Because I have ‘SUCKER’ stamped on my forehead.

Sometimes someone comes to you, and you just know that you’re going to give in if it’s left up to you. In that moment, you count on your spouse to tell you no, we don’t need that in our lives.

Like, I was REALLY counting on it.

But, he didn’t say no.

It was an animal in need.

In these cases, my will power is not the greatest.

Let it be known that I was once offered a Paint horse (my dream horse) and I turned it down! BECAUSE I AM MOST OFTEN RESPONSIBLE.

One month ago, I wasn’t responsible.

A monster dumped a bunch of guinea pigs in a ditch (no cage) and left them to fend for themselves on a very cold week in Michigan. The rescuer happens to be the cousin to my coworker’s wife who I am close with. I’ve always wanted a guinea pig but have never had one. When the rescuer offered to give me every thing I needed to care for one, just so they would have a home, there wasn’t much resistance left in me. Then the husband didn’t help matters.

Without further ado, please welcome Abbath, Dark Lord of Wiggles.

I don’t have any regrets. He’s incredibly cute and fun. We did go on a whirlwind of educating ourselves about guinea pigs, and we still are.

Before someone inevitably attempts to inform me that guineas are better in pairs, we are aware, however, he would not stop dominating any of the pigs he came in with. That being said, we’re being cautious before adding another pig to the situation. From doing research and talking to people who have owned guinea pigs, some just do not do well with others and we’re not sure where he is at on that spectrum. Others insist that they cannot be alone.

What is important right now, is that he is safe, well fed and getting tons of attention. ❤

Expect him to make regular appearances here. 🙂

Have you ever had a guinea pig? What was your experience?

Faeries, Swords and Devils.

One major reason for my recent, unintended absence, was that the reading bug finally got me again. For all of 2023, I only read 10 books. Since the first of this year, I have read 11 and I’m currently working on two. One thicc boi for at home and one in my tote for lunch time at work.

Here’s a roundup of the few I’ve read recently:

For most of this novella, there wasn’t much that set it apart from other fantasy novels, but I was still enjoying myself. With the route it was taking, I didn’t expect the turn that it took towards the end. I thought it would follow a middle of the road path straight until the end and leave you wondering if the second book was worth the effort. But with that twist, I will read book two. I’m not running out to the store to get it anytime soon though, it wasn’t THAT good. Perfect size for work travel.

This book has some sentimental value. It is the last book in the last batch of books that my grandfather bought me before he passed away. That was 9 years ago. Somehow, subliminally, I saved one of the best for last. ZOMBIES. It’s been a minute since I last picked up a zombie novel. They are not all created the same. This one however, had enough twists to the world that my interest was piqued immediately. The zombie plague broke out 20 years ago and humanity has been dealing with it ever since. Not on the fringes barely being able to squeeze out an existence, but with cities and government still intact. The internet still exists, so communication is key. How have they not rid the undead pestilence yet when technology is so prevalent? Every human carries a virus payload within them, the virus can at times spontaneously overload your body and cause immediate transition. (Getting bit is still the main lethal spread.) We follow our main characters, journalists who run a blog (more trustworthy than the actual news, news failed to provide actual help as the outbreak happened) as they follow the presidential campaign across the country. It mixes adventure, flirting with death, politics and zombies into a deliciously morbid blend. I did not see the end coming.

Most of the time, I was burning through this series. It has taken me by surprise how much I have loved it. I was sketchy about trying the first book years ago, but a good friend convinced me, despite my reservations that it was worth it. She wasn’t wrong. Then, Moth bought me the second book and it sat on my shelf for about a year. Talking to the same friend who recommended it, she informed me that the second book was better than the first and she said, “Just do it.” I did. Before I was finished with it, I ran out and bought the third because there was so much detail that I knew I didn’t want to forget anything if I left off for a while. I got to the middle of the third book and Mr. C&M was ordering the last two for me so I wouldn’t have to fret. This series has unexpectedly launched into my top 10 series list. I still wouldn’t read Maas’ original assassin series as that does not appeal to me, but I will definitely keep up on her adult books. Now I anxiously await the next installment.

