it wouldn't work without the little witch ;) :D

I got all 7 I needed, just because otherwise I forget to come back to the cash shop before the end of the month 😊 I got the other new hammie too :P

lol exactly haha yay spending spree XD

I just hope Niamh doesn't spot any more "must haves" this month laughs I should be starting to save ready for Luminaire (although I have already bought a couple of gifts, so I'm actually organised for once!!)

I got a comission done for

Raven: We actually did, was a nervewrecking and entertaining match too so we had fun.

Paddy: Sounds like the workload might be intense! By that point I was so burned out and sick of school that I did the bare miminum to get good grades (I never got top marks- again laziness I guess :P)

I find that so annoying too.. when the talking is really quiet, but everything else like background music, stuff happening is so loud. o-o It is even more uncomfortable when I am using my hearing aids. My streaming services are typically good at adding subtitles at least, and they of course add them here for anything that is not in our own language. ;)

I love that story! I'd never have thought of putting Matilda in Hogwarts, but it works perfectly :D:D:D

That's the reason I didn't go on to university even though my teachers all expected me to! :P

There's some programmes (like Sherlock) where the characters tend to mutter more than necessary - would it really hurt them to talk a little louder? 😇

Thankies, I have had that idea in my mind for a long time, just creative enough to actually write it myself. Very happy with how it turned out. :D

I did for library and information science, which I never really gotten to use other than some work experience at the local library. It does sounds like you would be more than capable of getting a higher education if you wanted, but I can totally understand not wanting several more years of school! It is nice to earn money, rather than being a poor student too. ;)

:nods: I would be so lost watching Sherlock Holmes without the subtitles. :P

Most of what I learnt at A-level I haven't needed to use at all! I do like the idea of doing an Open University course at some point (it's all done by distance learning, so you can do a degree in your own time rather than having to study at University for three years), but that's a pretty expensive thing!

When I worked at the University, I had to show the prospective students' parents around the campus. Most of the time I was asked what course I was studying, so I tried to avoid saying "I chose to earn money instead" as I was meant to be advertising the University! :P

ooh that's exciting having already started XD

ooh awesome. Looks great! glad it was fun <3

You know Sparky wasn't well in January / February? Well last week he had a similar thing, but Saturday evening (after he'd nibbled a tiny piece of dandelion leaf and a piece of peeled carrot in the afternoon) he was bouncing from perch to perch, climbing all over the inside roof of the cage and generally looking really happy and active. Sunday morning, he was back to how he was Saturday morning (like all the evening's activity hadn't happened), and he was spending more time padding around on the bottom of the cage. Then in the evening, he fell off the ladder and didn't seem to want to get back up to the perch (either didn't want to, or couldn't).... and I'm sure you can guess what came next after that 😭 😢 😭 ... yep, he died :( 😭

He didn't make as many years as Sid did (Sid had been here 7 and a half years, Sparky managed 4 and a half & didn't quite make his 5th 'hatch day' which was December), but I'm trying to see it that because Sparky had an existing health problem (or two) when we got him, that he had a better life here than he would've had with the breeder, as he would never have been a show bird.

[edit] Edited to amend that a little - he's not actually "gone" yet - Mum checked the cage, and he's clearly on his way, but hasn't gone yet (I'm hoping it won't be too long drawn out!) :(

Thanks! Happy to have one more pet finished. Maybe I could add a couple HP themed items to her TC, we will see.

I am so sorry to hear about Sparky. :( I hope you can feel some comfort knowing he had a good life with people that loved him. I know it is hard to see our pets in distress. 7 years sounds like a good age for a budgie, It is a shame you didn't get to keep Sparky for just as long. :hugs:

nods Sparky had a feather problem (which would've automatically ruled him out of showing) but also his digestive system had never been "normal" so I don't think he might have fared all that well in a big aviary with lots of other budgies, as if they sensed he had some problems, they could've just pushed him away from the food.

Apparently budgies can live to 15, although it seems that English budgies (like Sparky) only tend to reach 8.... but none of my other budgies have ever got as far as double figure ages (I think Sid was the longest lived budgie we've had).

good luck deciding

I'm truly sorry. -snugs- I think it is a good thing to view it that way because he did have a good home with loving people <3

Mum's reluctant to lift the cloth on the cage again today, so I think she'll check on him tomorrow morning (we thought being covered over would help, as there's less 'busyness' around him, but it also means I can't see him, which sounds awful but is a positive for me!).

There's not a 'good' time for that to happen, but this week was already busy enough with Gran's appointments, so it wasn't great timing. At least I can type about him without bursting into tears like I did yesterday (from about 7:30 yesterday evening all I seemed to do was cry, and when Mum was asking if I thought it was wise to keep the cage, I just cried even more 😊) - I have a problem in dealing with loss (no idea why, as I never used to have a problem with the pets we'd had when I was younger).

oh i get it. it helps both. -snugs-

I'm the same way. I think you guys should keep it because maybe you'll wish to get another bird friend soon.

nods my original thought was to get rid of it, because there's a small patch of rust under one of the seed hoppers (although it shouldn't be in an area a budgie could reach).... but we decided on keeping it, as even though a new cage could work well if we get another budgie in the future, I don't want there to be a mad dash trying to find one, only to discover there's not a suitable cage for sale anywhere!

Mum's actually talking about getting cuttlefish and an iodine block (the essentials that don't really go off) and storing them in the tin "just in case" we get another budgie at some point. She's actually sounding a lot more eager to get another bird than she did after Sid died (she still didn't really want another bird when she finally agreed to get Sparky).

In an "ideal world" I'd have a pet dog, but that's not really practical in our house (it's a three bedroom house, but there's not much space!), and seeing as I have zero chance of moving out and living independently, I think any future pet would end up being a budgie.

yeah you can always buy a new cage after said bird arrived in the old one for a bit :)

That's great that she's sounding more eager.

Dogs can be great but they can also be pains lol. I guess all pets have their ups and downs

or if it'd be another English budgie, we could see about getting a larger cage from the beginning - but keeping the cage does give us more possibilities.

She's also talked about what'll sit on the table in the "short term" (that'll be a teddy bear that was looking for somewhere to sit) and mentioned "something living" as a possibility for the long term, so that's likely to be another budgie at some point.

hehe well Sparky managed to get poop up the wallpaper numerous times, which must've required some weird acrobatics as some was above the height of his highest perch!

yeah. You can always look for another cage but have one for back up till you get it. Possibilities for sure.

that's also positive.

lol that's an achievement

Thanks, I know HP items can be pricey on here, but maybe some basic ones like a robe etc?

If it is anything like showing a cat or a dog, it is pretty strict when it comes to stuff like that. I am very happy he got to live with a family that could cater to his needs and got to be a happy little bird. I never thought of budgies dong that to other budgies, but it makes sense.

I am not sure how long our budgies lived, or even what type of budgie they were (except for colour of course ;) Didn't know some could get as old as 15. :)

ooo I like the outfit today takes a few steps back away from the reach of those swords

Probably not as creative as your cats can be though ;)

nods I think there's a lot of rulings on their colours being exact, as well as the health and weight of the budgie for a show.

I'd guess they were American budgies, as that's the usual ones you'd see for sale over here at least - English budgies are considerably bigger, but tend to be show birds so you'd usually only get those direct from a breeder. I didn't know about them potentially reaching 15 until I looked a year or two ago, when I wondered if there was a different potential life span for English budgies compared to American ones ;)