Friendly Fill-Ins and Festively Fun Eddy on the Ninth Day of Christmas

Hello, friends! It's time 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. _________ is a New Year's tradition for me.

2. _________ is not the same as _________.

3. I would pick _________ as my theme song for 2026.

4. I'm a coward when it comes to _________ but brave when _________.


My answers are below in bold.

1. Watching While You Were Sleeping as the clock strikes midnight is a New Year's tradition for me.
(While You Were Sleeping is a romantic comedy from 1995 starring Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman. Generally speaking, I'm not a fan of the romance genre. That said, I genuinely enjoy this movie. It's the only romcom I like, and it also takes place around Christmas and the New Year. My sister and I always go to my parents' house and we all ring in the New Year together by putting this movie on. We even sometimes manage for it to strike midnight as the characters are having their own New Year celebration.)

2. Saying is not the same as doing.
(I've known some people in my life who will say they're going to do something, and then they never do it. It drives me crazy when people act like saying something is just as good as doing it.)

3. I would pick "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen as my theme song for 2026.
(I feel like I picked this song for a similar fill-in in the past, but it's simply what immediately came to my mind. Not only is it my favorite Queen song, but it gives me a lot of energy. I also have a great deal I want to accomplish this year, so the theme of the song also just fits.)

4. I'm a coward when it comes to my own medical procedures but brave when my furry babies need medical care.
(I'm a bit of a wimp when any needles or other sharp tools approach me. I've found ways to manage my anxiety with that sort of thing, mostly that I don't look at what a needle or other tool is doing and that I have to lay down for blood draws, but I still can't keep some of that anxiety away when it comes to myself having anything like that done. When it comes to my furry babies, though, I can be present and keep a brave face. I used to work at a vet clinic and helped with lots of blood draws and surgeries there, and so it doesn't bother me when I'm helping a furry baby through a medical procedure. I'm glad that I'm far better at that sort of thing with my kitties than myself.)

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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We're making our way through the Twelve Days of Christmas, today being the ninth day, and Eddy's Christmas tree still excites her very much. So much so that she often gets quite active and blurry around it.

It's not even the official day of bloopers, but that's what my Eddy has for you all today nonetheless.

Merry Ninth Day of Christmas!

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Festive Flashback Doodle of the Day

Since I still need to scan and upload my new festive doodles for the final days of the Twelves Days of Christmas, I'm yet again sharing a flashback doodle. I always forget about this one until I go through my archive of drawings, but I'm always happy when I rediscover it. This one was inspired by A Christmas Carol and was clearly created for the New Year in 2023, though I've come to wish I hadn't put the actual year on it. So, let's just pretend it says 2026, shall we?

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Tip of the Day

Today's tip on caring for ferals and strays outdoors during the cold winter months is to, if possible, offer them some sort of shelter. Even a makeshift shelter is better than no shelter at all. For example, outdoor tables and chairs can be arranged to form a shelter under which a feral or stray can get some respite from direct inclement weather. Another cheap, makeshift option includes turning a Styrofoam cooler upside down to form a shelter, with a door cut out as an entrance. Other relatively cheap storage containers can also be used to create makeshift shelters, again simply by cutting out a door and ensuring that it is safe for use. Of course, if it is possible, you can also buy or build a sturdier, more permanent shelter, such as one constructed out of wood. Another option, although of course only if it is safe and free of dangers, is to allow ferals and strays to spend cold winter days or nights in a garage or shed. Again, only if they are free of potentially dangerous items, a garage or shed can be used as a warm place for ferals and strays to spend cold winter days or nights. All in all, if you are able to, consider setting up some form of shelter to help ferals and strays have some respite from the elements. Even a makeshift shelter formed out of materials you already have could be a great benefit to them. Our next couple of tips will discuss feral cat shelters and their components in more detail.