The blank says, “Beware of pit bulls. They will steal your heart.” And it is truth.

Mr. C&M also set up a new reading spot for me (and Ridley). This big recliner is right next to my bookshelf, the lamp is directly behind me, and I have a coaster for a drink. Ridley is my reading partner in crime, and we have sat together for many hours getting lost in different worlds. ❤

What are you reading right now?

Easy Banana Bread Recipe

Well there went a month without me noticing. :3

It was chaos and I wouldn’t even know where to begin so instead, let’s jump into this recipe that I managed to squeeze in amidst all the crazy.

Mr. C&M has been begging me to make banana bread for months now. So, one day after work, when it had been quiet, and therefore energy remaining, I did the thing.

Since I haven’t been baking a whole hell of a lot (this is my first recipe of 2024), my supplies were limited, and I had to find a simple recipe with limited ingredients.

Despite that, it was quite the tasty treat. Even better, I topped it with butter and Moth’s parents’ legendary raspberry rhubarb jam. (I cannot eat enough of that jam if I tried, and they keep me fully stocked!)

If you’re interested in giving it a try yourself, you can find the recipe HERE.

I will log in another night to catch up with everyone’s blogs. For right now, just know that I’m still kicking. Swimming in a sea of chaos but still swimming!

SIP (Swim in Peace)

It has been a busy couple of weeks since my last post. We had a friend from out of state come visit for a week and during that time we celebrated Moth’s birthday and went on some adventures. You can read about our trip to a death museum here if interested.

The grim reaper came to our house too. I announced that Ace passed unexpectedly. Unfortunately, a few days later, Booberry passed. He could not recover from his constipation despite my best efforts. (It could have also potentially been a stomach tumor, hard to tell with fish.) A week after that, Gourdie died as well! So here I sit, currently feeling like the worst betta owner ever. However, I have to remind myself, I’m also rescuing already unhealthy fish.

Booberry was especially hard as he’s the one who reignited my love for bettas and began my journey back into aquariums. D:

For anyone keeping count, I went from 5 bettas to 2 in the matter of a few weeks. That leaves some tanks sitting empty. No rush to add anyone new however, there is only one tank that I trust which is Booberry’s old place. He didn’t die of any environmental ailments that I can tell. I’ve decided the other two will be torn apart. One will be decommissioned and the other will be completely revamped and new plants added.

Yes, I said no rush for new tenants but there may be a new one lurking in Booberry’s place as of this minute. No official announcements until they are adjusted and deemed healthy enough that they won’t kick the bucket shortly after I post about them. :3

In other completely unrelated news, the verdict of the homemade dog food is in. The recipe I shared in my last post, lasted for 10 days, around 20 meals for 2 dogs. That broke down to about $0.72/meal. The cost of the cheapest canned dog food broke down to $0.67/meal. So, for $0.05 more per meal, I have food I can trust, that is healthier, and my dogs enjoy more. I think I will keep with it. I’m sure that I will share other recipes that I try in the future.

Finished books:

I will read about any cult, ever. I find it absolutely fascinating. This one is not for the faint of heart as there was child sexual abuse in this cult and the author is honest about their own experiences with it. I think it was so brave of this woman to come forward and share her experience being raised in a cult after keeping it secret most of her life.

I have had this as my lunch time read at work for over a year now but I FINALLY focused and finished it so I could clear it off of the shelf. While I did enjoy it, I did not like it as much as the first book. But this could very much be my fault, I sometimes did not pick it up for months at a time, so I wasn’t fully invested in what was happening.

Craft club returns for our second meeting ever this coming weekend! I am very excited. We’re trying to make dry terrariums. 😀

What is the most exciting thing coming up in your life in the near future??

Eat Your Carrots!

