On Jaks & Making His Butterflies

So I know I wrote earlier about being stressed out and sad over our spotted prince Jaks.

 

He was indeed rushed in for an emergency visit Monday evening

(we couldn't wait for the scheduled appointment for the following AM unfortunately)

and it is a diagnosis that we were expecting and fearing, congestive heart failure.

The crackling sound in his breathing and the little chocking sounds he's been making

are because his lungs are filling up with liquid.

 

But he's still extremely alert, enjoying his days and eating like a bear

so his doctor agrees with us, that it's not 'quite time yet' and we are grateful for that.

 

 

We now enter the very emotional topsy turvy time of balancing precious time with our boy

but than allowing our hearts and guts to tell us when it's time to gently help him pass

(I fear I am not so good with this part).

We've been through congestive heart failure with 2 rabbits before,

His doctor will come to our home when it's time,
but sometimes they are okay one minute & gone the next.

 

 

But we are hopeful and now have medication for him.

It won't buy us all much more time but it'll help him during what time he does have left.

1 medication will help his body drain the liquid from his lungs.

He had an injection of this drug on Monday and it definitely made him more comfortable

but the needle hurt so we had to wait for an oral fluid form to arrive.

The 2nd medicine will lower his blood pressure so that his little heart doesn't work so hard.

 

In the meantime we are with him, a lot (probably driving him alittle nuts!),

we are enjoying his royal cuteness, he's still making us laugh...

and he and I are making lots of new butterflies...these bugs were inspired by him after all!

Mexican Magnificence

I was lucky to be able to get to the city a few times this past Spring & Summer,
because like a lot of people with animals, it's next to impossible for us to travel anywhere.
 It's proven impossible to find someone who will willingly navigate days and nights of
multiple boards & gates to climb over with the constant worry of making sure they are secure,
9 little constantly hungry begging mouths with big veggies dinners to chop up and make every night,
13 potties and 9 water dishes that need to be changed every single night,
hay and poop and pee having to be cleaned up atleast twice a day,
possibility of biting, wet socks & stolen toast & stomping & harrumping & chewing & naughtiness
and never a solid nights sleep because rabbits are nocturnal after all...

It really kinda sucks though because everyone seems willing to bend over backwards
to watch other people's human children (and well I think my babies are way cuter!!)
But apparently this is just the way things are, fair or not, so we have to make all of these city trips
as rather exhausting daytrips, meaning 8-10 hours of driving.

 

But we pack in as much as we can on each and every trip because that much driving in 1 day

AND being away from the buns for such a long period at such a far distance

is never a decision lightly made. 

  

Anyhow, one of the last times I went I spent the whole entire day

at the Royal Ontario Museum all on my own

(this was the same day that I saw the Pompeii display).

it was wonderful to be able to go through at my own pace & linger when & where I wanted.

I really really enjoyed the special exhibit on Mexican design & wardrobe.

Having studied Frida Kahlo in my college days and loving her since, this exhibit really hit home

because it's the exact like of clothing that she would have worn.

 

One of my favorite things about the day was when one of the guards came to me and said

'Psst...want to see something really cool and kind of like a secret?"

to which my response was "Um, Yes, I do..."

and he lead me to drawers that pulled out and revealed tons of super delicate Mexican samplers.

Needless to say I had to pull out every single one to oohh and ahhh

for my heart may belong mostly to coloured pencils but my heart has secret love for embroidery too.

 

I took tons of photos because I am pretty sure some of this will inspire and appear in future pictures.

Thanks for letting me share some of my favorites with you today...

now back to my sweet Jaks I go.

Have a wonderful day.



Staying Calm...or Trying To!

Hi guys...I am not sure how much I'll be blogging this week.
Head pain has been really bad the last 8 days and

Our sweetie-pie Jaks isn't doing so good...

he's been going downhill for sometime now & it appears that his heart is giving up on him.

 

 

He goes to the doctor tomorrow first thing in the AM to see if anything at all can help him out.

I am nervous even to put him through the car ride even if it's not super far...ugh.

Send us some peaceful and strong mojo pretty please...
and give your loved ones extra hugs today XO.

 

Grabbing Onto Gratitude

Whiles at a party over this past weekend the subject of fulfillment seemed to spring up often.

People commented on how 'content & comfortable' I look lately and I loved that observation

because I have been feeling like I've settled into loveliness even that much more recently...

 

 

I have physically & emotionally wiggled my little tush down into comfort even more so.

I am indeed breathing in deeply. 

I have been feeling very satisfactory loveliness with no strings attached.

I don't think it's because anything at all has changed except perhaps for my perspective.

 

I think it's also about grabbing onto gratitude a lot more assuredly these days.

Not everything is perfect...but now it's not so much about the imperfections anymore.

It's become all about what is working...

it's become about more quickly and more fully embracing what is simple and warm and wonderful

(like lunch with a handsome boy and with veggies you've grown yourself as buns zoom around you!)

 

 

I have only ever wanted days full of time with my honey,

long days of making art in cozy studios, ample time for favorite things like

cooking beautiful food...loads of reading time with good cups of coffee, taking care of animals, etc...

We've worked hard...we've made hard decisions...but we've gotten there finally...

Life has become about; love, art, bunnies, embracing happiness and a million other good things.

There's so so much good stuff going on...

 

 

and yeah, there's bad stuff happening most of the time too, for sure...that's life.

BUT the good stuff really has been out weighing all of the bad.

I've been kind of feeling a shift...a positive new change in how I see things.

And well I am just feeling so so very very insanely super grateful.

I hope you are feeling it all too XO.



