interviewing folks in a couple of weeks.

Responsibilities
- Open mail and send bearthday greetings in a timely manner

- Assist with my bathing and drying

- Maintain a stylish and fashion-forward wardrobe, in addition to cleaning and tailoring of clothing

- Demonstrate initiative by ensuring an ample supply of honey and salmon at all times

- Buy and prepare delicious snacks, not limited to cookies and hot chocolate

- Keep up-to-date on fellow stuffie blogs

- Troubleshoot website issues as needed

- Knowledge of WordPress, Blogger, HTML, CSS, and Photoshop

- Promote blog posts on social media, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

- Generate ideas for contests and mail contest prizes

- Serve as copy editor for blog

- Personal bodyguard while on travel adventures

- Experienced photographer with proficiency in photo editing and enhancement

- Assist with Stuffie Tours activities as necessary

- Assist with other special projects as needed

- Give lots of hugs

Salary

- Commensurate with experience

Fan art

My friend Helen drew this picture of me! It's me in my Steve Jobs Halloween costume. I think it's terrific! What do you think? Thank you Helen!