Friendly Fill-Ins and Eddy's Photo Fail

Hello, 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 have changed _________ in the past year.

2. I need to get moving on _________.

3. Though it might seem childish, I _________.

4. _________ wasn't as _________ as I thought it would be.


My answers are below in bold, along with unnecessarily lengthy explanations.

1. I have changed my morning routine in the past year.

(Over the past year or so, Evan has been put on a variety of new medications, mostly for his urinary and intestinal issues. He gets anywhere from six to nine medications every morning, and half as many every evening. Prepping Evan's medications and administering them to him takes a bit of time, in part because a number are crushed and/or dissolved, some are liquid suspensions I draw up in a syringe, and one is given transdermally. What's more, Evan is not the biggest fan of medication time, so a tiny little battle ensues every time. Before work, my mornings also include feeding the furry babies, scooping litter, tending to feral kitties in our neighborhood, walking pup Astrid, and doing a workout. With Evan's new medication necessities, I've started getting up 30 minutes earlier than I used to, usually in the 5 o'clock hour, so that I can fit it all in. I'm a morning person and so I don't really mind, but the mornings I fall behind turn into pure chaos.)

2. I need to get moving on my writing projects.

(I've been saying this for years. I love writing. I've always wanted to be a writer, an author. And for years now, I've been planning and writing stories in the same fantasy world I created quite some time ago. The stories keep shifting and evolving. Earlier this year I had a huge revelation for my stories. A missing piece of the giant puzzle finally crawled out of the depths of my brain. All that to say, I've reworked some things and now have a new starting point for my stories. I've been chipping away at it, but I have some publishing goals, and even some publishing experimentation I want to try, and so I need to really get to writing.)

3. Though it might seem childish, I went to a kids' summer showing of How to Train Your Dragon.

(I've mentioned before how How to Train Your Dragon is one of my favorite movies. It came out when I was in college, when I was already an adult, but that didn't stop me from falling in love with it. I have watched that movie dozens upon dozens of times. I have memories of my angel Rosie watching the dragons fly around the TV screen, and now Thimble does the same thing. All that to say, on Monday of this week, a local theater had a free, midday showing of the movie. It was targeted for kids, though anyone was welcome, so I left work early for the day and went with my sister and mom. It was one of the most fun things I've done in a while.)

4. My most recent horror read wasn't as scary as I thought it would be.
(I'm one of those people who likes the horror genre. I like books as well as movies that can give me a good scare. So, I recently looked for a new book that was deemed scary by the majority of its readers. I found one by a new author that many people said was as scary as Stephen King's Pet Sematary. Given that Pet Sematary is one of only two books that have ever truly scared me, I was all for it. But, I didn't find this other, new book scary whatsoever. It wasn't a bad book, and it even starred a canine character who does not die in the end, which gets a thumbs up from me. But, it just wasn't the scare I was looking for. If anyone's curious, the book I'm talking about is Mean Spirited by Nick Roberts.)

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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And now it's time for the Pet Photo Fails Blog Hop, hosted by none other than Melissa and Mudpie of Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries, & Meows.

You better believe your blooper queen Eddy is ready for the event. If you're looking for blurry and off-center, Eddy's got you covered.

Happy Friday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Yesterday, Thimble shared some photos of her watching a momma opossum eating on our back porch, while carrying 9 babies on her back. That reminded me of this drawing I scribbled up a couple years ago, and which I'd honestly love to recreate with upcoming holiday themes. Because what's more festive than an opossum.

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Tip of the Day

We've given tips on cats and their litter boxes multiple times before. The litter box plays such a crucial role in not only your cat's daily life, but also their health and happiness. That's why we've decided to refresh and repeat an entire, comprehensive series of tips on that box of litter.

The first tip in this series is all about selecting the type of litter box. You wouldn't think a litter box could come in all that many varieties, but the litter box aisle at the pet store begs to differ. Litter boxes come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and configurations. That means there are a lot of considerations to make when selecting that litter box.

So, let's start with size. Is your cat of the larger variety? Especially in the case of a large cat, it is important to make sure the litter box is big enough. Out-of-box behavior, even if in the form of accidental misses, can occur if the box is too small for the cat. Sometimes, you'll even need to make sure to get a box that is not only large enough but that also has tall enough sides. Some cats are more prone to raising their rear end when urinating, for example, which would mean that a box with tall sides is a far more ideal option.

The above being said, also take into consideration if your cat is small. If you have a petite cat or a kitten, you might at least have to start with a small box. Being able to climb over the edge of the box in order to get inside is of course important. A kitten might very well outgrow their first litter box, but when they're small, they of course need to be able to comfortably climb into the litter box. In truth, though, no matter the size of your cat, stick to whatever size of box they seem to prefer and do well with. Some cats might be large, but also might prefer and do just fine with a small box. Take any such preferences your cat has into consideration.

There are also different shapes of cat litter boxes. There are rectangles, squares, circles, ovals, and even some triangular ones that can fit into corners. When selecting the shape of the litter box, you can base your decision on concepts such as how the shape might affect your furbaby's ability to get comfortable when in the box, or how the shape might affect the way it fits in your home. Then again, as mentioned above, your cat might reveal a preference for litter box shape, and if so, go with that.

Next up is an oft debated litter box detail. And that is, do you get a covered box? Or, do you get an uncovered box? Let's go right ahead and touch upon the fact that, ultimately, the cat gets to pick. Some cats prefer a box that is covered, such as for the sake of privacy. Other cats do not like covered boxes. That being said, covered boxes can harbor smells far more easily than uncovered boxes. Imagine walking into a portable toilet, one in which all of the smells just sit and fester. No one enjoys using a portable toilet, and that might be how some cats feel about a covered litter box. Again, though, the truth of the matter is that the cat should get to pick what kind of toilet they use. If your cat will not enter or use a covered box, but will willingly urinate or defecate in an uncovered box, then an uncovered box it is. If your cat urinates or defecates outside of an uncovered box, but will willingly go into a covered box and use it, then no matter what your thoughts on this topic are, your cat just gave you their answer.

So, when it comes to selecting the type of litter box your cat will use, of course take into consideration their size, whether the box will harbor smells, and other such details. That being said, though, just like us, our cats often have preferences and opinions on various matters. The litter box might very well be one of these matters. That's why, when it comes to any of the details of the litter box, if your cat shows a preference, take note of that and run with it.