
Here we are with a couple of nominations from our blog friends Janis and Shelly. Thank you for remembering us! It is always fun for us to answer these tags.
Questions from Janis of Momshie Diaries for the Real Neat Blog Award.
What has been a special moment for you thus far in 2020?
Markus: Waking up at the tiny house with Micah.
Micah: Adopting three stray cats that are enjoying our garden every day, not minding our presence, and hopefully growing in trust.
If you have the power to correct one problem in the world. What will you fix and why?
Markus: Empathy. To be aware of the consequences of our actions, especially when they have no obvious, immediate effect on ourselves.
Micah: The disconnect we all experience. The world would be far healthier and happier when we realize that there is no other.
When and where was the longest vacation you have ever taken?
Markus: Technically a year of uninterrupted backpacking.
Micah: One can argue that life as a digital nomad is one extended vacation.









If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?
Markus: Teleportation would be nice. Distance as only something to enjoy, never something to suffer.
Micah: Invisibility would be charming, to have all the space in the world, to be free.
Do you think you can have happiness without sadness? Why or why not?
Markus: No. The one only has meaning through the other.
Micah: Does it really matter? Happiness, sadness, calm, despair – these are all passing emotions.

What is one piece of advice would you give to a child?
Markus: Don’t look away.
Micah: Nothing. Don’t you think we are all partly fucked in the head because of some adult telling us what to do or how to be?
Would you rather make your own decisions or allow someone to make them for you?
Markus: Outsourcing your decisions is in itself a decision. But even outside of that, I’ll make my own choices thank you very much.
Micah: I would rather make all the wrong decisions in the world and call them my mistakes than have someone else control my life.
Questions from Shelly of Growing With Spawn for the Blogger Recognition Award:
How did this blog start?
It was an activity we picked up during this pandemic. Some people decided to bake or buy a gazillion plants while we chose to create this blog.




Advice for new bloggers?
Just have fun! Mainly, we are each other’s audience. There is no pressure or schedule for us. We want the blog to be as natural as possible – the same spirit with our Instagram account, that of our tiny house, and wellness retreat pages. This blog has been really enjoyable so far and our blog friends have given us joy.
Guest posting news
On Saturday, we are guest posting on Growing With Spawn for the Dating Around the World series – The Philippines. Spoiler alert: We went the opposite direction of how everything is supposed to be. But that is okay. Thank you for the support, everyone!
I just love you two together 🙂
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Thank you, we really appreciate that. Do you have a partner, too?
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I married a wonderful guy 4 years ago, so yes! 🙂
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Only four years ago, must be very exciting still!
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It is 🙂 🙂
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As always, I love reading your answers! I agree so much with Markus about empathy and I think it is one of the most important qualities to have in this world! I was always torn between teleportation and invisibility as a super power so found it quite funny that you gave those answers! Thanks for sharing little bits or your lives 😊
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Ally said why not have both, and we thought that was clever. Why do you think is it hard for the lot to be more empathetic? Is it because we cannot get past our noses?
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It was ahah! And I think that empathy is of course something we are born with, but also something we can “exercise”, and I don’t know a lot of people who choose to do it. It also means being more vulnerable because by having empathy you open yourself to others, and that is also scary!
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Well said. It is scary, but this is how we feel alive and human, no?
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Definitely !
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Congratulations! I loved reading your take on those questions! And that advice is befitting to all bloggers!
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Thank you. Lucky I caught your comment from spam. Not sure why it went there!
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Of course! Thank you, I’m afraid I don’t know why it went there
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For me, discovering both of you (courtesy of Janis) has been an absolute delight. You have given me so much to think about in the most positive way and helped me make up for lost time. A big yes to teleportation and we have two cats and a stray cat 🐾🐾🐾
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You are the loveliest. We wish to meet you one day! And yes to taking action and catching up on everything. Seeing the work you put on your garden is an absolute joy. I have a question: when do we say the strays are ours?
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Thank you! It would be nice to meet one day 😊 Well, I think you can say the strays are yours as you are effectively looking after them now. We are allowed three cats per property. However, they must be kept in at night these days.
