Friendly Fill-Ins and Brave Eddy

Hello and happy Friday, friends! We're ready for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, and we'd love for you to join us. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two fill-in statements, and I came up with the second two.


1. I'd like to learn how to play _________.

2. Something I tried to make that was an epic fail was _________.

3. I want to design _________ for _________.

4. _________ is a special treat I get _________.


My answers are below in bold, and are unfortunately accompanied by my usual rambling.

1. I'd like to learn how to play the cello.
(I've always loved stringed instruments. I learned how to play the piano as a kid, for which I am very grateful, but the older I got the more I wished I knew how to play the cello. It's my favorite stringed instrument. I'll listen to pretty much any song with stringed instruments, from classical to remakes of modern songs, and bonus points if the cello has a heavy role in the song. Maybe someday I'll take cello lessons. Perhaps.)

2. Something I tried to make that was an epic fail was gluten-free bread.
(I had an intestinal illness a few years ago, and though it was treatable and itself is all cured now, it left me gluten intolerant as well as lactose intolerant. Over the years I've found alternative forms of bread and pasta and "milk" that I quite enjoy, so I don't feel like I'm going without. That said, I do miss making and eating homemade bread. I've tried making gluten-free bread using various recipes and gluten-free flour, but without that gluten, the homemade bread just isn't happening. One attempt to make gluten-free rolls resulted in flat, burnt discs. I'm able to buy gluten-free bread from the store that I really enjoy, but my attempts to make it myself have been absolute disasters.)

3. I want to design Halloween decor for animal lovers.
(I love Halloween, and I love animals. I also love drawing and crafting, and I especially love creating Halloween stuff starring animals. I'd love to someday use the images I draw to create usable decor for Halloween. Actually, I love scribbling up spooky doodles for every season, such as the increasingly popular Summerween, and so I'd love to craft up spooky decor all year round. Then again, I'd also love to create traditional decor for Christmas, and just general decor as well. But all of it would star kitties and other animals, of course.)

4. 7Brew is a special treat I get every Friday.
(I work at the same place as my dad and sister, and every Friday I go get us 7Brew drinks to get us through the last afternoon of the workweek. I also get one for my mom, and my dad takes it home with him when he leaves for the day. I used to get us Dunkin Donuts, but our local place has really gone downhill in quality and taste. When a 7Brew opened up, though, we all decided we wanted to try that, and now we love it. I'm not a coffee drinker, but I love their tea, and I still want to try their lemonades and a number of their other drinks.)

Now it's your turn!

To add your link to the Friendly Fill-Ins Linky list, just click HERE!

You can also click on the badge below to add your link.

You are also welcome to complete the fill-ins in the comments below,

or in the comments on Ellen's blog, 15andmeowing.

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Are you ready for your Eddy fix? We know you are. I'm pretty sure I've shared a photo like this before, and it might look odd and low quality, but it's evidence of how proud I am of my girl Eddy. You see, though Eddy is still a very skittish cat who doesn't like any human besides me, she used to be even more scared of anything and everything. She used to go hide if she'd see even me, her favorite human, outside a window. These days, though, my scared little girl is brave enough to let me talk to her through windows. See? Look at this brave girl!

We hope you're all staying cool and safe during these warm, stormy summer days! We had a nasty storm yesterday and have been without power since 7:30 pm last night. Luckily the temperature is going down starting today, so we should be able to keep from totally melting.

Happy Friday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

As I mentioned in fill-in #3 above, I love drawing Halloween doodles. Well, I love drawing spooky doodles all year long. And, of course, all of these drawings star kitties or other animals. In fact, today I have yet another spooky doodle I drew a few years ago after seeing a piece of Halloween decor that was released that summer. June has become a popular month for stores to start rolling out Halloween decor, and a few years ago one of these early summer releases included a ghost in a cloche. I didn't buy the piece, but I did draw it. And of course I gave it a feline friend.