In the random workings of my mind, one day I decided that perhaps, I would attempt to make homemade dog food. My reasoning? Canned dog food has gone through the roof as of late. The cheap stuff is $2/can and the more expensive, quality stuff upwards of $5/can. My dogs eat 2/3 of a can per day. Why do they need canned food? They really don’t. It all began with Ozzy YEARS ago. He had to be medicated so much when we got him, we had to hide the meds in canned food to get it down him. Then, add to the fact that my brain decided that it would be really boring to eat the same thing for every meal, and you have my situation 15 years later.

Anyway, I digress. I began researching some homemade dog food recipes online and decided to give it a shot. I am not replacing my dry food but supplementing with homemade. There are MANY recipes on the internet, and this is the first one that I am trying.

In case you want to try this yourself; here are the measurements of the ingredients: 1.5 cups brown rice, 3 pounds ground turkey, 3 cups spinach (chopped), 2 cups carrots (shredded), 1 zucchini (shredded) and 1/2 cup peas (canned or frozen). All cooked up and put together.

It cost $14.40 and made around 4 quarts of food. (I know this because I froze some.) My final verdict on whether this saves me money, won’t come for a minute. I’ll do the math when I run out of food. But in the meantime, the dogs are losing their minds over it:

I’m adding fruits to it at least once a day as well. Strawberries were a hit. They both like banana and I think we’ll try blueberries soon. This was the thing that I was most excited to try over the weekend.

In other C&M news!

I finished two books since my first book of the year:

This was a lunch time book. It was entertaining and incredibly easy to read when you only have 20-30 minutes to do so. It was light-hearted, despite some dark content but there was nothing revolutionary here since I watched the HBO special once upon a time.

I finally picked up book 2 in this steampunk series that I started a few years back. I had a good time and was invested in the main characters (and some of the side characters too). I love the imagination that comes out in steampunk novels. This is a series that I think I will continue although I’m not racing out to find book 3.

Our betta Ace died unexpectedly Saturday night. I had cleaned his tank, came back a few hours later and he had passed. I’m not sure what happened. I don’t know if it was something I did, or the stress just took him. He was the least healthy fish rescue that I’ve had yet. I won’t lie and pretend that I’m not upset. Many people will (and have) said that it’s just a fish but to me, bettas are not your average fish. I will take solace in the fact that he had a very good 6-8 months with me that were not guaranteed when he came so close to dying in a cup at the store. RIP.

So, a mixed bag since my last post folks! How was your week? What was the best thing that happened? (Doesn’t matter if it’s a little or big thing, it just had to make you happy.)

Winter Actually Arrives

There is snow on the ground! It finally happened! I’m sure that you all think I’m insane, but I LIKE the first month of snow. In Michigan, we’ve largely had a lame, brown, rainy winter. The most depressing kind of winter that I can imagine. So, when Mr. C&M called to ask how the roads were on my way home from work on Friday after the storm had started, I enthusiastically responded, “They’re shit! It’s like being up north! I love it!”

For some clarification, I was raised in the snow belt region of Michigan. We were covered in heaps of snow, all winter long. Snowflakes so large, it was like lake effect snow but far from the great lakes. Snowbanks were taller than vehicles. You hauled sand around in your vehicle for the added weight for traction but also in the even that you got stuck in the snow, to help get you out. If you were smart, you had an emergency kit and sleeping bag in there too.

That being said, southern Michigan is a completely different story. People down here get stressed out and act like its end times over 3-4 inches. I can’t even pretend to be upset about that. Which genuinely shocks some customers. They’re ready to hunker down like it’s the snowpocalypse.

The temperature this morning was 1 degree. THAT I can do without. I just want snow not the bitter cold. The poor dogs can barely pee without their little paws freezing. I was forced to leave the warmth of my house for shampoo and conditioner today. We were completely out, like couldn’t milk anymore out of the bottle. I don’t recommend going outside. Just stay in the nice warmth, bundled in blankets and enjoy how pretty the snow is from the safety of your home.

