Bouncing

I never really got it...Trampolines.

These big ugly eye-sores in peoples yards.

BUT now I get it....

They are just plain fun fun fun.

Now I wish I had room in my yard for one!

Now I get it, ha ha.

p.s.  Back to some artwork soon, I promise!

Hot 'Hamburgur' Sandwiches

It's a common misconception that vegetarians can't enjoy the normal foods a meat eater does.

We can enjoy most of the same dishes as carnivores, we just use meat substitutes.

Like soy burger,

then we can have our own delicious version of yummies such as

Hot 'Hamburger' Sandwiches

A comfort food to boot...and healthy as you can see.

(we enjoy this dish quite often, it's one of our favourites, quick & super easy)

To Make:

Just take a package of your favourite soy burger, lately we like to use 'Yves'.

Put a smidgen of Olive Oil in your pan, cook and brown the meat for a few minutes on medium heat.

Than make a meat-free gravy.  We use Club House's brown gravy, it's vegetarian believe it or not!

Pour the gravy onto the cooked soy meat and stir and warm up well...

Than put the mixture between your favourite bread.

Serve piping hot and with lots of your favourite veggies. 

We usually do steamed carrots, brussel sprouts, green beans

and roasted red peppers with ours.

Voila!

Hot 'Hamburger' Sandwiches for the veg-heads.

You gotta try it if you've already not, you'll love it it, I am sure.

 It's been so long since I had any meat I can't promise that I remember how meat tastes, ha ha.

But I do promise that this recipe kicks butt and takes names...

and honestly, to us anyways, it's better than the meat version because it's healthier & so much yummier because being vegetarian is just living a kind life...and that suits my honey and I perfectly.

Enjoy!

Happy Fathers Day

Happy Father's Day

to the two wonderful men in my life...

My dad, whose always always there for us...

we LOVE you Dad.

and to my Bunny Honey...

he's a daddy to my heart of hearts...all of the bunnies we've shared our life with thus far.

He does it spectacularly and unlike any other...

LOVE you baby,

And Ella Luna from up above, Roo Boo, Jinster, Jaky & all of our other angels, Love Love Love you too.

XXOO

Outdoor Delights

I can't help but share more photos of all the lovelies outside currently delighting my heart and soul...

There is so much going on outside...it's beautiful.
Our backyard is so full of trees & is quite wild so there's always lots of activity.
Right now we have a family of baby raccoons living in the shed!
We can't let them stay because raccoons and bunnies just don't mix...
though Jon has agreed to not to chase them away for another couple of weeks
because right now they are really tiny & fuzzy and Oh My God SUPER CUTE!
but so small that I don't want them to get hurt...I am hoping the mama will relocate them on her own.

I'll just have to pay extra close attention to the buns when we go out into the yard.

Our lilac trees are attracting tons of butterflies.

The grey squirrel had FOUR babies,
The red squirrel had atleast two.

Ella Luna and I used to spend hours upon hours just snuggling together by the back door,

watching their silly squirrely antics...they are simply adorable.

I love the fact that I lead a life
where I can allow myself hours to just sit with house rabbits and a tea
and watch squirrel siblings wrestle amongst the tree branches
or take their very first trepidation filled steps onto the deck for tempting peanuts.

I am so glad that I make the time every day to enjoy the simple beauties in life...

I hope you can make or find the the time to do so too.

XO Mandy who is in love with her little house and yard full of creatures.



The Duck & Empathy

I am pretty upset today...

One of the court ducks was killed yesterday morning.

He was sleeping under someones car and they ran over him.

Jonathan tried to spare me the truth...he knew I'd be really upset & angry,

but I have good ears, I am good at reading body language & I had noticed

the female all alone that day and I was wondering where her partner was.

It's so so sad to see the female all alone.

Whenever they were separated, you'd hear them calling and calling for the other.

They had been coming to our court for atleast 10 years.

Every spring I looked forward to seeing them.

Every year I dreaded that something happened to them whenever they were late in arriving.

Every summer they waddled around the whole court, they were part of the neighbourhood,

everyone sort of watched out for them...

I'd run out and yell at kids or people with dogs to leave them alone when I saw they were being bothered.

All of us knew to look under and around our cars before we backed up, it was just part of summer.

And he was killed by someone visiting the court, someone who didn't know better...

He will be missed.

He was part of this worlds magic and beauty.

Sometimes people think I am overly empathetic...

but I don't want to be one of the cold-hearted of this world.

I fight this world's abrasiveness by bearing my sensitive soul...

sure it's cut to the quick and hurts alot of the time...

but I feel beauty & love and all of the sweet sweet goodness
in between even more acutely because of that.

I won't brush off something like this with a snarky little 'Well he shouldn't have been under a car'...

It's true, he shouldn't have been, BUT it's still very sad what happened, I am not ashamed to admit that.

