Cats Who Play Fetch and Brownie In a Mug

Adorable animal antics and flower joy.

Welcome, back Substack friends to my happy place, where all are welcome.

Wacky colors makes for fun!

Some awesome news from LEGO- “Lego plans to make half the plastic in bricks from renewable materials by 2026.” From The Guardian:

“Lego plans to make half the plastic in its bricks from renewable or recycled material rather than fossil fuels by 2026, in its latest effort to ensure its toys are more environmentally friendly.

The Danish company last year ditched efforts to make bricks entirely from recycled bottles because of cost and production issues. At the moment, 22% of the material in its colourful bricks is not made from fossil fuels.

In the long term, Lego plans to switch entirely to renewable and recycled plastic by 2032, in a green push that has resulted in the company testing more than 600 alternative materials.

The toymaker hopes gradually to bring down the amount of oil-based plastic it uses by paying up to 70% more for certified renewable resin, the raw plastic used to manufacture the bricks, in an attempt to encourage manufacturers to increase production.”

Flower bouquets to help combat loneliness? How lovely! From The BBC:

“Flowers have been left on a town's benches to "cheer up" people feeling lonely.

Members of the Nateby and Wharton Women's Institute (WI) created about 30 bunches and left them around Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria earlier this month.

Members of the WI created bunches using flowers and herbs from their own gardens.

The bouquets were placed on 11 July, to coincide with World Loneliness Week.”

Did you know cats like to play fetch like dogs? From PBS:

“In our newly published study, we found that more than 40 percent of cats described in our survey data played fetch, compared with almost 80 percent of dogs. We also outlined several possible reasons for fetching, including play, selection during domestication, and learning effects.

Perhaps most intriguing was the fact that the cats generally were not trained to fetch – they offered the behavior spontaneously. Cats also preferred to be the one to start the fetch game and were more likely to play when they brought a toy to their human, rather than the human tossing a toy.

And what about dogs? Fetching is one of the most common forms of play between dogs and humans. Many dogs have been bred and selected specifically for assisting human hunts by retrieving prey. We expected to find abundant research about fetching behavior in dogs, but we learned that it was rarely addressed in dog behavior studies.”

Yes to a microwave brownie in a mug? You can find the recipe at The Bakermama: All you need.

Ingredients:

• Butter (salted or unsalted will work)

• Dark chocolate chunks

• Granulated sugar

• Milk

• All-purpose flour

• Baking powder

• Ice cream (optional, for serving)

• Chocolate syrup (optional for serving)

Proof kittens and puppies can be friends:

This week’s book recommendation is spotlighting a new release from me! Say hello to The Claiming of Suzy, the second book in the Sweet & Sinful series. For only $2.99 you can read about a larger than life heroine, who tells it like it is.

Suzy Bean lives in the moment and embraces her overabundant curves. The man she secretly loves, JC Mosino, is the only one who can make her untamed sexual fantasies a reality. After having a bit too much to drink one night, JC drives her home, where their passions ignite. She thinks this is night where she and JC will go from being friends to lovers. Unfortunately it doesn’t happen quite like that and she ends up throwing him out because of something he says in the heat of the moment she takes the wrong way.

JC’s craving for Suzy is out of control where he wants nothing more than to work things out and become her lover. He has a plan, but he has to work fast before Suzy is seduced by a new suitor who has all the right words. JC is having no part of that, and will do whatever he can to claim this brassy, buxom beauty for his own.

Always know, you are never alone…

“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.” – Audrey Hepburn