We’re having grilled cheese and soup for lunch, followed by hot cocoa this evening. All the cold weather treats.

This past week was rather uneventful otherwise. The only thing of note was that I learned that there is a National Houseplant Appreciation Day! (There is a day for practically everything.) For people who are not fans of the snow, I will leave you off with some pretty green pictures to help you dream of spring. ❤

New Year. New Adventures. New Books. New Plants.

There is nothing quite like the promise a new year brings. If nothing else, you get to wash away the mental dirt of the past year and hope for new and better things. As such, I’m marching into 2024 feeling refreshed with many ideas of how to not only survive but thrive.

My first read of the year was an easy, fluffy, fantasy read. I sat down with my mug cake (chocolate with peanut butter chips, ala Reese’s) and hammered out half of the book in one sitting. Which was pretty simple, as the font is larger and 1.5 space. A former murderous orc decides to open up a coffee shop, coffee being unheard of in the city she chooses, and tries to make an honest living. An adorable coterie of characters joins her one by one. 5 out of 5 stars for me, making it a solid way to start off reading this year. (I only read 10 books in 2023, an all-time low. I accomplished zero of my bookish resolutions.)

One of my few resolutions for this year is doing more creative activities. I did succeed at starting that ambition towards the end of 2023 and I’m riding that high into this year. I’ve picked up a couple of old things I used do but that dropped off with the progression of life. I’ve started a sketch book again. I mean to get back to photography and keep trying new craft projects.

For Christmas, my aunt bought me this plant journal. (Check out my post Plantsteria for my rocket launch into that hobby.) I’ve started filling it out a little bit and I’m super excited about it. There is a section to attach pictures, but I have decided to draw the plants with color pencils. Moth is being a dear and giving me some of her old Prismacolor pencils to dabble with in the near future. I also received FOUR plant propagation stations from my aunt and husband. There may be a plant side hustle in my future or at the very least, a crap ton more plants in my house. But with this journal, I can keep track of the information needed on every plant I own and my successes and failures at making more of them.

One of the many cool presents I received from the indispensable Miss Moth, was two hand painted pots for plants. The Trick ‘r Treat one on the left being the first one that I transplanted my rattlesnake plant into. She was overdue for a new, slightly bigger pot. I think she’ll be happy here in the light of the aquarium, with her spider plant buddy and air plant neighbors. That’s seven plants in one spot if that gives you any idea about the rest of my house. :3 (Edgar strutting his stuff in the background.)

What does all of this mean for this blog in the next year? Anything and everything, my friends. I will be posting whatever random thing brings me joy and as the year progresses, probably some frustration posts as well. Overall, I am trying to remain positive and take things as they come. The last two years have been rough and I’m ready for that to turn around if only by the power of my determination.

Do you have any grands plans for your future?

I wish everyone nothing but wellness and joy in the times to come. ❤

Happy HOWLidays!

“Dear Santa, even though I recently ate SEVERAL bags of cookies, I really shouldn’t be on the naughty list. Love, Ridley”

Remember those cookies that I baked my last post? Well, someone who thinks he’s sly and has not been caught, decided to get them off the counter and eat EVERY SINGLE COOKIE in EVERY SINGLE BAG. That was less than a week after they were made. Then, just the other night, he stole the new bag of bulk dog treats off of the counter and ate those too. 1.5 pounds of treats to be exact.

He says he’s not sorry and he’ll definitely do it again given the chance.

Kids, amiright?

Anywho, I just wanted to drop in and wish everyone a very merry holiday season! I hope that you get to rest, relax, eat good food and enjoy good company. Refresh your soul and prepare for a brand new year of shenanigans. ❤

Staycation 2023

One delightful thing about being with one company for so long is that I have accrued quite a bit of vacation time. The downside of this last year has been the constant employee turnover, which led to having one full week of vacation left as the year is winding to a close. So, here I am, on vacation with nowhere to go. That’s not a complaint! I have so much I want to do around the house and never the time (or sometimes motivation) to do it.

