Coloured Pencil Characters

Airabella is a farmer of lavender...I am conjuring up her little short story as I work on her.

I am thinking that this is the year I get my first book out there with all my coloured pencil characters!

Starbucks Pushing Vegan Milk

The news is always so awful out there nowadays...the scenes from Australia shatter my heart...

But there's good stuff happening too, like Starbucks deciding to push a vegan diet cheered me up.

Starbucks deciding to push vegan milks more than dairy & make sure cups etc are compostable

is a huge admirable step for this huge company.  Click here if you want to read more.

Prsent In Pain

This has been a hard week...well a hard month really.
The weather is my biggest trigger & it's been very constantly up and down.

I've spent more time horizontal than standing up being productive this past week...
which I find really difficult because whiles sure the pain sucks big time, I love getting things done.

BUT as much as it sucks, I think I am still mostly able to be 'present' in my life
during and despite the pain and I really do think that that attitude of 'being present', helps me out.

It's a scary statistic of something like 40% of migraine sufferers also suffer from serious depression.
But I think I stay away from getting too down by being "present".
How do I do that even when in great amounts of pain?

I make sure I am concentrating on all the beautiful things happening around me as I am suffering.
Even if I can't open my eyes, I make my ears zone in on the 'happy sounds' like;
my honey moving about the house & having a whole conversation with one of the 9 buns;
Stacks of books by the bed that I can jump into as soon as the pain passes;
The sound of the buns eating or my hon cooking is one of the best sound whether I am in pain or not.
I think about a new image I can't wait to make progress on once I can get back into the studio.
I stay present by basking in the beauty of all the sweetness around me despite the pain...
like knowing when one of the buns is on the bed and reaching out to touch a warm precious body.
The buns keep me present, they are like angels, literally standing over me concerned, watching, loving, supporting, waiting for me to get back to my normal self
and no amount of pain can knock the beauty of that away from me.

I might have a life riddled with difficult pain sure

but my oh my there's so so much beauty mixed in there as well....SO much.

Snugs, Plants & Scones Oh My!

I hope your having a cozy cozy weekend all wrapped up fully in your favorite things...

For us it's rabbit snugs, movies, homemade scones & Sundays are my plant care day.

Off Schedule But That's Okay

With everything going on with our health I haven't gotten my shop back up

and running like I was hoping to for January.

I am not stressing about it.  Trust me, I've finally learnt what and what not to stress about!

I'll get it done.  I guarantee lots of lovely things to come in more than one lovely place!

Go Here When In Barrie

I had some appointments with a pain specialist in Barrie this past summer

and we never complained about having to go back during the lengthy fibromyalgia diagnosis

because we got to go to this awesome place called The Vegan Pantry.

 

If your ever in Barrie, I highly recommend it.  It feels like a haven for me.

We've been several times and we've not been disappointed once.

Their menus is huge with not only sweets but pizzas and air fries etc & really good cappuccinos.

A Good Day Is A Day With Misa

I am enjoying this newest image...

Especially because I have Misa by my side as I work on it.

Korra's Face

I just thought Korra-Soleil's bright orange face might make you smile today...

You can usually tell how she's feeling or what she's wanting, she has such an expressive face.

World Cancer Day

Today is World Cancer Day...

I never thought we would be facing cancer, let alone in our 40's.

We've done everything right...but it's attacked us despite that.

According to the doctor is was very most likely just a DNA replication fuck up!

Just horribly awful bad luck...but how do you accept that?

Today I am thinking about how so much changes after you hear "It's Cancer".

I am thinking of the people out there fighting for their lives, some in better situations than others

but the fact is, it's cancer all the same, you don't know what it will do no matter what you do.

Today I send out hugs to everyone facing this terrifying monster of a thing.

I am thinking about the warriors like my honey & their support circles.

It's strange though, there's millions of people on the same road as us, so why does it feel so lonely?!

Still An Infection

In 26 years of being a caretaker of animals, this past month was the first times ever that I had to go

to vet visits by myself because Flynn was suddenly sick and my honey was stuck in a hospital bed.
(and for Higgins because it looked like he had a slash on the top of his eyeball but he was just fine!).

