Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

Hello and happy Thursday, friends! We have some hopping to do today, and as usual, we'll start with our rhyme.

We always enjoy participating in Angel Sammy and Teddy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge. Each week, our wonderful hosts share a photo prompt to guide our poetic endeavors. This week's image is this unique and fun one here:

This image immediately made me think of the movie A Bug's Life. Has anyone seen that animated film? I remember going to see it in theaters as a kid. Though I haven't seen it in some time now, I did always enjoy that movie. But I digress.

Long story short, my mind wandered just a tad bit away from A Bug's Life and twisted it instead into a silly little tale about a dog. Not just any dog, though, but a Pug. Of course, there is also an ant thrown into the poetic mix, too.

That all being said, I'll be completely honest and admit that I'm not a fan of this poem I wrote. It seems to have just moseyed its lazy way out of my brain, and I feel like it landed on the page in a boring pile of words. Nevertheless, here it is:

A Pug's Life

His name was Doug,

And he was a Pug.

He had the cutest and flattest mug.

Oh, and his best friend was a bug.

Doug loved to sit out in his yard,

Watching and barking at every passing car.

In his yard there were hundreds and hundreds of tenants.

After all, a family of ants had built their hill of a home over by the fence.

One such ant was Doug's very best friend.

He was tiny and went by the name of Ed.

Doug and Ed loved to go on grand adventures,

So long as out of the yard they did not venture.

It was on one bright and brisk autumn day,

When something in the yard seemed quite out of place.

"What is that over there?" Doug did ask.

Ed climbed up Doug's back to see the facts.

Ed scrunched up his tiny little eyes,

But he did not have an answer, to his surprise.

He thought he knew all about this great big world,

Yet just over yonder something quite unknown unfurled.

It rose above the grass, this thing so strange to see.

Actually, these strange things numbered a total of three,
All rising from the grass beneath that old oak tree.

They were red on top,
With white polka dots.

And on top of that one there—was that a frog?

Doug and Ed squinted their eyes,
But that did not make them any more wise.
So then they tilted their heads,
But that brought an answer to neither Doug nor Ed.

Their only option was to see for themselves,
Which made them glad the strange things numbered three and not twelve.
Unsure if danger awaited,
They tiptoed, breath bated.

They drew near enough to the strange things to whisper,
"Pssst! Hey, frog! Hey, mister!"
The critter resting on the white and red things glanced over.
It said, "First of all, my name is Rover.
Second of all, I'm a toad, not a frog.
Imagine if I called you a cat instead of a dog!"

After apologizing for his great error,
Doug the Pug asked, with a tad bit of fear and terror,
"Could you tell us what these things are?
We've never seen anything like them in our lives thus far."

"I'm a toad," the amphibious fellow again said.
Then he added, "These are toadstools, obviously, ahem."
"Oh?" Doug asked, giving the red and white toadstools a good look.
"Wait, aren't these those things people sometimes cook?"
"Wait, what?" the toad asked in horror.
"They better not be, or I'll get a lawyer!"

Ed shrugged and climbed aboard a vacant toadstool.
"Oh!" he shouted. "This is quite cozy and cool!"
"That seat's taken," the toad did say.
"My family will arrive soon, and here we will say."

"Oh, what fun!" Doug said with a wide smile.
"I love getting new neighbors every once in a while!"
"We're the type who keep to ourselves,"
Was what the toad said with a ribbit and a grumbling belch.

Doug shook his head and said, "Don't be silly!
Neighbors are always friends, or my name is Billy."
Doug invited Ed and the toad over for dinner,
But the toad said he best focus on prepping his new home for winter.

"No worries!" Doug happily replied.
"Tomorrow I'll pop in with a housewarming surprise."
"No, really, that's not necessary," the toad did stutter and cry.
"I'll be quite busy, and that's no lie."

Doug waved off the toad's silly words.
Then he said, "I'll even invite this old oak tree's family of birds!
Yes, Ed and I will throw you a grand party, Mr. Toad.
Such fun and games you are most certainly owed."
With a wave, Doug and Ed then turned and away they strode,
As a ribbit, grumble, and sigh emitted from the antisocial toad.

***

What else does Thursday mean around here?

Thimble! This little lady cat is always happy to give you all a good ol' dose of her adorable self on Thursdays. What's more, Thimble's also always eager to participate in Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today, Thimble is thankful for the sun (she could do without this here human's lack of proper photography skills, but at least she has the sun). Today, we're getting us a few inches of snow. The ground is already covered in the stuff, and more just keeps falling. That's why when we see the sun, we're all so very grateful for it.

Of course, as always, we're also so very thankful for all of you. Thank you for being our friends, friends!

***

And now we have for you the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. Ellen of 15andmeowing is the mastermind behind the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. I can't wait to have _________ on Thanksgiving. (If not in the USA, substitute your next holiday.)

2. I am thankful for _________.

3. When it comes to pie, _________. 

4. A feast is not a feast without _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

***

Our Tip of the Day:

A discussion on Thanksgiving dinner foods would not be complete without noodles, would it? If noodles are part of your holiday meal, it could likely be considered safe to feed your furbaby a small amount of plain noodles. Noodles can be a good source of energy in the form of carbohydrates, but of course they are best enjoyed in moderation for your furbaby. That being said, as always, also do consider any ingredients added the noodles. Refrain from feeding your pup or kitty noodles that include garlic or onion, for example, or that include any fatty or other sauces that might lead to gastrointestinal upset, pancreatitis, or other issues. So, if your furbaby fancies a taste of pasta, as long as it's plain, they can enjoy that little taste.