I started my vacation out in a bit of a panic. I completely forgot that Cookie Day 2023 was scheduled right at the start of it. In fact, if it wasn’t for a chance call from my aunt, I would have missed it completely. Queue my first few hours off planning two recipes and an early morning trip to the store for ingredients. But I made it! (Only 14 minutes late.)

What is Cookie Day? A few years ago, I was invited by a few bakers in the family to join their little baking club. They meet one day before the holidays and bake their little hearts out. Each person brings two recipes. We bake them up, decorate if need be and split the goods. That means each person brings home 8 dozen cookies at the end of the day.

After that panic (and being stuffed full of cookies), I relaxed all day Sunday. Monday, I went Christmas shopping with my friend and Tuesday, my lease being up on my car, entailed figuring out what to do about that situation.

Yesterday, I was able to stay home and start working on some of those projects I mentioned. First project being to finally decorate for Christmas. I usually do this the weekend after Thanksgiving, but I was busy, and it didn’t happen.

I had the brilliant idea to decorate the tank stand that my uncle and I created together and I’m very pleased with the turnout:

Edgar approves of his festive space.

For now though friends, it’s time for me to spend a minute catching up on fellow blogs and then get back to work! I could truly take a second week off to get things done, but whatever I do now is at least a dent in it. 🙂

Are you done Christmas shopping yet??

Thankshenanigans

POW! BAM! BOOM!

Now that I have your attention, hello. How are you doing there? Did you have a good holiday weekend? Did you attempt black friday sales? Are you ready to get holly jolly?

We had a lovely four-day weekend. (Or at least I did. Mr. C&M had to work on Friday.) I currently feel rejuvenated and ready to tackle a work week. I’m sure future me will disagree come tomorrow morning. :3

We shared a lovely Thanksgiving feast with Mr. and Mrs. Moth at Moth’s parent’s house. It’s always laid back, with fun banter and good food. I could go there every year and perhaps we will. We tend to be flexible when it comes to Thanksgiving, but it’s hard to resist a place with zero drama that brings the flavor game every time.

We also had a belated celebration for Mr. Moth’s birthday. He had expressed interest in getting a betta a few months back. As far as I can remember, I don’t think he’s ever had a fish. So as a birthday present, we set him up with the tank he had envisioned. A black light tank. We’ve started him off with a 5-gallon tank and if he should dream bigger, he can upgrade from there. It was so much fun watching him pick out “the one.” It was a daunting task to not bring another one home myself as there were a LOT of dead fish in the wall of cups. But he rescued this handsome devil from a possibly terrible fate:

His name is to-be-determined but I’m so excited to get another person into the betta fandom and to have yet another betta to post about from time to time. 😀

Ridley and Noi were past due for some BFF time. (According to them, one day apart is too long.) Moth captured this very adorable moment when Noi was attempting to spring Ridley from “jail.” She was actively trying to slide the handle with her mouth and using her paws to try to pry the door open. Why was he in jail? He had just eaten his breakfast and I wanted him to chill a minute before getting rowdy again. Not on Noi’s watch!

As this fabulous weekend comes to a close, it chose to start snowing just before we started our journey home. We took our time and arrived safely, but it reminds me that it’s getting to be that time to hunker down for the winter. I regularly look forward to hermit season. Time to pull out all the ultra-warm pajamas, tons of blankets, and get back on the hot cocoa train. WINTER IS COMING. BUT DEFINITELY NOT THE NEXT ADDITION TO THE SONG OF ICE AND FIRE SERIES.

I honestly gave up on that LONG ago, but I intermittently like to complain about it still. Currently, Moth and I are rereading Little Women. I haven’t read it since I was quite young so it’s almost entirely new to me. I remember that it was one of my aunt’s favorites and that I enjoyed it too but that’s about it. I’ve also surprisingly never watched any movie adaptations since I was a child either. It has a very cozy feel to it which I think is perfect for this time of year.

Next on my to do list? Decorate for Christmas!