As part of my new found sanity....or new found obsessiveness, I bought a lovely, huge, fully glazed pottery bowl from Mitre 10 in Kingston. For the record - I had it on lay-by because it was the only way it was affordable. My plan was to grow water plants and gold fish in it. So I get it all set up and go get me some gold fish whom I named Thelma and Louise ( but of course) and thought - right - that's it. However it became clear after a few days, that these fish were depressed....and so began my quest for a fish tank.
I've not had fish for over a decade so I had to start over and the best thing I could think of that might get things moving was a post on Hobart Freecycle. It worked and I ended up with a tank or two (both needing extra silicon), multiple pumps and in one instance - I got a fish as well.
Once the children realised there were goldfish in the bowl outside they became a little difficult to tear away from watching these poor fish in the tank. Yes, Thelma and Louise perked right up once they got in the tank - and the water temperature was the same....and the pH level was also the same - perfect. I bought two more fish in the hopes of cheering Thelma and Louise up even more - and a catfish. And so began the children's naming of the fish.
1 - Princess Yellow (Isaiah)
2 - Boo (Elijah)
3 - Prince Gold (Micah)
4 - Bill - the Freecycle fish ( Malachi)
5 - Thelma or Louise (me)
6 - Francis the catfish (Malachi)
To date - each child has requested to feed the fish at various times of the day. They've also taken to schmoodling the elderly cat, Fifi and, it's not strange to see the three younger ones perched on the desk next to the fish tank, watching the fish swim. This, I think, is a good thing. It is calming them. Alas - the one who needs it right now due to his reaction to his asthma steroids, isn't doing it. Poor sausage!
Anyway - I'm starting to feel blissed out with my plants and fish. I wish the body felt the same as today I have an overload of cold sores that developed overnight, a whopper headache and my sinuses are cactus plus, mouse number 6 was caught in the trap. First one in a week but still!
Cheers
M.
