Our new addition

Meet Janie Betta, named in honor of her being a New Year fish, hence our contrived nickname for January as well as the preferred name of the daughter I never had. I do love naming things. My son made the mistake of offering that I could help, so I took over naming duties right quick. Take that Julia R0berts. I got to name a fish.

Below is how Janie chills. She gets a swimming jump and wedges herself up onto the plastic foliage, staying just below the surface of the water, still and completely relaxed in the warmth of the too hot, cheapo Ikea light above. Manicure, pedicure, and she'd be set.

When I researched female bettas after we brought her home, I learned, "A well conditioned breeding female will often display horizontal stripes." At least one of us is fertile. Take that Julia R0berts.