January 15, 2018April 5, 2021

Strange Bedfellows Indeed

Almost Famous – Unlikely Buddies

Quote of the Day: Most Americans, like most Japanese, view their dogs, cats, and other animal companions as family members, and rightly so. Ingrid Newkirk

Bubba Blue and Tookie are unlikely buddies and their friendship has made them almost famous. Their alliance has garnered them the reputation of being strange bedfellows indeed. In my last post about the duo, I mentioned Bubba Blue needed a new aquarium to get some airflow moving through his water world.

It arrived and I put it together, all by myself. I felt victorious and intense satisfaction for instructions that made sense. I immediately filled the tank with betta water, gravel, an aquatic plant and a play toy for Bubba Blue. I let the water circulate for 24 hours prior to introducing Bubba to his new home.

The rest is history. Bubba swam around and inspected his new quarters as Tookie watched in awe. Since bettas (known as “labyrinth fishes”) take their oxygen from the surface of the water, it makes it easier when he swims to the top to greet his friend.

Tookie always awakens me to feed them both in the mornings. Every day their routine continues – morning kisses to start the day. It’s great having best buddies to brighten my day!

My Writing Life

Setting Goals

My goal for 2018 is to complete a new novel and I’ve begun the first steps toward that goal – focus with a purpose!

I plan to make myself accountable for achieving my new year’s mission. You’ll probably see me talking about that here from time to time.

Join the Fun

If you’re a mystery book reviewer and would like to be a beta reader for my new novel, let me know so I can add you to my reviewers’ list.

Thank you for reading and reviewing my books on reader/novel platforms. Your kindness is greatly appreciated!

Where to Buy My Novels

Check at your favorite online bookstores and corner bookshops. Click the direct link to begin reading on Amazon. Happy reading!

The Long Road Home: Romantic Murder Mystery

Cross-Ties: Historical Fiction Passages

I’ll be writing and sharing on social media. Hope to see you there, too! Carolyn Bowen

Social Media Hangouts!

These are a few of my social media hangouts! Drop by and say hello!

Goodreads

Twitter

Google Plus

Facebook

Love picture ideas? Me, too. Pinners Follow

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November 27, 2017April 5, 2021

My Great Expectations for Bubba Blue

Quote of the Day: The 99.99% of all castles in America are located in fish tanks. Demetri Martin

My Great Expectations for Bubba Blue

If you know me, you’ll know that I have fish named after the heroines in my novels. That is except my newest Siamese fighting fish (Betta Fish), Bubba Blue. He’s so bold and fearless – Tookie our cat with paws grasping the inside the aquarium to say good morning doesn’t scare him or me either.

It’s a ritual – Tookie wakes up and greets Bubba Blue with his face smashed against the glass! For the most part, even his brother by another mother, tabby Ollie, believes his desire for closeness is overwhelming, but not for Bubba Blue. They do this kissy thing and go about their own day.

Bubba Blue, The Writing Life, Bubba Blue & Tookie, Carolyn M. Bowen Author, Books, Book blogging, Online Holiday Shopping — Tookie & Bubba Saying Hello

I decided Bubba Blue needed a water filter (contraption) for his tank and off I went to the nearest big box store to purchase one. It’s the holiday season so I waited in line for my turn and was excited about hooking it up when I got home. Note: Betta Fish are not typically required filters but I was spending way too much money buying Betta water for our tap water even with recommended products still stunk after a few days.

I excitingly opened the box and read the directions for mounting this new life breather for Bubba Blue. Only the box didn’t contain all the necessary parts as indicated on the marketing blitz on the outside of the box. I had a choice – should I go online and find and order the missing parts from a reliable source? Trust me; I’m not going to wait in line to return it!

I went to my go-to reviews for products – Amazon and found something even better that would have saved me from the get-go of buying Bubba Blue. I should have brought him home and put him in a large clear vase with the roots of a Peace Lily to munch on while we waited for our purchase to arrive. But, I didn’t!

The good news is that Bubba Blue will have a new home soon. It will give him the space for swimming and enjoy the aquatic plants. Tookie can watch him 24-7 with the new light filters. I can’t wait to watch them play hide-n-seek!

Just remember the folks who draw your attention to shopping at Amazon. These Affiliates strive to bring you the corner store atmosphere while providing you their best offerings from Amazon. This is their local storefront and they pay plenty for that online website privilege. You know about Amazon, in part, because of these influencers! Bookmark their pages and when you order – place it through their websites where they’ll get a commission. It won’t cost you a dime more and these are the people who have influenced buyers to shop – Amazon! Make sure they get a piece of the pie!

My bookmark is set at Roadtrips R Us (since 2011) – making daily food holidays and history come alive with the best in travel, in-house chef-inspired food recipes, and entertainment. Check them out and bookmark their Corner Gift Shop!

Now that Bubba Blue is all set and the Kitties seem happy too, I’ll sign off for now! Happy Holidays, Carolyn Bowen