Update

As I sit in constant vigil over our Jaks, I take a few minutes here and there to work on this new coloured pencil...I think I must dive into something for the sake of sanity and for the sake of my forever creatively itchy fingers and soul.  Coloured pencils fit the bill at the moment since they are so mobile and easy to pick up and drop when attention is needed elsewhere.

I thought I'd hop in with an update.
He's still with us...
we THINK he's taking small steps of improvement...
This is the 6th scary & exhausting day of this ailment...
but late last night in the wee hours of a new dawning day he started to poop
and this morning he started to nibble on his own, just abit and not nearly enough but the interest in food is a good sign and brought tears to our eyes...
He doesn't look half as sick as he is (well the first couple of days he looked bad).
I don't think he knows what danger he is in...
but this is a good thing because he's very active despite the awful wounds from the awful infection.
He's playing with Jinny & being his silly self and probably we are looking more tired than he is!
Going on days 6 of him not eating or pooing like he needs to be is just not good...
but we are not giving up and we're so impressed by this little rabbits strength.

So it's been antibiotic doses ever 12 hours...

He does have an infection despite our diligent cleaning twice daily
(tonight he'll get a nice warm soothing bath)...

It's force feedings of small herbivore critical care ever 4 hours...
Motility Injections ever 8 hours (which thankfully he doesn't feel at all)...

and a veggie slurry with fresh squeezed pineapple juice of our own making every few hours as well.
The bromide in the pineapple & the enzymes in the greens are very important

to help enhance and motivate motility....

It's lots of gentle tummy massages which Jonathan learnt how to do last year...

It's exercise sessions in the wide open basement living room, since movement is very important...

We at least don't have to worry about him being dehydrated for he's taking in lots of water on his own.

It's been a very rough few days...but yes, he's still with us, our sweet little Jak-a-boo.

I just won't handle it if my boy dies because of this...a skin infection gone horribly wrong

(again I can't afford details, it's still too raw)...

I know we take really good care of the buns, I know this but it was obviously not enough.  

I am here and present with them almost 365 days a year...I can't help but blame myself.

I had him in my arms just the day before all this started...he looked & acted completely normal.

I didn't realize what was going on underneath a patch of fur.

I didn't have reason to suspect anything but still I should have checked somehow...

my intuition or whatever six sense I should have had failed me and I feel like I've failed him.

...

In between mixed moments of despair and hope

and in between moments of humbling clarity and dazed exhaustion,

I am grateful for:

Jonathan, who is so so strong and who is taking care of me whiles we take care of our babe...

For my honey's amazing boss, who is supportive of Jonathan working from home during all this...

For a pile of Artful Blogging magazines giving me some needed eye candy...

For the healing of my left hand, after skinning it pretty badly last week!...

For a threatening bladder infection staying at bay, so far!!!...

For a reprieve from a long strain of really bad migraines...

For the hot showers at the end of these recent days...

For favourite old shows like The Cosby Show and Ally MacBeal giving us a chuckle now and than...

For pot after pot of peppermint tea and honeyed green teas...

For my juicer and the healthful fresh squeezed apple, carrot, ginger drinks we get from it...

For the rainy, cold and gloomy days which seem to companionably echo our current days...

For Ella Luna and Roo's patience as we do spend almost 24 hours tending to 'the others'...

For the soothing tinkling of my fish tank which lulls me to sleep when we do manage an hour or two...

And

For the fact that even amongst all this panic and upset, I can still find oodles to be grateful for...

Keep sending us those positive well wishes and good energies,

I am passing each and every one of them along to Jaks.

XO Mandy and Jonathan and Jaks and Jinster XO

Playing Catch Up, A New Store and A Wonderful Gift

Hi Everyone. Sorry I missed posting yesterday. Wednesday was full of gloom and rain on the outside of the house, but inside I battled the constant headaches with a full belly of Tylenol! some rabbit snuggles, lots of painting and some Poncho Sanchez albums...over all a really good day. I just didn't seem to find the time to blog yesterday and again I was surprised at how much I missed it.

Blogging has begun to open up a more abundant world for me, it really has and I am so happy about that. I've been able to get in touch with people and feel a connection with so many wonderful bloggers out there and I feel really grateful for that. Marisa, over at Creative Thursday sent me a very sweet note which was very encouraging and positive and I just so appreciated that response Marisa, thanks so much.