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Tip of the Day

Today's tip on bringing a new furbaby into the home is to have a safe area for them to spend their introductory days. Depending on your situation and living space, this can take on many forms. If you are bringing a social, calm cat into a home with no other animals, there is a chance that they might have free roam of the home right off the bat. However, in many cases, such as if they are nervous or if there are other animals in the home, it is far more wise and safe to give a new furbaby a particular safe area where they can go when first beginning their life at their new home. This safe area could be a bedroom, a bathroom, a spacious cage or similar setup in a safe and quiet room, or something else along these lines.

What's more, consider what this safe area should contain. It should of course have the new furbaby's food, water, litter box, toys, a bed or blanket, and other necessities and comforts. Especially when it comes to nervous or shy furbabies, it is also crucial to ensure that a new kitty or pup has an area where they can feel secure or even hidden. If their safe area does not include anywhere for them to feel secure and hidden, consider giving them some options, even simply by cutting holes in upside-down cardboard boxes.

All in all, you have to consider what a new furbaby is coming home to. Do you live with a large family? Are there other animals? Is the new cat or dog shy? Consider all of these factors, and then decide where and how to keep your new furbaby safe while they are first learning the ropes at their new home.

Thankful Thimble Thursday: Melting in the Sun

Hello and hi! As always, Thimble is of course here and ready for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

As is often the case, Thimble is grateful for sunshine. This girl knows how to find any and every sun puddle in the house, and she'll chase them around all day.

It's been pretty darn hot here lately. Our heat index yesterday was 100°F, and it's close to the same today. The humidity is barely survivable. Thimble doesn't care of it's hot and humid, though. She'll find those sun puddles and she'll bask in every single one of them.

Thimble hopes you all get to enjoy some sun puddles today as well!

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Now, of course, we have the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. I'd like to learn how to play _________.

2. Something I tried to make that was an epic fail was _________.

3. I want to design _________ for _________.

4. _________ is a special treat I get _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's flashback doodle is in honor of Thimble's love for sun puddles. She loves them so much, she's willing to turn herself into a puddle herself. And that inspired me to draw this weirdness a couple years ago.

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Tip of the Day

The next tip in our series on bringing home a new cat or dog is to ensure that you are prepared with all of the supplies needed for bringing home said furbaby. For example, the new furbaby will of course need food and bowls, and also possibly a litter box, litter, a leash, toys, beds, perhaps a product such as Feliway, a collar and ID tag, and so forth. What's more, though, when selecting such supplies, keep in mind the particular furbaby you're introducing into your home. Is it a kitten or puppy, or a geriatric cat or dog, or a furbaby with special needs? In such cases, have on hand food and other items that would best suit the particular kitty or pup. That being said, it is often recommended that you try to slowly transition a new cat or dog to a new food, so as not to disrupt their digestive system with a sudden change in diet. Therefore, it might also be reasonable to purchase at least a small amount of the food they were eating prior to you bringing them home, and transitioning them to a new food over the course of a few days. All in all, as you all surely know, make all necessary considerations and make proper preparations prior to bringing home a new furbaby.

Woof Woof Wednesday: Dog Days of Summer

Our heat index is 100°F today. So, yeah, is it autumn yet? That said, my sweet angel pup Astrid didn't like summer any more than I do. Astrid was a dog who loved cold weather. Despite her general excitement for the outdoors, she would often choose to stay indoors when it was hot outside. That's why Astrid looked a lot like this on the dog days of summer...

Though she understandably didn't enjoy spending time outside on the hottest summer days, Astrid was more than fine snoozing on her couch in the sunny window.

I was always so grateful that Astrid and I shared a love for cool weather. We would take shorter walks in the summer, but our autumn walks were long and beautiful and I loved them. I was of course thankful for any walk I took with her, but I was indeed also thankful that Astrid wasn't a big fan of hot weather and so she didn't often ask me to walk her too far on those days.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's spooky summertime doodle was a piece of concept art for a story I was working on many years ago. It involved a sort of spooky cabin in the woods, so I found myself drawing this here.

I hope to get back to this doodle's writing project again in the future, but I never felt as attached to it as I am with my current writing project. Probably because my current writing project not only co-stars a hind limb paralyzed kitty like my Evan, but all of the kitties and pups in my life have even small cameos. It's a fantasy story, but you better believe it's overrun with furry, four-legged characters.

