A Birthday Bash and the Friendly Fill-Ins

Let's kick today off with a little something special...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, THIMBLE!

My little girl is turning 10 years old today. It is indeed her golden birthday. And she's just as adorable as when she was a kitten.

But you know what? It's not just Thimble celebrating a birthday today. After all, Thimble has three brothers. One of them owns my sister and currently lives with us, and that would be handsome tuxie boy Toby.

And the other brothers own my parents and are tuxie Talon and Thimble's much larger tabby twin Trapper.

These four kitties came to our family at roughly 3 weeks old, after a neighbor of my grandma found them and put them in a bucket. They sat in said bucket for hours to days, until my grandma found them and immediately took them in. Within a couple days, they were with my parents, my sister, and myself. The intent was for us to bottle feed them until we could find them homes. Obviously, every single one of them was a foster fail, and I couldn't be happier about that.

If you would like a dose of adorable, itty bitty, baby versions of Thimble, Toby, Talon, and Trapper, here you go.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, 

THIMBLE, TOBY, TALON, AND TRAPPER!

We love you kitties all so much, and we are so glad you came into our lives! Here's to many, many, many more!

***

Of course, we didn't forget about the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, and now 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. Life is too short to tolerate _________.

2. _________ gives me hope.

3. I've been feeling _________ because _________.

4. I'm well aware that my _________ is a bit odd.

My answers are below in bold.

1. Life is too short to tolerate things that don't bring you joy.
(This is such a basic answer, but it's also so true. When I hit 30 a few years ago, and it's like that's when I really, truly realized this. I'd always been somewhat averse to things that didn't bring me joy, as most humans are, but I'd do them anyway due to a sense of obligation. Obviously this is necessary in certain situations, like when it comes to your health and such, but a lot of times, it's just not necessary. It's not worth doing hobbies or jobs you don't enjoy, or being around places or people that don't make you feel your best. Life really is too short to waste it.)

2. My furry family gives me hope.
(I thought and thought on what I could put for this, but I just kept coming back to this. It's true, so why not just let it be the obvious answer.)

3. I've been feeling melancholic because I'm reading the last currently published book in a series I'm really enjoying.
(I mentioned this book series a few weeks ago. It's a weird and wacky series known as Dungeon Crawler Carl, and it involves lots of sci-fi and fantasy chaos, and a talking tortie Persian kitty who happens to have her very own velociraptor. It's as oddball as it sounds, which is exactly my kind of thing. I'm on the sixth book, which is the last one currently published. The author is planning on publishing something along the lines of ten books, and he's posted online that he's nearing the end of writing the seventh book. I happily read all of the first six books in a row after discovering the series, so when I finish this last published one, I'm not going to know what to do with myself until the next one comes out.)

4. I'm well aware that my art is a bit odd.
(While some of my doodles are pretty straightforward and "normal", I also love drawing things that others might consider all shades of wacky. For example, I drew fan art for the chaotically fun book series I mentioned above, putting my kitties into scenes based on the books, and they're weirder than weird, but I enjoyed drawing them so much. I'll be sharing those drawings soon, and you'll probably look at some of them thinking, what in the world is that?)

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.

***

Tip of the Day

Today's wildlife tip involves ways you can make your yard more wildlife-friendly. Of course, before you start making changes to your yard, ensure that the yard is still safe for your furbabies, and that your yard's attributes do not infringe on your neighbors. That being said, what are some ways you can make your yard more wildlife-friendly? You can of course add bird feeders, and areas where squirrels are fed. A bird bath is also very beneficial for both birds and squirrels, as long as you keep it clean and well tended. Bird houses are another possibility. You can also use the help of nature to make your yard a lovely place for wildlife to spend their time. Not only can you plant flowers for birds and insects to enjoy, but you can also maintain trees and bushes as areas where wildlife can seek refuge and nest.

Of course, we will again note that you must take the safety of both your furbabies and wildlife into consideration. Do not plant any flowers toxic to dogs or cats where your furbabies can reach. Also be cognizant of the location of bushes and trees. Why? For multiple reasons. Birds and other wildlife will not want to spend time in bushes or trees where dogs and cats frequent, as our furbabies are seen as predators. This also goes for the placement of bird feeders, bird baths, and bird houses. In addition, our furbabies can possibly be infected or injured by some wildlife. Our kitties and pups can acquire certain parasites from wildlife or in areas where wildlife frequent, and they could also be injured if they startle certain critters. These are also reasons why it's important to be aware of possible interactions between our furbabies and wildlife.

In short, there are ways that you can make your yard more wildlife-friendly. After all, this makes for great Bird TV and Squirrel TV. But, of course, you must also take into consideration the safety of your furbabies as well as that of the wildlife.