From the book Living Buddha, Living Christ  - the above quote inspired this image. Nice and simple. We are all connected. The colors so much more vibrant and detailed in the real image and the words in green - hard to notice - yet here they pop out!  Fate ;-) 
I read all day yesterday and have several new Cultivating Compassion cartoons to ink today! I fear I will never run out of material. I have a special wishful thinking toon to post tomorrow! Stay tooned...   For now - it's the weekend! Storm at work and Norm home - I have a day full of domestic stuff and drawing ahead. Thank God.  I am drawing more - I will admit - the botox just does not seem to be taming the over all twitch this time around.. When I draw - I become absorbed and I hardly notice it.  Yet when I watch TV it is all I can focus on, so simply - I'd rather be drawing is definitely my motto I am meant to draw!  Good thing! Happy St. Patty's day! 

After reading about the guy strip searched cause his little 4 year old drew a gun - it got me thinking. Columbia tried to sue Mike Peters (Mother Goose & Grimm) for a cartoon he did, we all heard about the cartoonist who drew a God as a dog. Burnt his home to the ground ;-( 
I draw about Cannabis all the time - an illegal drug.  I am sure at some point I might have someone say something to me. 
Actually a while back I did - something along the lines as 'using a comic strip to educate about Cannabis, something geared towards kids...'  Well it just happens to be a comic strip because that is what I do - was born to do, LOVE to do -  I found recently some images of cartoon characters smoking- not only were they smoking but they were promoting SMOKING! Intentionally!!        Yikes.             NOT o.k.  
We choose - actually, LOOK around- did you choose to have that giant alcohol/underwear/donut ad in front of you where you walk by everyday - no - we are bombarded with images that we did not choose. 
BUT what we choose to do about them is a different situation. 
I do NOT feel alcohol is a disease. A sickness yes. A disease you wake up with everyday - you have no control.  Some people are born with them. AN alcoholic chooses to lift that drink to his/her lips with each sip.  So - if after you read my cartoons you go and smoke a fattie - the choice was yours. But if you smoke a go do something stupid-  I'm having trouble even finishing this sentence - its the person people, NOT the POT!  Just like every person that drinks and drives and kills someone cannot go and sue the alcohol that got him that way .. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm   Or the prescription drug - when mixed with your other medication - stopped your heart - well you can TRY to sue. If your still alive.
We need to take responsibility of our own choices. We need to be making educated choices.
Recreationally, Cannabis is much safer that alcohol. 
Medicinally - Cannabis is much safer than many prescribed medications. 
So If I have changed your mind - over to Cannabis with a cartoon -I'm thrilled - it's a start in the educated direction.  If I have made you at least question your other choices - Yippie!! 
If you plan on suing me because you over ate a brownie or two and missed that job interview - IT'S the person NOT the pot! 

- People draw much worse, they draw about murder, crime, rape, torture- it's endless... we all do what we feel we have to.  It is art.  It is how someone expresses this life. 
Who is anyone to say it is wrong- if it is NOT physically harming anyone - it is an image. 
If you do not agree with it - make your own choice.  
It is as simple as - if it is a product - do not buy it.

Halloween finally put away.. a few trinkets remain, fish are out of the pond and in the house for the winter.  Todays been a day for chatting with my guys, reading, lazing on the sofa - sunshine window,  jotting down some toon ideas.  I love Sunday's.  I have been working on my first set of cards! They look (if I do say so myself) very cool! I will NOT post them. I want who ever gets a card to not have already seen it a few times on FB.  I've had fun thinking of one for  every month occasion!  Some turned out so good I will make them into strips...
A couple serious but most for fun, I hope to give giggles. Anyhow I am selling them in groups instead of one at a time or else I'd have to charge more money for shipping. Plus I don't know about you BUT I LOVE snail mail, who needs an excuse to send one some happy wishes? You can order my cards on my stuff for sale page.
 Or maybe someone will send you one!  Hee hee hee - I already have a few to mail out!! 
I've also added some new art for sale.  Seeing as this is my only income I guess I have to part with a few sooner or later ;-)  Back to the sunshine... Have a fantastic weekend!

As you might imagine I get a few requests.. "draw me!" ;-)) Or "can you draw this idea..."
Most of them funny and I enjoy the ideas. Some It takes longer than others or sometimes and idea will trigger a different toon in the same direction. Some "I Get" & some "I Don't" 
just like many people with my comics. YOU can NOT please everyone. ;-)

