I have 3 fishbowls on the ledge above the sink in the kitchen. In the smallest bowl there is a female Betta fish whose husband died in mysterious circumstances just over a week ago. Rather than go into deep mourning for him, she seems to have got a new lease of life and appears much happier than before. In the medium and large bowls I have pairs of goldfish. Whenever I am in the kitchen, either cooking or washing up, they come to talk to me. I think it’s called cupboard love.
Lottie Nevin - The Red House Diaries 
aw Lottie, your beautiful boy died? He was like a fabulous swimming hibiscus, so beautiful.
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😦 he has – very sad. Mrs Betta seems rather thrilled, she’s become a lot more animated and friendly. No cowering at the bottom of the bowl!
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Cupboard love…I hadn’t heard the term. Had to look it up in wikipedia. OH! I see! In the U.S. we call it conditional love…a form of emotional abuse! Don’t be fooled, darlin’…they love you only if you feed them!
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I’m not fooled! I do love how they come and talk to me though, it’s very sweet. The fish in the pond in Bali are so used to my voice now that if I call them, they all swim over to see me…of course they are rewarded with food!
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Love the phish story. I know the term cupboard well. Same thing as cabinet. My mother was from Germany so she had the German version of cupboard.
I am so glad that the fish took the place of your doggies (I think) that you had to give up. Do you think of them or get updates from the people that adopted them?
And will you replace the widowed fish’s mate with another? Perhaps she is like me. One husband for 40 some odd years is enough for a life time. I am not lonely and have more time and room to live my life as full as I want ( my life is limited but I like not having to cook, etc).
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I do get updates and photos f Fritz and Otto and they are well and happy – we are lucky to have found them such a lovely new home.
How wonderful that you were married for 40 years – that’s fantastic Yvonne. You sound to me like you keep busy and are doing the things that you want to do and that is important. I’m not sure what to do about Mrs Betta fish, she seems a lot happier without her husband I have to say! She’s more animated and friendly and she has an appetite now which she didn’t appear to have before. I’ll leave it a few days and then decide what to do!
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