Our two cats were rescue cats and born without eyelids. They underwent reconstructive eyelid surgery before we got them – it was amazing that a vet was prepared to do that for no cost. “Our stray” enjoys being a part of what goes on. You just need to pretend he is not there and he goes about his day quite happily.
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One day! Who gives the rules for how many cats you can have? Bless the vet who helped your cats. My mother is the same, she takes care of animals nobody else wants so she now has 300 animals. Well, not really but it feels like that. And I agree with how you are dealing with your stray. It seems like they enjoy their space and require more respect out of us.
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The rules regarding cats vary from state to state and country to country. They will either have rules or not.
Australia has three levels of government: National, State and Local. Local Government is responsible to State Government. In our case, there is a Cat Act in place, a state law that dictates all matters regarding cats including the minimum age they must be desexed, they must be registered (microchipped) and kept in at night. Local governments within the state are required to administer the Cat Act and can also make their own local laws regarding the management of cats (which we all know is impossible to do 😜).
It was the same with my mum. She would collect cats at a rate of knots. The local government never had a problem with the number she looked after as she lived next door to a vet who helped out with them, so she was like a defacto cat haven.
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Wow, your country takes cats seriously! But I think it is important to keep owners responsible. Cat Act everywhere will help. What happens to strays usually?
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Where we live there are a number of very big institutions that take in and look after stray cats. There is the Cat Haven which also carries out cat rescues. The Cat Haven looks after the strays and offers them for sale, adoption or fosters them out once they have got them back to good health. Then there is the Royal Society Prevention Society Against Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), which does the same as the Cat Haven. Our two cats (brother and sister) are from the RSPCA. The Cat Haven reported recently that the stray cat stray is down to 20% which means in recent years responsible cat ownership is happening in a much bigger way.
However, even as recent as last year I was dealing with a deceased estate where there were 43 cats and unfortunately we had to destroy them as they are what we refer to as feral and we couldn’t rehouse them. A cat in this situation can, sadly, kill up to 30 birds a day.
We are also members of a Scottish wildcat society in Scotland, a very innovative wildcat management program. They are an endangered species and part of Scotland’s environmental heritage.
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This is super nice. Really well-thought of. I wish more people would just adopt cats instead of buying them.
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“we are all partly fucked in the head because of some adult telling us what to do or how to be?”
Why did I laugh at this? 😅 Maybe because it’s true lol. Loved how you truthfully answered the questions.
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I suppose. It is funny, isn’t it? Just curious – what is your experience of dating in The Ph? We have a guest post at Growing With Spawn about it and we talked about what is expected, but not sure of the actual experience actually.
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Well, I’ve been in a relationship for almost 3 years now. I don’t know how people date nowadays because me and my boyfriend is fine staying in and watching Friends for a date 😅.
But based on my observation from my friends and cousins, it’s really more of “online dating” 🤣 they get to know each other by chatting and not really go on dates. 🤷🏻♀️
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These kids. Hahaha!
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Some interesting answers, both. Teleportation is something I would really like too, Markus. I love to go places but I hate to travel.
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We need portals!
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Great post! It’s always fun to learn a little about the people behind the blog so I really enjoyed reading your answers 🙂
https://www.femaleoriginal.com
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Thank you and welcome to our blog. We appreciate your visit!
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This is such a cute tag! Though all your answers were great – I so relate with Micah’s answers especially the not giving advice to a child and making my own mistakes rather than live someone else’s version of my life. So similar!
Love the photos – you guys are so cute! ❤
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Thank you. Tags are fun. We enjoy doing them. And yes, we do like similar things and it won’t be surprising that we have similar thoughts, too.
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Beautiful photos. 😍
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Thank you, Michele, and we are happy you stopped by.
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Enjoyed that, nice to see you guys travelling around and doing normal stuff too
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Traveling is fun, isn’t it? What was your last trip before the world ended? And doing normal stuff? Hahaha!
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I love your blog, looks like the two of you have a great time 🙂
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Thank you, we really appreciate your visit. Welcome to our blog. And yes, we try to go about life lightly, lightly. I mean, there is no downside to that, is there? It is a practice that is up and down for us though, but that is okay.