But the other day I got a request, just a couple of lines that have forever changed my life. 
-"if you dont mind i would like to request cartoon for ending dead execution for cannabis in my country malaysia...to educate my people mind.."
My first thoughts: What?! Seriously? ...What? Oh my God... I asked for more information and it was provided. How sad. How sad all of this is on too many levels.
 HOW wrong it all is. WAR on Drugs? More like WAR on  WEAK. 
Then I had trouble. How could I? How can I draw this easily, seriously and pray it gets the message across. I thought about it all day yesterday. I went to bed feeling very tired (my twitch is constant & frankly exhausting) and a little sorry for myself. Then it came to me. Almost asleep ... quite simply: IT IS so sad on so many levels. 
I read earlier this week about a young mom who got sent to jail for 12 years! Leaving 3 kids. FIRST OFFENSE,  just over 4 grams. I think it said $30.00 worth. The judge 'justifying' it by 'setting an example'. OF what!? To her kids of how cruel life can be?  Selling a HERB that does not HURT anyone. Not a rapist, murderer, human trafficking, child pornographer.. not scum of the earth.  A MOM. How much will it cost for her to be in prison for 12 years? What will happen to her children? Clearly that judge does not care. Generations have suffered  and will continue to do so because of this war on CANNABIS. A PLANT.   

In Canada they are talking about taking away the already legal rights of the sick - so that they can no longer be responsible for growing their own medicine. Forcing the already suffering to resort back to "dealers" Legal or other wise.. Many can hardly afford our prescriptions now. ALSO limiting the types of strains that work for many different people. NOT to mention that it is a PLANT.  
HOW many gardeners out there would be devastated if your were told "NOPE - you can not grow another plant." If we say O.K. to Cannabis - what will be next- Tomatoes?  The funny thing  is that, it is NOT a JOKE.
                    But come on.. people being executed for Cannabis? PUT TO DEATH? 
                    For a PLANT that GOD placed on this earth.  Truly, that is a SIN.
PEOPLE we MUST work together.  You don't have to smoke it - BUT IF YOU DO and you don't stand up for your right to smoke a HERB    **ESPECIALLY if is is easing your suffering??    Others are DYING for that luxury.  NEVER be ashamed of what eases your pain.  Those of you who just like to smoke Cannabis, Thank God you you live where you do.
                            PLANT the SEED of CANNABIS EDUCATION TODAY!
How could I not do the drawing?  I know what Cannabis does. I have witnessed it. It is a MIRACLE plant that needs to be researched and Legalized to end all this madness...
over a plant.   So sad.  
I came up with this drawing. I hope and pray it gets people thinking. That is all I can do. More people have to be educated.  **Norm saw the drawing when he came home and said "I think that hanging is a bit much..."  I said "Me too!" And then told him the story and what I learned. He also had no idea. So Is it a bit much?  NO, it is the TRUTH . 
The truth shall set you free.                         
                    Please... PLANT the SEED of CANNABIS EDUCATION TODAY!

I want to start my week by thinking about what / who I am grateful for. My guys. I miss them Mondays the most. Storm off to work and the same with Norm. My time to catch up with domestic duties ;-) -Dishes and Laundry. It goes without saying I am grateful for them
Storm left this morning and then came back - I thought he must have forgot something. He did - He came and gave me a hug and told me he loved me.  I love my guys so much. My girls Ticky and Scruff  too.
I am grateful we are doing stuff we LOVE Storm has a great job at Yield of Dreams. If you read Maximum yield magazine - they have a wonderful article in it on the store. 
http://issuu.com/maximum-yield/docs/can_julyaug11viewMode=magazine&mode=embed
page 66 & 67. I know why they do so well, before the magazine and before Storm started to work there. Noel is a terrific guy and businessman. Always so helpful and patient and friendly and they know their stuff.  Norm works for Burkes restoration and he loves it as well. He is one of the head contractors and Handymen! He always has to keep busy and likes the variety of the different jobs and people.  Me- Im blessed to stay home and clean and draw!  I am grateful for my home and garden. Mostly I'm grateful for Who's NOT what's.  Jodie, Cathy, Jane, Josh...  especially the last couple of weeks. People who help me hold it together.  Links in my chain ;-)  
Well it's raining! Good day to draw and get caught up on computer stuff. Here is a toon I did about Health Canada's Medical marijuana. They will not be growing any more. The quality of the cannabis they were providing - was not 'very well received' it is also been - irradiated. I have asked several growers and they all say if it was grown properly there would be no need for this step. Funny, I was showing someone this toon and he said  "what's the big deal they do it to our food anyhow."  That alone is the big deal. We have become use to such procedures, accept them.. wether we like it or not . IT is a very big deal. With cancer rates soaring like never before in history. We should be taking steps to avoid any unnecessary  'chances'.  Instead we follow along taking the path that the government puts in front of us. Wondering why we are sick.  At one time they promoted cocaine for tooth aches, In the 1950s and the 1960s, plastic surgeons used synthetic fillers — including silicone injections received by some 50,000 women, from which developed silicone granulomas and breast hardening that required treatment by mastectomy. JUST becasue its been done in the past does not make it RIGHT or healthy. So.. My toon. Hope it inspires or EDUCATES someone to the point of thinking.  xox<><