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Tip of the Day

Around this time in 2018, we were introducing kitten Tonks as well as her sister Winky into the home. Back then, we shared a series of tips on none other than the topic of introducing new furry friends into the home. So, let's go ahead and repeat that series, shall we?

We're going to begin these tips with a simple yet important one, and that is, before you bring any new furbaby into your home, no matter the species or age, always take into consideration all factors that might affect this decision. For example, do you have enough space in your home to bring home a new cat or dog? If you rent your home, how many animals does the landlord allow? Also consider finances, and whether the proper medical and general care of a new cat or dog will realistically fit in your budget. How about your health? Are you physically able to care for a new cat or dog? Do you have other animals? Do any of them have medical or behavioral issues that would make it unwise to bring home another animal? How about family or roommates with whom you live? Is it reasonable and safe to bring a new cat or dog to live with the other people in your home? Needless to say, there are great many factors to consider before bringing home a new furbaby, so be sure to thoroughly consider all those that apply to you and your home.

Tonks Tuesday: Neighborhood Watch

It's Tonks Tuesday, and today the calico is spending her time in one of her favorite places. And that is, the window!

Tonks may or may not spend much of her time spying on the neighbors, and of course the wildlife. She's pretty much the head of our Neighborhood Watch. Thanks for keeping our street safe (or at least heavily spied on), Tonks!

Happy Tuesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Yesterday I shared a flashback doodle from a few Junes ago. It was something I scribbled up after seeing a summer release of a particular piece of Halloween decor. Today's flashback is from that same June of old, and was inspired by yet another piece of Halloween decor that was released that summer.

I actually can't remember what store came out with this witchy hand a few years ago. It might have been Bath & Body Works, and the witch hand might have been meant to serve as a candle holder. I'm not positive on that, though. Just like the piece of decor I'd drawn in yesterday's flashback doodle, I didn't buy this witchy hand, but I did bring it into my sketchbook.

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Tip of the Day

We have another quick and simple food and drink tip today. Especially for older, arthritic, or furbabies otherwise unable to get around well, try to place food and water bowls near their favorite places to sleep or hang out. If possible, you can also try to place bowls all throughout the house so that they have easily accessible options wherever they are at the time. This can help ensure that furbabies with less mobility are still getting proper nutrition and hydration.

Mancat Monday: Naptime Face-Plants with Orange Boys

Hello and happy Mancat Monday! Today, Evan wants to remind you all of one of his favorite sleeping positions.

Looks cozy, huh?

This boy loves to spend his naptime in a face-plant position.

Evan isn't the only orange boy who likes sleeping in a suffocating sort of way, though. My parents have a pale orange boy named Kipper, and look how he sleeps as well...

All right, boys. Whatever floats your boat, I guess.

Evan and Kipper wish you all a nap or two today! I would recommend not suffocating yourself during said naps, but these orange boys say it's really quite cozy.

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Since I'm a broken record, I'll yet again repeat that when summer rolls around, I always start feeling eager for autumn and Halloween. I'm just not a fan of heat and humidity, and at the end of the warm days is my favorite season of fall and my tied-for-first-place holiday that is Halloween.

As I've also mentioned, my eagerness for autumn and spooky season is just egged on by the fact that stores now often come out with Halloween merchandise starting in June or thereabouts. A couple years ago Cracker Barrel came out with a ghostly piece of decor that became very popular. While I didn't buy it, I did draw it, of course with the addition of a kitty.

This year Cracker Barrel came out with a piece of Halloween decor that is a similarly ghostly highland cow. I'm really tempted to draw that one as well...