Well today we had another visit for Flynn & I was so happy to have my partner back by my side...

This guy will move everything around so that he can be at every rabbit appointment,

so I know to be stuck in that bed & having me rushing Flynn to the vet that one night by myself would have been even more stressful for him that it was for me.

To say he's one dedicated Papa doesn't cut it!

Let's hope he never misses another one again!

It's funny to us when people suggest that we have to take care of 'us' now.

That we shouldn't worry so much about the rabbits cause they are just rabbits...

These people clearly don't understand that the rabbits are part of us...they are our family.

So we will continue to find a way, no matter how hard, to take care of all of our stuff AND theirs.

There are days for sure where I doubt we can keep doing this...this rescue life.

But my honey reminds me that this/they are who we are & we have still atleast 9 still counting on us.

So Flynn is doing just fine...still a bit of an infection in that right ear unfortunately

so he's on another month long antibiotic protocol but he's doing really well and has put on weight.

Sunday Distractions

It's Sunday today and wet & snowy out so I am basking in simple lovelies inside...

watercolours, sweet bunnies & a christmas cactus flowering...how about you???

Winter Sun & Ink Pens

I made some progress on the ink drawing of Jaks...

It's so cozy to curl up in the winter sun with ink pens.

Yarrow For The Buns

Just lovely Lydia

checking out all the dried yarrow we brought in from the garden last Fall.

That's one thing I love about bunnies the best...

their constant inquisitive natures...they are always intrigued by new things.

Fibro Flares

I am still really struggling with my diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

It's a game of what is the fibro, what is a flare up and what is something else to worry about.

On top of my chronic head pain it just feels like too much for my body to deal with

and now with my husband going through cancer,

there are days when I want to scream at the top of my lungs 'Enough...I can't take anymore..."

I need to be extra physically strong for both of us right now, for the rabbits too but

usually it's my honey who is the strong one, and the one who takes care of me & of us when I can't...

yet some days, after the pain, I am left with hardly enough energy to get by,

so I have really been struggling.

I can't tell you how I dream of someone kind, recognizing our hard time

& just leaving a pot of vegan soup on our doorstep to help us out!

I have also been dealing with a really really sore hip.

My doctor said it was likely bursitis of the hip

so last week I got a cortisone injection but it hasn't helped whatsoever.

And I am disappointed because I really needed a quick fix on this one for a change!

The pain keeps me up at night & grates on me all day long.  I am left again wanting to scream.

I am going to start physiotherapy soon, but I want/need a solution like yesterday.

And this is the thing I am finding tricky with the fibromyalgia...

I left this hip pain way way too long.

I just was assuming it was part of the fibro.

And when my head is sore all the damn time, on top of my love, on top of sick rabbits,

I just don't want to go for another appointment so I tell myself 'you'll heal' or 'it'll go away'.

And there is my lesson, don't assume everything is the fibromyalgia...

Ugh...why can't this little body of mine take it easy on me for a change!

Monday Inking

I can't promise you or myself that this week will be a productive one in the studio...

BUT I sure can promise you and myself that I sure will try my hardest to make it so!

Healing With Buns

Just a cozy weekend staying inside hiding from all the freezing wet snow & rain.

How about you?

We have an awful lot of healing to do the two of us oh my goodness

and we figure whose better to do that alongside than 9 amazing inspirational rescue buns.

Progress On Min's Lino

Making progress...

I can't wait to do a test print.

Moments Of Beauty

I have always been the kind of person to steep in the beauty of simple things...

Now more than ever, since my husbands cancer diagnosis, I am soaking in beauty amidst the stress.

Chop Chop For Head Rubs

I chopped off all my hair back in the summer...

I never worry about cutting my hair, it's just hair & it grows like a weed.

 Even though my hair is super thick & heavy, chopping it off does not help my head-pain at all BUT
it does for sure make life easier in regards to massages and head rubs for my migraines.

Dust to Dust

Guys look...I found the coolest little urn for Jaky's ashes...

it has two compartments in it actually.

The ashes are inside a silk bag & some of his fur in the smaller compartment.  It sits on my big studio art display shelf because he was always with me in my studio & will always forever inspire my work.