It's been a great long weekend & It's NOT over! 
Today, I decided to get crafty and create a sign for the front door entrance.
I wanted to use pallets - Free wood.  
I WILL admit,  Norm did re-nail them a 'bit closer' for me, and then sanded the entire thing with an electric sander. Accomplishing in mere minutes what would take me hours. 
Storm carried it out back and I painted in the sunshine! 
Now it hangs in the front entrance and I am already working on a Christmas one!!!

Most days, it is a good thing when you must keep busy. 
I also drew the cover for the NEXT Cannabis Digest newspaper! 
You might be aware, we love Halloween.. It was so much fun.
(more on the cover - after it is published)  
It's like crack for my brain thinking of halloween!  ;) 
I can't share it - You have to wait until it hits 'news stands' like me! 

Imagine if we were all permitted to just do what we love?
Have faith! Give thanks and NEVER give up!!!

Oh, Canada!!
Canada has changed a lot in the past 10 years, but never so shockingly as it did in December, 2012. That month Canada went from 2.5 million protected lakes and rivers to 159 protected lakes and rivers. 

You need to ask, why?  This is a quote from the Huff Post, it’s a pretty good assessment.

"It means the removal of almost every lake and river we know from the Navigable Waters Protection Act. From one day to the next we went from 2.5 million protected lakes and rivers in Canada to 159 lakes and rivers protected. You name the river, you name the lake and it is no longer protected by this act, and this has nothing to do with the budget that the government rammed through, it has everything to do with pipelines, because you are able to now are able to ruin navigation and not trigger an environmental assessment."

One little tidbit they didn’t mention is the most of the protected lakes and river are in Conservative ridings. Places that have millionaires cottages perched on the shores. The rest of us can just suck it up.

I’m angry; my children will likely lose the opportunity to swim in clear clean water (unless they marry money) and the risk to the environment, just when the rest of the world is starting to clean their countries up, will have reached epic proportion in Canada. My grand children will be at risk, their health, safety, lifestyle and living environment will be negatively impacted to benefit a handful of international mining companies and their rich shareholders (who live with THEIR children beside the protected lakes.)

This just boggles my mind.. since when is one group of people more important than another? Since when has Canada been willing to sellout its citizens? There is no net benefit, no silver lining, no payoff , unless of course you’ve invested in mining companies.

We need to ask our Conservative government a few questions. First- who are you working for? Second- Why are you so willing to risk your children’s future when you have a choice not to? Third, do you know what your grandchildren will think and say about you?

We need to get angry, folks, we need to start showing an interest in what our governments, at all levels, do in our names.

CETA, the European free trade deal is set to be ratified in September. Once that’s through we can expect even more attacks on what laws we have in place provincially to protect our wild and not so wild areas. This trade deals allow corporations to sue countries who have environmental laws that might hurt their “future” profits.. nice for them, eh? We’re rapidly losing control of our laws to greedy corporations and this Conservative government is smoothing the way.

Go find a nice lake or river bank this weekend, swim.. wash your hair, take a tire tube and show the kids how to paddle around the shore looking for minnows and turtles. You better take pictures though, as this is likely the last generation who will be able to enjoy it.


*Thank You Ellen Durkee!  Terrific Guest Blog. 
I get by with a little help from my friends!  <><
Read this.. more on the topic! 
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/lakes-across-canada-face-being-turned-into-mine-dump-sites-1.733972
You won't believe <>< ;( 


To see the Stephfin carper  in the flesh (yours), join me tomorrow at the Painted Perch Challenge!  I think it's going to be a lot of fun, Norm myself & Poppy! Adopting out - Zen Kitties and enjoying the day! My other artist friend Ellen Downe is also going! 
The kitties are $20 each with $5. for each purchase going to the Georgina Food pantry. 
* I figure that would cover mailing and they sell on line for $20 ;)  


I am just looking forward to the DAY!! In the park! Music! Crafts! Friends! Fun!
Come say hello, and if YOU want a free post card, just ask ;) 
xox <>< 

I have discovered the secret to keeping my saintly. Keeping busy. LOL 
So far so good.  I know all too well I can sit and twitch or I can sit and twitch and keep creative and focus on  keeping creative - rather than keep focused on the problem, one that appears to be staying with me.  
I am feeling very  lucky, blessed and grateful that I am still able to paint, draw and just amuse myself ;)  lol  I have several projects on the go!  I can literally walk from room to room with something set up in a corner to paint, prime or doodle as I please! I have no excuse for boredom!  
Several situations recently once again, have had me withdraw and rethink. 

Boredom is  the root of evil. I know many marriages all pretty happy, until someone starts to feel bored.  Usually that boredom turns to looking for something else, and many times that something can end up being someone.  I find between the dogs, life , crafts - twitch I have little time to feel bored.  I spend a great part of my day feeling frustrated.  Take anything that you do and now add a twitch that literally shakes you head and sometimes hand (when at it's strongest) with every movement, and paint.  LOL

I'm tired of listening to others complain about life.. 'how bad they have it'- when all it seems to me, is they are bored. Too much time to sit and stew and think and let the negative ferment until it consumes.  Been there and done that. I do have a few friends that complain, most with very good reason - the ones IMO that have the most justifiable reasons- complain the less.   

Get busy! I've decided to keep busy! Recently I played with a  few empty beer bottles I have! Buddha beer in particular! What fun!  I have had the bottles for a while being a fan of Buddha- the bottles are too easy to paint! The last screamed Rob Ford before I could even finish the flash paint! LOL  Norm picked up a diamond bit and I plan on turning a few into water pipes ;) !  Stay tooned, I will sell a couple but as usual, much of my work ends up being gifts!  

In my attempts to make some extra$$ (is there such a thing?) I created Mini Zen kitties!! I love these little kitties, it brings me peace to paint them! A rainbow of colors and each one slightly different - that huge grin looking back at me while I paint!  I am making some for the Painted Perch festival - more on that the next couple of days!  I also have to get to work on my celebrity fish for the day!  The Stephfin Carper!!!  
I have offered ZenKitties on line - once they are done they are gone. ;) You can get one here - if you order quick enough! http://www.georgiatoons.com/for-sale.html

It's simple. IF you are bored then do something about it! Serve someone other than yourself.  Look within. Create! Write a card/poem, bake a dish to give, cookies... plant a plant! Clean your home! Toss out clutter!  Knit, crochet... PAINT! 
Or be bored.  The CHOICE is yours.
xox <><