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I enjoy following the two of you! I love your compassion, your travel adventures, and your open discussions on various viewpoints. Thank you for allowing us readers into your tiny house 🙂
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Thank you, Amy! We love having you as a virtual guest, and who knows maybe real guest in the future. Life is surprising in this way.
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Thank you! You never know what the future holds 🙂
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We welcome all possibilities.
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Wow! A year of uninterrupted backpacking is super impressive, Markus! I am still deciding whether I can backpack for a month or two… but a year? That’s living!
Micah, what do you consider a bad decision? I always regret the audiobooks I listen to… I hate that I realize it was a “bad decision” when I am almost halfway through.
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Backpacking is fun, and challenging at the same time. It is a different experience doing it alone and as a couple. Both has its perks and we can highly recommend it. Bad decision? When I choose the wrong yoga video to follow along. It happens sometimes when I want a restorative, slow, and deep stretchy practice and I click on something and it has plenty of standing postures. Nooooo. Lile you, halfway through I think yes, mistakes have been made. Then I feel robbed. Haha! Thank you for tagging us again. It is always fun to do your Q&As.
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Yes! Robbed is a good word to describe it! I especially hated this audiobook called The Getaway! Ughh… don’t even think about listening to it 🤣 waste of time!
Thanks for your post! Your answers were, as always, quite entertaining ❤️
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Many thanks, too. Yes, always a shame when we end up feeling like we wasted our time. I do not finish a class once I realize it is the wrong one. Before, when I read a lot of books, I would finish a book even if I hate it. How do you go about it? Do you just stop?
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No, I continue it. Even with hard books, I do continue it hoping for redemption lol
I am a glass half full kind of person hahaha. But it’s crazy when there’s no redemption at all…
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And so we say, ‘mistakes have been made’. Haha! Stubborn people problems, I suppose.
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Lol. True!
And what’s wrong with the reviews! I see raves and stars but wth!
After my wasted time, all bad reviews start showing… lol
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This is really funny. I really don’t know. Of course, different people like different things. But when I was writing about books I have read before, I remember saying it was bad in a nice way. Maybe I am part of the problem.
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Really good decision of starting this blog 🙂
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Thank you. Is there anything new you picked up during this pandemic?
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Yep making chocolates! I found it gives me immense happiness and people around me. Also, I’ve got more into healing practice than before. That helped a lot to remain sane during this pandemic.
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Wow, I don’t think there is anything better to do! Very well done. What kind of chocolates do you make and did you just teach yourself to do it? Healing practice sound nice. What activities do you do?
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Oh I find chocolate recipes on Pinterest, basically self taught. I make hell lot of mistakes but I love it. It’s something that makes me happy when I watch people loving my chocolates, kinda like Monica from FRIENDS. I’m a Reiki practitioner and I’m definitely on the right path now, it seems. I’m even contemplating giving up on my corporate job, something I’ve always felt like doing. Right now, I’m trying out new things and going with the flow. All I know is that I might be left alone when I do decide to give up on this job but I also know whenever I’ve felt afraid of doing something and went ahead and did it, it’s been wonderful and this thing of leaving a safe and secure job of 11 years is getting me nervous. Even thinking about it makes me sweat but I just wanna take the plunge. Haha, I dunno why I blurted all of that out but talking about it is giving me hope somehow that there are good things waiting for me.
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It sounds like you and chocolate are meant to be. It was refreshing to read you talk about it. And you are right – there are always good things waiting for us if we are able to take a step forward and grab it. There is no harm in trying. If does not work out, you can always come back to corporate, no? I suppose, if you are waiting for a sign, maybe this is it. All the best.
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Love your responses and amazing photos! the cat is sooooo adorableee
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Thank you. This blog is a good use of the many photos we have stored on our phones that otherwise will never see the light. That cat photo is from Bali. It was our ‘decided anniversary’ and Markus took me to a cat cafe in Ubud. I thought it was nice since we do not really celebrate stuff and we still had a nice day with the cats even if we are both allergic. That is a lot of love for cats there, don’t you think so, too?
