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    • The online ramblings of an artist and photographer

    Gotta laugh at life

    or die trying I guess

    To add to the wonderful medical mystery that is Leslie, I just learned I have mild Scoliosis.

    What an awesome way to start the long weekend!!

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    Loooonnnnnnngggggggg Weekend!

    Time to relax, bbq and relax some more.

    or if you are me, play catch up on all the things you haven’t been doing while sick.  

    Thankfully I arranged my schedule to be off today, so I have an extra day to play catch up

    or to procrastinate, I’m really good at that

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    Just a few of the tags that I’ve been photographing, bagging and tagging all weekend.These ones are made from upcycled wallpaper samples with raw hemp laces and are a part of the spring garden sets.

    Just a few of the tags that I’ve been photographing, bagging and tagging all weekend.
    These ones are made from upcycled wallpaper samples with raw hemp laces and are a part of the spring garden sets.

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    washi bows for an upcoming market i’ve been dreaming of washi tape lately…. I think I may need a break from crafting…

    washi bows for an upcoming market

    i’ve been dreaming of washi tape lately…. I think I may need a break from crafting…

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    I didn’t get a chance to order new Moo cards yet so I just stamped up a few new business cards for tonight. I didn’t have a camera stamp (surprisingly!) so I used a bee for Bennett. I’m such a dork.

    I didn’t get a chance to order new Moo cards yet so I just stamped up a few new business cards for tonight.
    I didn’t have a camera stamp (surprisingly!) so I used a bee for Bennett.
    I’m such a dork.

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    The Rock & Roll Art Show 2

    I’m heading to the Rock & Roll Art Show tonight at Alderney Landing Theatre in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

    The Rock & Roll Art Show is a benefit to help raise money for The Healing and Cancer Foundation which helps people affected by cancer with a practical, integrated approach to their diagnosis through life skills training and integrated cancer care and support. 

    I’m looking forward to a Fantastic Female Affair as this ladies night event features an all female blues line up with headliners Katey Day and Theresa Melanfant, local female artists and artisans such as Richelle Williams as well as a silent auction.

    The doors open at 6 and music starts at 7.  Get your tickets online at Ticket Pro Atlantic or at the door.

    See you there!

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    Two weeks ago we went out to a friends place for our first bonfire of the season!  I had a lot of fun playing with my phone and DSLR; I can not wait to have another fire soon!

    I love how certain Hipstamatic combos lend to the dreaminess of the fire, like the warm light-leakiness in the second image.

    S’more anyone?

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    Food That Kills | Watch Documentary Online Free

    Thomas Edison was right about the importance of diet but wrong with his prediction about the future of doctors and medicine. 

    I just finished watching this documentary and felt the need to share.  

    This is actually a lecture that was given what seems to be 20 or more years ago (judging by technology and stats available in the lecture).
    TWENTY YEARS AGO we knew about the benefits of a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle.  And yet we consume more animals products today than we did then!

    Now I am not saying you have to go completely vegan overnight and hate yourself if you ever have a cheeseburger again.  I’m just suggesting you watch the lecture (one little hour of your time) and consider what he - and the facts - have to say.

    I know personally that the days and weeks I stick to a vegan lifestyle are the times I feel at my best.  I do indulge in meats and cheeses on occasion (more frequently than I should) but I sure do pay for them.  All of that fat has to be processed by your liver; the main thing a liver with PSC has trouble doing.

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    paperbacklife: Since I officially have a market to prep for I will be spending this lovely almost spring day indoors crafting away. Here is a peek at a couple of new nautical themed tags I was working on this morning.

    paperbacklife:

    Since I officially have a market to prep for I will be spending this lovely almost spring day indoors crafting away.

    Here is a peek at a couple of new nautical themed tags I was working on this morning.

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    Friends of OC Spring into Summer!

    paperbacklife:

    I just got confirmation that I will be attending the Friends of OC Spring into Summer market in Cole Harbour on Saturday June 15th.

    This will be my first market of the year; I hope to see you all there to catch up and support some great local artisans and crafters - and a lot of entrepreneurial moms!

    Visit the event page on Facebook for more info and a complete list of vendors!

