to michelle's house we go

on friday, aaron and i walked to michelle's house

it was a beautiful, sunny day

so i snapped some pics along the way

an enjoyable 30 minute walk

in a lovely australian bush setting

in the midst of suburbia
how lucky are we?!

we had a great time at michelle's place but i didn't get a chance to take pics during our visit because michelle and i got busy sewing a little summer dress for mikayla

i did snap this pic of michelle and mikayla waving us goodbye

as aaron and i set off on the path home again

~ love, light and peace ~

SEVERUS SNAPE

pencil-free sketch using pigma micron pens and gouache

i recently finished reading the harry potter series of books and enjoyed them thoroughly.  it was only after i watched the last movie - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two - that i had the strongest urge to read the series and i'm so glad i did because you always get so much more detail in books.  i cried buckets in that last book....my eyes were sore from crying.  am i a sap, or what?!

without going into too much detail and spoiling the plot.  severus snape was the man we loved to hate and, in the last book/movie, more was revealed about this man which shed some new light on his character.  i have to say that out of all the harry potter characters, snape was the one who left the biggest imprint on me, hence my choice to sketch him in my journal.  it was a toss up between him and dobby, the house elf.  i am still enjoying the challenge of sketching with only pens, not pencils.  a little risky, yes....but the little mistakes just add more character and, besides, perfection is overrated, don't you think? well, that's my story and i'm sticking to it. lol 

alan rickman played the role of snape perfectly!

are you a harry potter fan?

if so, which character did you feel most affected by?

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we woke to a very foggy morning on tuesday and it turned out to be a hot day

i always find fogs kinda eerie and this one was particularly so because i felt like i was alone amidst it.  you see, i drop reece at the bus stop at 4:45am most mornings and there is barely any traffic on the road at that time.

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the weekend approaches...

at this stage, i don't have anything in particular planned so it will be

a play by ear but i'm hoping i will find time to do some art.

whatever your plans,

i hope you enjoy a beautiful weekend.

~ love, light and peace ~

caring for animals

If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.
--Saint Francis of Assisi (mystic and preacher)

in 2008, i sponsored a rescued bear for six months and, recently, i felt the yearning to do it again.  his name is 'BOUNCER' and he is an 'asiatic black bear'.  as a cub, he was found by wildlife rescuers after he'd been caught in a trap.  bouncer's forearm was so badly mutilated that the whole limb had to be amputated.  today, he is fit, happy and healthy as he is now cared for in a beautiful, lush jungle enclosure along with other rescued bears.  this was all made possible by the beautiful people at the FREE THE BEARS FUND INC. who run the sponsorship program and it makes me feel good to know i have helped to make a difference.

i'm using the image above for WEEK 36 of the 52 WEEKS OF ME PROJECT

you too can help make a difference by giving a small donation to any animal cause of your choice...perhaps there is one in your local area?  i have listed links for a few worthy causes in my sidebar if you're interested. the animals will love you for it.

"If a man aspires towards a righteous life, his first act of abstinence is from injury to animals."

--Albert Einstein 

i hope you're having a fabulous week! mine has been a little up and down with fatigue, pain and new medications but i'm hopeful things will get better. life IS good!

~ love, light and peace to you ~

the plover lady, a self portrait and a baby

it's the time of year when the masked lapwing plovers are out in force protecting their baby chicks by warning, or swooping, anyone who comes within their perceived boundaries. it amazes me how bold plovers can be and it's not uncommon for them to take up nesting residence in the middle of building sites, busy street intersections, or even a patch of dirt in an open field.  this can make life quite unnerving for both them and the people passing through their claimed territory. it's a common perception that plovers will attack and jab you with the poisonous spike on their wing but, in truth, it is extremely rare to hear of a plover actually making contact at all when they swoop.

pencil-free sketch using pigma micron pens & watercolours in A4 sketchbook

reference image was used with permission and courtesy of michael dahlem

i'm known as 'the plover lady' in these parts probably because i find myself constantly defending plovers against kids who seem to take great delight in going out of their way to harass or harm them.  in the four years we've lived here, i know of instances where kids have killed plover babies or have broken the wings of the adult birds, on top of their constant harassment. i've had to call the RSPCA out a couple of times to take away injured birds and it makes me wonder what some parents are teaching their kids in regards to respecting the life and well-being of all creatures, great and small. for 6 - 8 weeks each year, i'm sure we could all be a little more understanding to the plovers' needs.

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week 35 in the 52 weeks of me project

quiet reflection

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mikayla enjoying a delicious gingernut biscuit- too CUTE!

see more mikayla pics on michelle's blog - here.

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i hope you all enjoy a beautiful weekend!
our weekend starts tomorrow....YAY!

~ love, light and peace ~