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Tip of the Day

Keep in mind that, depending on factors such as a cat or dog’s size and health, some furbabies might require special considerations for the setup of their food and water bowls. For example, tall dogs, dogs with deep chests, older animals who have difficulty bending down, animals with short snouts, and those with conditions such as megaesophagus often do better with elevated bowls that are situated closer to the level of their chest or face. Food and water bowls elevated in this manner can allow for more comfortable eating and drinking, as well as easier chewing, swallowing, and overall digestion. Of course, on the other hand, do ensure that the bowl is not too elevated, especially for small dogs or cats, as having to reach up to eat would be uncomfortable for them as well. So, do be sure to take time to observe your kitty or pup’s dining habits, and to adjust their bowls to ensure they are able to dine comfortably.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Eddy's Belly

Hello and happy Friday, friends! We're ready for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, and we'd love for you to join us. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two fill-in statements, and I came up with the second two.

1. My plans for June include _________ and _________.

2. _________ is the bravest thing I have ever done.

3. I swear by _________ as a cure for _________.

4. As if _________ wasn't bad enough, _________.


My answers are below in bold.

1. My plans for June include home improvements and working on my weird writing project.

(In addition to what you'll read in #4 below, my house has at least one showerhead needing replaced, I also need to get a new part for that same shower's handle since it no longer wants to turn the water off fully, my doorbell stopped working and needs replaced, and even the lamppost in my yard needs a repair. And that's far from my full to-do list. I do live in a house that's 60 years old. While that's nowhere near as old as some homes, it's far from new and it's showing. The second part of my answer is a lot more fun. I do indeed mention this often, but I'm still working on my favorite ever writing project. It's a weird and wacky fantasy that co-stars a kitty in a wheelchair, and I'm actually making good progress on it. I also have some new concept art I want to scribble up for it.)

2. Saying goodbye to my angel kitties and pups is the bravest thing I have ever done.

(I couldn't think of anything else for this, and I know this is a sad answer. But, it's what came to my mind. And honestly, the bravest thing I've ever done might truly be finding the strength to realize that my sick kitties and pups needed that final act of love, no matter how much I didn't want to say goodbye.)

3. I swear by cat purrs as a cure for just about anything.
(Despite the fact that I came up with this fill-in and was certain I'd have something to offer, I actually couldn't come up with any true "cures" I'd swear by. Except for, well, kitty purrs. Sure, purrs can't take away all of the symptoms of certain ailments. But, those kitty purrs will always at least make you smile and feel happy. In some situations, that's a complete and total cure for what you might be going through.)

4. As if my washer breaking wasn't bad enough, my fridge is now making some weird sounds.

(There are times when all of my household appliances are working great with none of them acting up. Every time even one does act up, though, at least one or two more follow suit within a couple weeks. Happens every time. My washer died recently, and while I'm ordering a cheap new part to see if that fixes the problem, I'm pretty sure I'll end up just needing to get a new one. On top of that, my fridge started making an extra weird sound lately. It's still working for now, but the thing is something like 15 years old and was left behind by the previous home owner, so it's not like it's a spring chicken.)

Now it's your turn!

To add your link to the Friendly Fill-Ins Linky list, just click HERE!

You can also click on the badge below to add your link.

You are also welcome to complete the fill-ins in the comments below,

or in the comments on Ellen's blog, 15andmeowing.

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Did you know it's Friday? We bet you did. One of the best things about Friday is that it's Eddy's day to share her adorable self on our blog. Are you ready for the cute tabby girl? We hope you're prepared.

The low, amber lighting in these photos is a little deceiving. Eddy doesn't actually look quite that brown, but either way I assure you she's always adorable.

Also, that belly is a trap. While my girls Thimble and Tonks actually love having their bellies rubbed, Eddy does not. That's why, as cute as it is, I usually leave her belly alone. She likes to flaunt it, but she doesn't like it being touched, so I'll just admire it from afar.

Eddy and all of us here wish you a fantastic Friday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

To not get too longwinded in repeating myself, I'll just quickly say that I love spooky things, even in warm weather, and so we're sharing old doodles to fit that vibe.

