Taking a blog break

Hi everyone,

The clouds looked like rows of fluffy cotton balls in the sky this morning. 

So pretty and quite spectacular!

Week 11 - 52 Weeks of Me 2012 challenge

Life sure has been throwing me some curve balls of late.

After some discussion with the anaesthetist yesterday it was decided that my hysterectomy surgery would be postponed until I see a cardiologist.   Unfortunately, the Stress Echo-cardiogram did show some problems so it would be too risky to operate for a non-emergency surgery.  I'm okay with this because, once the heart issues became apparent, I was wary of the surgery going ahead anyways.

So now I wait for an appointment to see the Cardiologist.  I will need to get an Angiogram to see why my heart isn't getting enough oxygen when I'm under stress.

I've certainly had a rough couple of years regarding my health and I'm feeling quite deflated by it all.  I've also been feeling like a bad blogger friend too because I just haven't had the time or inkling to go around and visit my dear blogger friends.  I do apologise for this and hope to get back to form in the coming months. However, for this reason, I've decided to take a break from blogging for now.

I don't know how long this break will be for but I do plan to sketch and make art in the interim so, hopefully, I'll have lots to share when I come back.

I will try to pop in and visit you all here and there.

I will still remain active on Facebook so feel free to 'friend' me if you want to stay in more regular touch. See sidebar for my FB profile links.

Stay safe and well, my friends.

~ Love, light and peace ~

A crazy week, a self portrait, a sketch and orangutans!

Another crazy week has passed which is why I haven't been around much.

I had three migraines!

Aaron broke his arm at high school on Wednesday.

Some kid managed to kick his arm into a pole when they were playing.

It was an accident and they feel really bad about it.

Aaron's arm is now in a cast for six weeks which he's not too happy about.

It was his writing hand too but, thankfully, the school are supplying him with a laptop to use in class.

My Pre-Op appointment didn't go too well either.

My blood pressure was through the roof despite me already being on blood pressure medication and this had the anaesthetist quite concerned. I'm booked in to have a Stress Echo-cardiogram done on Wednesday as she wants to clear any problems that could arise during my surgery on the 22nd.  Admittedly, my Pre-Op appointment was on the same day I was running Aaron back and forth for his arm so I did have a stressful day.  I hope my surgery won't have to be postponed as I'd rather get it dealt with and out of the way.

WEEK 10 - 52 weeks of ME 2012 self portrait challenge

I saw one of our Aussie actresses, Cornelia Francis, on SUNRISE this past weekend.  She is now the Australian ambassador for the Save The Orangutan project in Borneo.  Orangutans are our closest living relatives in the animal world. They share 97% of our DNA....so interesting. These amazing animals are now critically endangered because their rainforest habitats are being flattened to make way for Palm Oil plantations. Sadly, the almighty dollar comes first yet again.

Please help if you can ~

I paid tribute to this critically endangered species in my large Moleskine sketchbook.

Drawn directly in ink pen and only used graphite pencil to shade a little here and there.

Reference image is credited to Daniel Kleeman at Flickr.

I sure hope your week was better than mine.

~ Love, light and peace ~

self portrait and gorillas

Sunday was an overcast and rainy day so I declared it a jammie day for myself.
I never used to be a jammie day person but I'm a changed woman.

Jammies are SO comfy!

Week 9 - 52 weeks of ME 2012 project

After watching a video of an amazing chance encounter with wild mountain gorillas recently, I felt inspired to sketch one. I loved the movie, 'Gorillas in the Mist' which was about Dian Fossey, an American zoologist/scientist who studied and protected groups of wild mountain gorillas from poachers in the mountain forests of Rwanda. She did this for 18 years until sadly, she was murdered in 1985, it is assumed by poachers. The gorilla fund organisation she had originally set up continues the fight to protect the wild mountain gorillas that she loved so much.

The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International

Reference image is credited to lisilk at WetCanvas.

And the video footage I found on Sandy's blog that inspired my sketch.
I got goosebumps watching it.
Amazing stuff!

Our task must be to free ourselves from the prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.
--- Albert Einstein

~ Love, light and peace ~

elephants, UK circus news and a dog

I've heard a lot of animal abuse stories lately which have weighed heavily on my heart.  It's nice to see a story like this with a happy ending....although it did take 20 years.  Here is the direct link in case the video doesn't work - Reunion after 20 years.

And more good news from the UK.
 They have banned the use of wild animals in circuses.
Ministers cave to demands
Well done to the UK!
I can only hope that Australia follows suit.
Cody thinks that, if all animals were treated like him, the world would be a happy place indeed.  Here he is in one of him most favourite spots in the world.....my pillow.

 I've had a few ups and downs with back pain and migraines the past few days so nothing to show art-wise.

Stay tuned ~

~ Love, light and peace ~