I don't want to be numb in anyway,  I want to feel it all...

that is after all part of this journey...part of being human.

To be full of empathy and sensitivity, to feel everything fully, is a gift.

It is not a weakness...it shows strength,

because those of us willing and open to this crazy worlds rollarcoaster

looks sadness, unfairness, despair and all the other negative stuff straight on,

we take it in, we feel it and than we walk away not more brittle, not sanded down...

but preciously more aware, more in tune, more appreciative...

and that too, in my humble opinion is part of a successful journey of being human.

Empathy means:

Having the capacity to recognize feelings that are being experienced by another

sentient or semi-sentient being.

Who in the world doesn't want this ability to flow freely through them...I sure do...

Because, well one needs to have a certain amount of empathy in them so that they can feel Compassion...

and I for one, want to be a fully functioning Compassionate person....it's who I am.

...to care oodles about ducks that aren't even mine...

to shed some tears...to light some candles to wish his spirit a lovely journey to the next part...

It's like I always say, "It's Simple Part Of The Magic That Makes Me...ME".

RIP little guy...may you be waddling much faster in the next part XO.

Some Shots From The Garden

Just wanted to hop in and share some shots from the garden.

There is so much goodness and beauty out there

...ahhhh...

Hornets and Bees buzzing around, birds flocking to the deck for the recently scattered peanuts,

baby squirrels playing with their siblings in the trees,  chipmunks filling up their sweet cheeks,

the sound of lawnmowers in distant yards, the warmth of the sun, flowers bursting with colour & scent,

the gentle burbling of our water fountains, dragonflies zooming by just missing my cheek...

It's hard to be out there without Ella Luna...

especially when I see all of her burrow spots sitting there ready for more digging...

Roo doesn't want to come out with me...I am not going to force him,

right now he seems content to watch me putter around from the backdoor/deck.

But I am forcing myself to go outside because though I might not have Ella there with me anymore,

I do love our little yard and being outside with all of the

wonders and beauty of bugs, nature and flowers.

...and it's time to get my tomato & cucumber plants into their pots...

Wishing myself and all of you, a beautiful bird-song filled day full of peace.

XO Mandy & Roo



Hiding & Heart Warmth

I am still 'hiding out' to nurse my sore heart...

I am still struggling & trying to navigate my days and time without my Ella Luna...

The last 2 years has revolved completely around her...

But even when she was perfectly healthy I didn't like being without her for long, nor she from me.

Some days seem better but it's still a game of quickly side-stepping around pitfalls of despair...

The house feels empty. I feel somewhat brittle.

Part of the way I get through my losses is lots of time alone,

hiding in the house and yard, with Jon & the other buns. 

I have the luxury to do so and for that I am so grateful because it really is my way to heal.

Those very close to me know this is my way, they know I am not answering the phone,

They know not to push me because even though they may not understand it,

they know our grief is very deep...that we've lost a family member.

I am so grateful to my partner.  His strength is my strength.

I am so glad for Roo, he is my gentle giant & forever Ella's boy.

I am happy for Jin & Jaks who are being good to Roo & offering him lots of kisses on the couch & bed.

I am so grateful for my parents who cry when I cry.

I am grateful for my beautiful friends Jules, Aline, Judit & Maria,

who are patiently there for me, letting me cry or waiting gently for me if I need them.

I am so very grateful for the gentleness of complete strangers & online friends.

We've gotten so many beautiful notes expressing sympathies about our beautiful Ella Bella.

It would appear that Ella Luna was a star of sorts on my blog & many got to know her through my posts.

A couple of very special friends sent beautiful little notes through the mail
that wrapped my heart in warmth (surprises in my mailbox cheer me up no matter whats going on).

It's all been a balm to my heart.

Thank you all.

I'll get back to 'it' soon, I promise.

I just need abit more time.

Love Mandy

Ella Luna

Ella Luna is gone...

She passed away Friday night, June 2st at 2:30 am...

She lived and loved every single day of her 8.5 years with such spirit and light.

She was giving me kisses right up to the end...

And when it happened we were all having a snuggle on the bed together,

She was all stretched out, breathing slowly and I was telling her story after story...she felt very calm.

She died in my arms,
it was not an easy passing but it was quick.
She made my heart and my world grow 100 times it's normal size.

She filled every single moment and cell of my being with such immense happiness, joy and inspiration.

She was an incredible and amazing little soul...

She was my best friend,

My precious little girl...

I will miss her every single minute of every single day until the end of time.

We had an amazing life with our little spunky tough-nut and I know she had a great life with Jon & I.

Right now I can't breathe

I just don't know how to be without my Ella Luna.

But I promised her I would take extra good care of her Roo...

and I know I'll carry her beauty and love within me for always..
Instead of one heart beating in my chest, from now on I'll have two...
Hers and mine...together forever.

Run free little girl, our Ella Luna, our sweet Ella Bella, our Foo Foo....We love you forever.