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    I could not agree with this statement more. I have been off work over the past few weeks due to complications from my PSC.  Escalating pain, chronic nausea and fatigue were a daily battle that eventually landed me at the emergency room twice inside one week. According to modern medicine though, I was healthy.  I had no problems with any of my blood work; even my liver enzymes were completely normal, which is not normal for people with PSC.  I tested negative to HIV, cancer, infection and parasites (including pregnancy).  All x-rays came back clear. So what the hell was making me so sick? The doctors couldn’t pinpoint anything.  Anti nausea medication and pain killers seemed to give me some relief, at least for the short term.  So I got another bottle of pills (two, actually) and was sent on my way with the request to come back if it got worse. And it got worse.  It seemed every time I took a pill for the pain I would feel fine for about an hour then the pain would come back, more intensely.  When I was able, I would take some more pills, feel fine for an hour then feel horrible again.  And I was increasing my intake of medication at an alarming rate.  When I had maxed out on the daily recommended dosage by early afternoon one day I realized enough was enough.  Obviously these pills were a part of the problem, not the solution. I did not go back to the emergency room.  It is not that I did not appreciate what the doctors were trying to do for me, but when the doctors admitted they weren’t sure what was wrong and could only offer more pills I figured I needed to broaden my resource base for healthcare.  I needed to try and find a solution, not just deal with a problem. And I needed to stop taking these pills. Over the course of a week I worked myself off of the pain medication.  That was hard, to not take a pill, which was so handy and I knew would sort of make me feel better.  But just the thought of how I would feel after taking the pill kept me strong.  I turned to yoga, meditation, walking, writing and a lot of fruits and vegetables to help deal with the pain as I stopped taking the pills.  I also kept track of when I felt the most pain and slowly eliminated any foods that were associated with a pain spike.  Processed foods, white sugar, meat and most dairy were quickly out.   The anti nausea medications were easier.  I simply switched to the many natural remedies that are available, some that I have been using for a while.  Green tea, ginger, lemon and mint are just a few of the natural antinauseants that have become staples in my diet.  Eliminating high fat foods and harder to digest foods like meats helped as well. And it started to work.  While no one thing in particular was the winning ticket, the combination of everything has helped, significantly.  I was no longer craving a nap by 10am, I had the energy to go out with friends for more than an hour and I am actually HUNGRY.  I WANT to eat foods, not because I have to but because I feel okay and wanted to eat something yummy.  And even though I still deal with both the pain and nausea daily, but I am dealing with it now, not suffering through it.  That’s a big difference.

    I could not agree with this statement more.

    I have been off work over the past few weeks due to complications from my PSC.  Escalating pain, chronic nausea and fatigue were a daily battle that eventually landed me at the emergency room twice inside one week.

    According to modern medicine though, I was healthy.  I had no problems with any of my blood work; even my liver enzymes were completely normal, which is not normal for people with PSC.  I tested negative to HIV, cancer, infection and parasites (including pregnancy).  All x-rays came back clear.

    So what the hell was making me so sick?

    The doctors couldn’t pinpoint anything.  Anti nausea medication and pain killers seemed to give me some relief, at least for the short term.  So I got another bottle of pills (two, actually) and was sent on my way with the request to come back if it got worse.

    And it got worse.  It seemed every time I took a pill for the pain I would feel fine for about an hour then the pain would come back, more intensely.  When I was able, I would take some more pills, feel fine for an hour then feel horrible again.  And I was increasing my intake of medication at an alarming rate.  When I had maxed out on the daily recommended dosage by early afternoon one day I realized enough was enough.  Obviously these pills were a part of the problem, not the solution.


    I did not go back to the emergency room.  It is not that I did not appreciate what the doctors were trying to do for me, but when the doctors admitted they weren’t sure what was wrong and could only offer more pills I figured I needed to broaden my resource base for healthcare.  I needed to try and find a solution, not just deal with a problem.

    And I needed to stop taking these pills.

    Over the course of a week I worked myself off of the pain medication.  That was hard, to not take a pill, which was so handy and I knew would sort of make me feel better.  But just the thought of how I would feel after taking the pill kept me strong.  I turned to yoga, meditation, walking, writing and a lot of fruits and vegetables to help deal with the pain as I stopped taking the pills.  I also kept track of when I felt the most pain and slowly eliminated any foods that were associated with a pain spike.  Processed foods, white sugar, meat and most dairy were quickly out.

     
    The anti nausea medications were easier.  I simply switched to the many natural remedies that are available, some that I have been using for a while.  Green tea, ginger, lemon and mint are just a few of the natural antinauseants that have become staples in my diet.  Eliminating high fat foods and harder to digest foods like meats helped as well.

    And it started to work.  While no one thing in particular was the winning ticket, the combination of everything has helped, significantly.  I was no longer craving a nap by 10am, I had the energy to go out with friends for more than an hour and I am actually HUNGRY.  I WANT to eat foods, not because I have to but because I feel okay and wanted to eat something yummy.  And even though I still deal with both the pain and nausea daily, but I am dealing with it now, not suffering through it.  That’s a big difference.

    0 notes

    Yay! Impromptu craft/art/photo night with the girls! I’m so excited to get a chance to work on some new projects with some new toys and papers I just bought! shhhhh…..don’t tell Jared….

    Yay!

    Impromptu craft/art/photo night with the girls!

    I’m so excited to get a chance to work on some new projects with some new toys and papers I just bought!

    shhhhh…..don’t tell Jared….

    1 note