Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

(Woops. I either forgot to schedule this post, or Blogger just outright ignored my request to publish it. I'm guessing it was human error on this very human's end. Either way, here's our post, late but here nonetheless.)

Hello and happy Thursday, friends! We're ready to rhyme, thanks to Angel Sammy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge.

As always, our host shared a photo prompt to help guide our poetic endeavors. This week's prompt is this tasty one here:

After I drooled over all of those goodies, I got to thinking on a poem to go with it. Yet again, I ended up with a weird and kooky one. I'm still in a spooky sort of mindset, what with autumn and Halloween being just around the corner. So, that's the direction my wacky poem went. If you're up for something strange to read, here you go.

Terror Town

When Ginger moved to town,
She wasn't sure whether to smile or frown.
After all, the place was nothing if not eccentric.
It was called Terror Town and had a rather strange aesthetic.

On her first day in in that strange place,
Ginger talked to a woman with a green and warty face.
Is she a witch? Is this for real? Ginger asked quietly inside her own head.
"Nice to meet you," to the woman Ginger oh so politely said.

The green woman who may have been a witch was her new neighbor.
At least she had seemed nice and not all that wicked to Ginger.
When Ginger walked downtown that evening in search of the store,
She met some more interesting town folk, and then plenty more.

A ghost floated down the street whistling a tune,
While a werewolf sat on a park bench howling at the newly risen moon.
The owner of the shop she finally found was none other than a mummy,
And was that worker stocking the shelves the actual Easter Bunny?

Ginger knew that she herself was perhaps not all that normal,
But she also certainly wasn't, well, you know, paranormal.
Maybe her ears were a little pointy and her hair bright red and striped,
But she certainly wasn't—what was that over there?—a sprite? 

You're probably wondering what brought Ginger to this Terror Town,
And the reason made her really quite proud.
You see, Ginger had gotten a job there as a teacher.
Except, she hadn't known her students would be, well, creatures.

Taking in all the new and freaky sights and sounds,
Ginger started to feel a tad bit overwhelmed by Terror Town.
There was only thing Ginger wanted in that strange and confusing time.
There was only thing that could make her feel better and happy and fine,
And that was something sweet and chocolate and divine.

Still new and honestly lost in this strange place,
Ginger turned to the nearest face.
It happened to be that of a troll.
Sighing, she asked, "Where's the nearest bakery, do you know?"

The troll went on and on about the best bakeries in town.
The fact that there were so many certainly did not make Ginger frown.
Nonetheless, she was looking for a quick and easy solution,
And she headed toward the nearest one the troll mentioned in all of the confusion.

The bakery Ginger chose was, mercifully, just around the corner.
Even so, she all but cringed at the sign in front of her.
Creepy Cupcakes is what that bakery's weird little sign said.
She hadn't asked the bakery's name, Ginger realized with a shake of her head.

No matter, Ginger thought to herself.
I'll take any baked good this place has on its shelves.
Well, she thought that before she got inside,
Before all the sights in the bakery met her eyes.

Looking up and down the counter that held the cupcakes, 
Ginger sighed and thought, Seriously, what is up with this place?
One of the cupcakes had an actual face,
And that face was complete with beady eyes and fangs.
Ginger thought she herself might be eaten by that very cupcake.

Another cupcake boasted an entire graveyard on top.
Out of its frosting for grass tombstones did pop.
And then there was the witchy cupcake beside that,
It's icing carved into a pointy little hat.

When someone appeared on the other side of the counter,
Covered in flour and cocoa and baking powder,
Ginger said, "Do you have even just one plain cupcake?
One without anything creepy like a face or fangs?"

The person she asked was something along the lines of a vampire.
That realization didn't really make Ginger feel all that inspired.
Even so, the vampire smiled a fanged smile and did say,
"One non-terrifying cupcake coming your way."

And, indeed, in front of Ginger was soon a plain and simple chocolate cupcake,
Which was the most normal sight Ginger had seen all day.
Even better, the cupcake was really quite delicious,
Enough so that, suddenly, Terror Town seemed far less malicious.

***

Thursday would not be complete without Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

As always, Thimble is here today to give some thanks. She's not only grateful for being downright adorable, but both Thimble and I are also both thankful that her senior bloodwork came back looking perfect.

Oh, and feel free to boop that nose.

***

Last but not least, let's share the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. My co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing is the mastermind behind the first two, and I came up with the second two.

 

1. I plan to _________ these last few days of August.

2. I am a _________.

3. _________ is proving difficult these days.

4. Have I ever told you about the time that I _________?

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

***

Tip of the Day

We're on our final tips in our series about kitty vet visits. Today's tip doesn't directly relate to the physical act of taking your cat to the vet, but it still can play a part in those vet visits. What we're talking about are a variety of ways that might help you pay vet bills. We have a number of thoughts on this topic, and so this will be a long one.

So, let's start with pet insurance. As most of you likely already know, you can indeed get insurance for your furbabies. Just as with humans, there are a variety of companies and policies to choose from, and so pet insurance can certainly involve some research in order to determine the best coverage for your furbaby. In the end, though, this research and the resulting coverage you select can potentially save you money. For example, depending on the policy you choose, you could possibly save a large sum of money in the event of an unexpected pet emergency that is at least partially covered by your pet's insurance.

All of the above being said, when it comes to pet insurance, do try to think ahead. If you are interested in starting your furbaby on a policy, perhaps do so when they're still young and healthy. One reason for this is that some companies and policies make it difficult, or even impossible, to acquire coverage for an animal who is already geriatric or sick. So, early on, consider the benefits you might obtain from pet insurance, do your research, and then do what is best for you and your furbaby.

Besides pet insurance, another option is CareCredit. CareCredit is a credit card that can be used to pay medical bills, such as vet bills. Just like pet insurance, this one will likely require some research to ensure it is a good fit. For example, not all vet clinics accept CareCredit as a means of payment. Therefore, you would want to find out if your preferred vet accepts CareCredit before applying for it.

In addition to all of the above, if needed, some vet clinics also allow for payment plans. Some vets are especially willing to do this for clients in good standing, and who have proven trustworthy and who have shown a willingness and ability to pay for funds in a timely manner. If you have large furry family, if you are faced with a pet emergency, or if there are other such circumstances, perhaps consider discussing with your veterinarian the possibility of making payments to cover your furbaby's bills. If you do so, of course also ensure that you understand all of the terms, and that you are able to make payments on time and in agreement with the payment plan.

One last idea we're sharing today is to simply do your best to have some sort of "pet emergency fund" in which you save money over time. Such a fund can come in handy especially if you do not have pet insurance or CareCredit, and if you don't use a payment plan at your vet clinic. Accidents and emergencies can indeed happen, and they can happen when you least expect it. What's more, resulting vet bills can potentially start racking up. So, if and when possible, try to determine ways to save even just a little money each week or month in order to contribute to a "pet emergency fund", so that you won't be left scrambling to find funds for your furbaby. Ways to save a little extra for such a fund might mean cutting back on eating out, cutting back on the number of coffees you buy, cutting back on your clothes spending, or cutting back on other luxuries. Rest assured, though, that passing on a special luxury or two is well worth it for your furbaby's health and happiness.

Furbabies make wonderful companions, but they are also, admittedly, not free. They require care, just like humans do, and that care does come with a cost. Therefore, always include your furbabies in your budget or other financial plans. This might require some research, but our furbabies are always worth it.