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Tip of the Day

We're continuing on with our food tips, now focusing on eating and drinking habits. We've given tips in this vein in another recent series, but anything relating to our furry cuties is worth repeating. To start this off, we’re here to remind you to be cognizant of the material out of which your furbaby's bowl is made. When possible, steer clear of plastic bowls. This is in large part because plastic can be easily scratched, and these scratches can harbor all sorts of bacteria and other microbes. This can lead to issues such as feline chin acne. Stainless steel bowls, or even ceramic or glass, are often recommended. If you do use or have to use plastic bowls for any reason, be sure to clean them frequently, and to replace them as needed, such as if you notice scratches. This will help prevent bacterial growth and issues such as feline chin acne. Eating and drinking are of course crucial to our furbabies’ daily lives, so do be sure to pay attention even to details such as the types of bowl they are using.

In addition to the material of a bowl, we'll quickly note that size also matters when it comes to your furbaby’s bowls. As we’re sure you know, make sure the bowl is comparable to the size of the furbaby. A large dog will obviously require a larger bowl, while a small dog or cat might have difficulty eating from such a large bowl.

What's more, when it comes to those kitties, also keep in mind the concept of whisker fatigue. Whisker fatigue occurs when a bowl is too small and the whiskers brush the sides when eating or drinking. This can be uncomfortable for the cat, and can therefore lead to a reluctance to use the bowl. So, try to make sure that a cat’s bowl is wide and also shallow enough to allow for comfortable eating. Like us, our furbabies like to eat and drink in comfort.

Thankful Thursday with Thimble and a Teddy Bear

Hello and happy Thursday to all! You better believe Thimble is here and ready for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today, Thimble is grateful for a few things. Not only is she yet again thankful for sunshine, but also for cozy blankets and teddy bears!

I have quite a collection of blankets and pillows and a few stuffed animals. Thimble is a cozy-loving lady and so enjoys all of them. The teddy bear behind Thimble in that photo is about 37 years old, as my grandpa gave it to me when I was a baby.

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And now we have the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. My plans for June include _________ and _________.

2. _________ is the bravest thing I have ever done.

3. I swear by _________ as a cure for _________.

4. As if _________ wasn't bad enough, _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

As I've mentioned many times lately, I'm in a spooky mood. This happens to me pretty much every time the weather starts warming up. I start craving autumn, and then I get in the mood for Halloween, and then I feel like scribbling up spooky doodles. I hope to get some new summertime spooky doodles drawn soon, but in the meantime I'll be sharing some flashbacks. For today, here's another one from my "Halfway to Halloween" series of doodles I shared for an April A to Z Challenge a few years ago. All of these starred my calico angel Rosie. This one here is an odd one, but I remember really enjoying scribbling up Rosie in a skeleton costume.

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Tip of the Day

Today's food tip is all about those carbs. When we think of carbohydrates, things like pasta and bread may come to mind. But, carbohydrates in other forms are an important aspect in pet food. In a dog or cat's food, carbohydrates often come from plants or grains, such as corn, rice, oats, or wheat. Just as in humans, carbohydrates can serve as a source of energy and fuel for our furbaby's body. That being said, carbohydrates are one aspect of pet food that may hold different levels of importance for cats and dogs.

Dogs are omnivores. This means that, even in the wild, they get their nutrition from both animal and plant sources. For this reason, carbohydrates in the form of plants and grains are of course important in commercial dog food, just as meat products are. 

On the other hand, cats are strict carnivores, and in the wild they gain much of their nutrition and energy from the protein and fat of their prey. This is why plants and grains in commercial cat food is sometimes debated. Some studies indicate that cats in the wild do consume a small percentage of plant and grain carbohydrates, these being from whatever vegetation their prey may have eaten. Regardless, most commercial cat foods do contain carbohydrates from plants and grains, some in far higher percentage than others. This is where reading labels and comparing protein versus carbohydrate levels can be important for cat owners to do.

Not only is it important to consider a cat's strict carnivore ancestry, but it's also important to realize that for cats as well as dogs, a diet with a higher carbohydrate content can potentially lead to digestive concerns, such as diarrhea or flatulence. In addition, just as can be the case with fats and even protein, an excess of carbohydrates in the diet can potentially lead to weight gain. This is all just one more reason why it is so important to research, understand, and discuss with your veterinarian the best diet for your kitty or pup.