Colouring Pages & Other Goodies

So my sweet studio news was mailed out last Friday.

It's the best edition we've done yet.  I am so so pleased.

Now every month those who receive Keep In Touch with my studio

will get really cool colouring pages from yours truly, like this month's starry owl.

 

 

But you have to sign up to my secret-like studio news to get them...

This month my subscribers also get a $5 discount in my shop AND dibs on original work.

As well as exclusive looks into what I am working on in my studio.

Interested???  Just head over to the Keep In Touch part of my website...hope to see you there.

Wrapped Up

Our beautiful little cozy haven on our back deck has been all put away and wrapped up for winter, Sigh!

I know, I know! I've been anxious for snow but I also forgot how much I miss these beloved spaces over winter!

Desk Delightful

I have over the years kinda taken over the whole house for my art because

a) my honey doesn't mind one fig if I do so

and b) it makes sense since I gotta keep our bunnies company in the different rooms after all.

I love moving my beloved goodies around in all my spaces,

especially on my upstairs coloured pencil desk...It's actually abit of an addiction actually!

This is how is looks currently...

Right now it's full of rabbity things which make me smile & lots of plants,

especially African Violets which also make me smile cause they make me think of my Mom.

Likely next week the arrangement will change again and I can't wait to do it...

slightly OCD perhaps yes but it makes me happy so I embrace it!

Back To Blogger & Rolling With The Punches

Okay so some of you may have noticed that I am back to using blogger!

 

I tried a Wordpress interface to move my blog to my new website and I hated it!!

So much so that I seriously contemplated giving up on my blog!!!
And that would have been a shame since I've been working at this beloved space for over 8 years!

But ya gotta roll with the punches & have patience when technology makes your life hell right!!

 

SOOOOOOO Here's what I am gonna do.....

 

 

I am going to blog at my original home (Blogger) which I never should have left!

So those of you lovelies who prefer the old trusty space
will still continue to see all of my usual good awesomeness, ha ha
AND...

my blog will also be available through my beautiful new site

(which you MUST check out by the way if you haven't already).
The both of best worlds and the answer to the problem...blogging continues uninterrupted, phew!
(Huge HUGE thanks to my honey who helped me figure this all out!)

See ya's all tomorrow XXXOOO

10th Annivesary Juried Show

3 of my works were accepted into a group exhibition

at the Art On Main Gallery for their 10th Anniversary Juried Exhibition.  It ran from September 2nd to the 30th.

Unfortunately I missed the reception because I was at home stuck in bed with a flu and sore foot!

But I am once again honored to have my work surrounded by such talent.

It's easy to cocoon one's self away when your used to your main audience being online but once in a while

it's good to remember your roots & to dip your shy little toes back into your local talented pond!

Last of the Season Sketching

Even though I look forward to the upcoming winter season, it's somehow always abit melancholy

to sketch outside at this time of the year knowing that next week just may be too cold to do so.

But I am taking advantage of these last few lovely warmer days...

And the rabbits are eating as much grass and inhaling as much fresh air as they can too.

Another Leaping Lagomorph

Another new sweet rabbit inkling of a leaping rabbit inspired by our Korra-Soleil from yours truly...

Prints will be in my shop shortly & those who keep in touch with my studio news will get first dibs on the original

Frenwyck Has A Bad Day

Oh my we've had a bit of a rough go with our amazing Frenwyck.

Firstly Yuuji still won't 100% bond with him and Frenwyck so desperately wants a friend.

They get along 99% of the time but than Yuuji after kissing him for half an hour will snap at Fren out of the blue.

Bonding with Korra-Soleil isn't looking good at the moment...

Frenwyck wants Teela & Yuuji and Korra definitely seems way more interested in Emmett than in Frenwyck!

But the biggest trouble was found last week...

When we found a few small bumps on the left side of his tummy

than we found a really large lump on his right side...oh my, panic set in instantly...

A doctor appointment was made immediately...

which lead to a surgery being scheduled right away because whiles the ones on the left feel like just fatty deposits,

the big lump on the right side was too big and unknown and a worry to the doctor and therefore to us as well.

So this past Tuesday he went in for surgery.

Ugh.

There he was knocked out, shaved belly, ready for the operation to remove this scarey lump

but the doctor couldn't find it!  We were just minutes away anxiously waiting for word...

when the phone rang way before we expected we both all but jumped outta our skins!

Jonathan was the one able to find the bump really easily

so they requested that he zoom over as quickly as possible...but again, the lump couldn't be found!

So they let Jonathan stay in the operating room, he sat there with the amazing vet techs,

who were holding & rocking our Frenwyck in a blanket to keep him warm until our boy came to.

Apparently they do this for all the bunnies because they need to be kept extra warm.

This extra little glimpse into the inner workings of our animal clinic was hugely warming & appreciative.

(We'd seriously be lost without the talented doctors & wonderful team at the Airport Animal Clinic).

Once home, he was still really out of it so I just cuddled up on the couch with my boy for about 2 hours.

Poor honey...we are not to worry about it for a few months, when we'll reinvestigate...

but the stress of the whole ordeal bumped him into stasis...UGH! He's starting to look abit better today.

So, do please send a sweet and awesome house rabbit some extra lovely good mojo wishes!

End Of Season

We've collected the last of the organic lovely goodness from our little veggie garden

And are making beautiful and delicious meals with it all to nourish body & souls.

Our usual quick & easy go to is different pasta sauces.

What do you like to do with your garden veg?

Grow In Linear Phase

I am really really excited about this one...it feels like a self-portrait almost

She'll be only 8 x 10" and I am thinking of trying her in paint & pencil.