Friendly Fill-Ins and Annoyed Eddy

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 _________ for fun.

2. I am tired of seeing _________.

3. I once had the crazy idea to _________, and it worked.

4. I spoke too soon when I said that _________.


My answers are below in bold. Yet again, I've rambled more than I have any right to. My apologies, again.

1. I read lengthy books for fun.
(Don't get me wrong, because in order for this to be fun for me it needs to be a genre, author, and just overall book that I enjoy. That said, when it's a book I'm excited for, I love seeing that it's over 600 or 700 pages, or more. That many pages means there's more story to enjoy, and for longer. One of my newer favorite fantasy authors has two books coming out over the next few months, and they're both over 600 pages, and that makes me so happy. I'm sure there are lots of people out there who get excited over a big book to read. But, I thought to put this answer because when I was recently talking to a fellow reader, they couldn't believe I was excited for books with that many pages.)

2. I am tired of seeing stories of animal cruelty.
(None of us like these terrible stories, that's for sure. Animals offer unconditional love and deserve nothing but the best, so seeing stories of cruelty towards them boils my blood. Since I follow so many animal accounts on social media, my algorithms will give me all sorts of animal stories, including the devastating ones. Animal abusers deserve the same treatment they give to the innocent creatures of this world, a sentiment I feel every time I see these heartbreaking stories.)

3. I once had the crazy idea to try alcohol markers, and it worked.

(I can sometimes be a stick in the mud. When I have a preferred method for doing something, I'm not always comfortable changing it. For my entire youth and early adulthood, I would draw using just pencil and/or pen. Then I started seeing more and more artists sharing their work created by alcohol markers. I was very intrigued, but I kept dragging my feet on getting any. I apparently mentioned my intent to someday try them to my sister enough times that she showed up one day with a set of 12 alcohol markers and told me to try them already. I did, and I've never looked back. Thanks, sis! I used to never draw in a bright, colorful, cartoon style, but now that's pretty much all I create. I enjoy it so much.)

4. I spoke too soon when I said that my old car and old furnace were behaving.

(My car is 16 years old and my furnace is 26 years old. They've both been doing great for their age. I even made the fatal error of saying that out loud recently, and mentioned it here on our blog. Not long after that, my car started throwing some warning lights. Luckily these were found to be the result of my poor old car being more sensitive to cold weather these days, and after a quick checkup it's still hanging in there and serving me well. I have faith in you, car. As for my furnace, it started making multiple failed attempts to run the other day. I was worried it was croaking, given that it's a quarter of a century old. Turns out, the flame sensor was just dirty and it was a quick and cheap fix. Whew.)

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.

***

I mentioned last week how Eddy isn't a big fan of cameras or having her photo taken. I can't go without photographic memories of my sweet girl, though, so I do sneak photos ops when I can. She always notices, of course, which more often than not leads to annoyed looks on her cute face.

Though she might look a little dour there, Eddy still wishes you all a fantastic Friday!

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

I had forgotten about this kooky, spooky winter doodle I scribbled up a couple years ago until I scrolled past it in my archives yesterday. So, I figured I'd go ahead and share it again.

***

Tip of the Day

Among other things, February is National Pet Dental Health Care Month. So, of course we'll be giving a couple of tips on keeping those pearly whites healthy and happy. Let's start with a quick discussion on at-home care and dental disease prevention. First and foremost, of course, is the act of brushing your furbaby's teeth, which can help remove food morsels, plaque, and other debris that could lead to tartar and other dental issues. Though this is not a job that every furbaby enjoys or even allows, if they are trained to accept it and it is done correctly, brushing can help keep those teeth healthy and happy. There are pet-friendly toothpastes and other oral cleansers out there, as well as pet-friendly toothbrushes and other similar tools for cleaning those teeth. There are even products on the market that more heavily focus on helping treat gum disease, such as for those furbabies with a history of gingivitis or stomatitis. Not all dental products are created equally, though, so if you are unsure what is safest or best for your furbaby, then most certainly discuss the options with your veterinarian.

There are also other types of products on the market that can potentially help teeth remain as healthy as possible. These of course include treats and food formulated for dental health. This is something that again can be discussed with your veterinarian, as he or she will best be able to guide you to products that are the most reliable and effective.

Dental care can of course start at home, but do keep in mind that it is still possible for tartar, gingivitis or stomatitis, and other forms of dental disease to arise even with brushing and other at-home care being used. Tomorrow we'll discuss some of the symptoms you might notice if your furbaby's oral health is in need of further assistance.