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What is a decided anniversary? That so cute of you! See I am more of a dog person, but I find cats super cute ❤
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We agreed on a date that can be our anniversary. I grew up with dogs and cats, but Markus never had pets.
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that’s so sweet! Pets do change your life, don’t they?
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Yes, they are so cute. I love seeing their unique personalities, and as ours are strays, it is nice to see them relax more around us.
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You people are a very pretty couple.
Oh my, oh my. *sigh*
Those are some bewitching photos!
I really agree with Micah’s “I would rather make all the wrong decisions in the world and call them my mistakes than have someone else control my life.” I’d probably say the same thing! Your photos bring light to your posts! Anyway, are you waiting for the election results? Did you vote? I mean, could you vote? They’re only 4 states left and I’m kinda hoping that Trump wins those three but then Biden only needs one to say: I wOnNnNn wOoOoOhoOO-
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Thank you. Are you in a relationship, too? We are glad that you enjoyed the photos. We have so much on our phones and now we have a use for them. Normally, we are only good at candid photos. Otherwise, we look weird. And yes, self-determination is critical in life and I suppose it is a big part of becoming an adult, finding our own way. What do you think? Oh, we are a German-Filipino couple so no voting for us in the US race. Did you vote? Why do you hope for Trump to win?
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I’m a single pringle, I’ll think about those things later in life. What a good way to use your photos! Right, right. Yes, yes I did. Even though Trump’s had his ups and downs and horribleness but through all of this he’s done good things for America. If you could vote, who’d you vote for?
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Yes, there is no rush, is there? Honestly, there are many perks about having a relationship later. It is good that you voted! Did anyone win by now? would vote for whoever prioritizes climate change, healthcare, and equality.
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Absolutely! Mhmm, Yep, Biden won!
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Your answers and photos give us an insight into your young lives. Thank you for posting this. Wonderful!
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Thank you, Ashley. I was on your blog yesterday and wondering if you have uploaded anything. We are not as busy now compared to these photos. Maybe one day we will be again.
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I want Teleportation with Invisibility. Now that’d be the combo. I agree with your advice to new bloggers. In my observation many newbies take blogging way too seriously, missing out on how fun it can be.
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Good decision, as always Ally. I suspect new bloggers come into this with a professional approach? Like they want everything branded and commercialized, or at least heading towards that. We just want to have fun and connect with people like you and follow blog friends that bring us joy.
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You’re right about new bloggers and their expectations. No wonder they get discouraged. If you’re into blogging for fun and friendship, you’re more inclined to go with the flow and enjoy it.
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Yes, a lot of it depends on why we come into it. Of course, I understand if the goal is to make a business, but that is a whole new world. More like work. Ew. Haha!
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Oh I am smiling already this morning looking at the wonderful pictures of your Markus and Micah show, and reading your thoughtful answers to all the questions. ❤
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We are glad to know that the photos made you smile. Always a good way to start the morning! We hope you are well and that the rate of infections in your town is slowing.
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Good morning to you. No, the cases are going up daily. Rough on all sides—but it’s going to be a beautiful warm day and I am going for a walk with a friend after blogging and working for a bit.
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Sorry to hear about that. Have fun in your walk and stay safe!
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Woohoo! Thanks for joining in on the fun 😊
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Thank you for the tag, Shelly. These are always fun for us. We are always late but we get there. Haha!
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This was fun to read. I love your whimsical photos.
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Thank you, Anne. We try to have fun, just like your boys do. How are you doing? Are you waiting for election results or not really?
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I look at the election news every once in a while. Normally John would keep me up to date, because he listens to New York radio stations all the time. He’s at the train club for several days, so I have to get my own news.
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Oh, I hope he is having fun at the train club, and that it is safe. I am also like you. When there is some politics or science subject I want to know of I just ask Markus to tell me about it. One time I sent him a science video and asked him to watch it so he can tell me about it. Haha!
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John majored in history. What an advantage that is! He tells me what is going on, and he can interpret the present in light of the past. I tell people it’s like walking with a touch screen. I press it, and history comes out.
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That sounds fun! And very useful. We would love to talk to John about history, too.
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John loves to talk history with everyone.
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