Friendly Fill-Ins

TGIF! I'm sure many of us look forward to Friday for a great many reasons. One of those reasons is the Friendly Fill-Ins, of course! In case you missed the fill-in statements yesterday, I'll share them again here. Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. I want to make _________.

2. My _________ are _________.

3. A day in my life always includes _________.

4. Good things happen to those who _________.


I took a turn to answer these myself. My filled in answers are in bold.

1. I want to make art.
(I tried to think of some specific answers to this, but most of them just stemmed back to this basic answer anyway. Drawing, crafting, and even arts such as writing are near and dear to my heart. All of these things are not only ways that I decompress and relax, but they're also one of the major ways I relate to the world around me. I'm a homebody who really just doesn't like to go out and do all that much. I'd rather stay home and cuddle with my furbabies, which I've discovered allows me to live various experiences simply by doodling them or writing them while sitting on my couch. Does that make even a lick of sense?

I've also come to realize that it's through art that I cope. I'll admit that I often still have trouble looking at photos of my angel Rosie, because they portray such raw moments that I miss. I have no trouble, however, drawing my sweet Rosie, and writing stories about her. I still feel very close to my angel Rosie, of course in large part because of all of the memories that we share, but also because I will always enjoy creating various forms of art that are heavily inspired by her. In fact, I have been planning a very lengthy series of doodles that involve my calico angel, among at least one other project I'm working on that she's inspired.

Whew! That was a wordy answer, wasn't it?)

2. My furbabies are the best friends I could ever ask for.
(Nothing says unconditional love like a whiskered face, a wet nose, and all that furry jazz.)

3. A day in my life always includes furry cuddles.
(The first and last thing I do every day is cuddle some furry cuties. I also do this countless times throughout the day, whether the furbabies like it or not.)

4. Good things happen to those who do their best.
(Perfection isn't always the answer. In fact, is it ever the answer? This is something I've had to learn for myself over the years. Sometimes, all it takes is doing your best, and things will fall into place.)

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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Who's ready for their Eddy fix? This girl decided to allow for both blurry and sort of non-blurry photos to be snapped of her recently. She's all about variety like that.

Happy Friday, friends!

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Our Doodle of the Day:

Let me just preface today's doodle by openly admitting that it's weird and wacky. Then again, that's really not all that unusual for me, is it? I think this doodle might need a tad bit more of an explanation, though, because it doesn't make a whole lot of sense on its own.

Just like me, my sister is a fan of Harry Potter. What's more, today happens to be my sister's birthday, and so today's doodle is the birthday card I made for her. Speaking of birthdays, in the Harry Potter books, one of Harry's first happy moments is when the character known as Hagrid gives Harry a less than aesthetic yet nonetheless thoughtful, homemade birthday cake. Now, this character Hagrid happens to be a big, fuzzy, half-giant wizard whose magical wand moonlights as a pink umbrella. Makes perfect sense, right? Can you see why I enjoy books like Harry Potter? Because they're just as weird and wacky as me. 

Oh my goodness, one of these days I'll stay on topic. Maybe. Except probably not. Anyway, long story short, for my sister, today's doodle stars pup Astrid as a giant Hagrid with none other than a birthday cake. Couldn't I have just said that to begin with? Obviously not. Here you go.

Happy birthday to this here human's sister, who is mom to Toby and Winky, and co-mom to pup Astrid!

On one last rambling note, remember how earlier this week I started a series of doodles based on Harry Potter, in which I set out to remedy the fact that this book series needs more cats? Well, after a battle with a malfunctioning scanner that now finally works, I will be sharing the last two doodles in that series over the weekend. I do apologize for all of the weird and wacky doodles I'm throwing your way. I just can't help myself, it would seem.

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Our Tip of the Day:

Yesterday we discussed symptoms you might notice if your furbaby is suffering from any number of dental issues or diseases. Our tip for today is a bit of a long one, and it will wrap up our dental tips. We'll start with the recommendation of, of course, taking your furbaby to be seen by a veterinarian if you notice any dental concerns. Your veterinarian can take a look in your cat or dog's mouth to get a basic idea of what might be going on. They might be able to see a broken tooth, an abscess or infected tooth, gingivitis or other gum disease, or masses growing within the mouth. Of course, a simple exam may not reveal everything, and when dental disease is noted or suspected, it might very well be recommended that the animal go under anesthesia for a more thorough dental exam, dental x-rays, dental cleaning, or extractions.

If a dental procedure is recommended, of course discuss the necessary details, options, and plans with the veterinarian. Make sure that both you and your veterinarian are on the same page. If your furbaby has other existing diseases, such as those of the kidney or heart and lungs, of course discuss with your veterinarian if or how it is best to safely proceed with a procedure.

If a dental procedure is scheduled, make sure that you understand all preparations for it. Give your kitty or pup any prescribed pre-op medications, such as antibiotics, if applicable. Just as we recently discussed in one of our spay/neuter tips, also be sure to pull your furbaby's food at 10 pm or so the night before the surgery, or whenever you are instructed to do so, in order to reduce the risk of aspiration while under anesthesia.

Also make sure you understand all post-op care. For example, give antibiotics, pain killers, or other medications as instructed. Some dental work, such as tooth extractions, requires that your furbaby go off of dry food and exclusively eat moist food for at least a couple or a few days after the procedure. Be sure that you understand if this is required, so that your furbaby can recover and heal as quickly and efficiently as possible. After dental work is performed, also make sure that you understand if your veterinarian recommends at-home care from then on out, such as brushing your cat or dog's teeth or applying certain oral medications on a regular basis to help prevent future concerns.