I am still not happy with my blog readership however, the numbers are too low for my liking, but I will keep at it, and take further steps to ensure that my readership grows...with that being said, back links are always appreciated, you can request them of me also, and please do pass my URL around if you truly enjoy what I am doing here.

I had a really busy day today outside of the studio, running abunch of errands, so I didn't get much painting done. I fear alot of paperwork, planning, organizing and scheduling is on my agenda for the next couple of weeks, I've been abit tardy and lazy with such things so I guess I really can't complain that it's come about again, it always does and it always will and I do actually enjoy the administrative part of being an artist/illustrator...most of the time anyways!

So just a couple other things for today...

A small selection of my art cards have been picked up by "The Little Shop" art shoppe. Located at 150 Main Street East in North Bay, Ontario Canada. You can browse the gallery or email any questions about the shoppe to the lovely people here. They also carry a small selection of my glass-mounted prints. Thanks for giving me a link on the site guys, that is fantastic.

I was utterly gleeful yesterday when I opened up the front door and a big package flopped down onto my feet. It was a package from Akita, Japan so I knew what it contained...my beautiful new purse that (and yes, yes I know I am super spoiled!) my Jonathan surprised me with. He knew I was looking for a new bag and this one seems to fit me perfectly, I am so in love with it.

We found it on our beloved Etsy of course. It is handmade in Japan and made of Kimono fabric. I am really really pleased with the craftsmanship, it is so beautifully put together and sturdy. There is a beautiful orange/reddish pattern on the inside also. It is made by Naomi Tagooka, from Tago Design & Crafts. Thanks Jonathan, again...and thanks Naomi, I just adore it and feel proud and excited to sling it over my shoulder whenever I go out.

Well that is about all for now. I should be able to show you a new painting tomorrow. Until then, Be Well and Happy Creating.

I am just fine and an old image "African Tea"

Good Monday Evening Everyone. I wasn't going to post today because I didn't get my painting finished and I really really wanted to keep this blog for new imagery only, but I have been assured by many friends that old images would be welcomed and embraced by my viewers and readers as well. So once in awhile, when I really have to I'll post one of my favourite older illustrations, like tonight. I've had a few friends ask if I was okay, because I missed my blog post on Friday as well and I just want to assure everyone that I am fine, thanks for worrying though. Friday I have no excuse but I was mostly stuck in bed with a really bad migraine, the temperatures reached almost +40 with the humidity and that didn't help matters.

We had an excellent weekend though. On Saturday we went for a beautiful bike ride with our friends Becca and Darren, we biked to Callander, back and forth was probably about a 40km run. We stopped at the beach for a waterside picnic which was a hit with everyone, we filled our tummies nicely and our hearts with good chuckles and friendship, I know that sounds cheesy but it was really just a lovely time. We then proceeded to the Callander gallery/museum to take in a retrospective by our dear and beloved friend Arlington Hoffman. (I've asked Arlie for some jpegs, so I can hopefully blog about the work we saw there soon). Despite the fabulous day, we all got pretty sun burnt and I found myself suffering that evening with badly burnt knees and all day Sunday I had a case of heat stroke, it was all worth it though, ha ha.

We've also be abit sidetracked with our sweet velveteen bunny Hazel. Even when it's tiny things we get stressed out. Somehow she hurt her right front foot and wouldn't walk on it for a couple days so we've just been diligently watching her and trying to decide whether x-rays are needed or not. But as I spent a few hours painting upstairs today, I was able to watch her very closely and I was able to determine that she doesn't need a vet visit, she just needs to keep off it and relax abit.

This older illustration is one that I conjured up after drinking a rich, earthy roosibos tea. It gave me flickers of an African scene so that's why it's called "African Tea". I choose this image to share today because I am thinking of my beautiful and greatly missed dear friend Vicki, who lives in Victoria, who was born and raised in Africa and who still greatly carries with her that lands beautiful spirit.

Anyhow, dear friends, that is about all for today. I promise a new image tomorrow...promise, promise, promise! Good night, sleep well and lovely dreams to you all.