Steve Update

Steve's lower lip is black and blue and the right side of his jaw is swollen and he can't bring his top and bottom jaws together properly yet.
He has had a very rough few days; mainly emotionally and psychologically. Today it was very hard being back at work. He felt shaken and on edge watching everyone around him with deep suspicion.

He IS back at work.
He IS more chirpy.
He IS talking about it each day.
He IS determined to maintain vigilance on the streets at all times.
He IS full of praise and regard for the ordinary 'man/woman in the street' going about their daily lives.

Thanks for all your very kind thoughts and loving words.

You are a wonderful bunch of (blogging) friends.

Cactus Monday

Bonsais fascinate me,and I rarely see them. So when I saw this one on Saturday, I bought it.
Then I drew it on Sunday.

Meet Miss Taiwan Ficus, who is petite, dainty and has already made friends with Senita,

Happy Cactus Monday cactuteers!

Giggles #96

"Dear Lord, if you can't make me thin...please make all my friends fat!"

Giggles #71

"I could be trim and fit if I want to, but my friends would be jealous, and I don't want to do that to them!"

Pico Award

What a surprise to receive this award from my good friend, Marianne. This lady lives in the Netherlands and soon after we 'connected' in blogland, I realised that I can understand her language, as many South African forefathers came from Holland, France, Germany and Britain.
The second language spoken in South Africa is called Afrikaans and it very closely resembles Dutch. I learnt it at school from a very early age and, altough I've lived here in the UK for the past 22 years, I am still completely bilingual.
Now Marianne and I communicate in Dutch/Afrikaans on our blogs and it's great fun. I understand almost all she writes and I believe she understands me too. She also has two adorable shih tzus so how could we not become friends? If you think that Snuffles is cute take a look at these two.

Thank you so much, my friend, it's a pleasure to receive this award.
Baie dankie, my vriendin, dis n plesier on hierdie verkenning to kry.

The Rules:
1.)Pick 5 blogs that you feel are deserving of this award, based on their.....
Creativity
Design
Interesting material, and
Contribution to the blogging community, no matter what language.
2.)For each award giver: include the name of the author and a link to their blog, so they can be visited.
3.)For each recipient: show the award with the name and link to the blogger from whom it was received.
4.)For both giver and receiver: show the link (http://arteypico.blogspot.com/)
5.)Publish these rules

It's very difficult to choose only five people, but here they are:

human being
beammeupscotty
teric
diana evans
studiololo
auntiemim
(Oops I can't count!)

All of your blogs are amazing in one way or another, actually in lots of ways, and you make my blogging world such fun to be in!
Thanks and hugs.

Senita and the orchid twins.

HAPPY CACTUS MONDAY friends, and fellow 'cactuteers'....teric, margaret and welcome to our newest member, studiololo.

I have two single stem orchid plants in my bathroom (which is an ideal atomsophere for them). They are both magnificent, and flower twice a year. Every now and then I carry them downstairs to visit Senita. I drew this yesterday (with the snow falling outside in the background).

Senita and Miss Ivy

Senita has been making friends with everyone in the house.
Today she and Miss Ivy are having tea and a chat.
Don't they look comfortable?

Happy Cactus Monday. Wonder what teri has posted today.....

Ps. I see we have a new member. The three musketeers....all for one and one for all...or is it the 'three cactuteers'...I like that....

Welcome Margaret, what an amazing illo.
Let's see who else will join us now.

Awards

Lolo has given me, not one, but two awards.

This is such a great way to start my new blog.

Thanx, coming from you, these are an honour.

The first one is for loving and adoring animals and talking about my Snuffles so often- well that's an absolute pleasure for me, as she is everything to me.

This is one of my favourite pics of her (and I have hundreds). It is a jaunty rear view of her venturing out on a dewy morning.

The second award is to send loving energy and peaceful thoughts across the globe to wherever it's needed.

I am giving both these awards to all of my blogging friends:

beammeupscotty

poidogz

crisinoregon

lynn_gettingyourfeetwet

auntie mim's

myillustrationblog

sameoldworld

bohemian mom

piercingtheveil

teric

zirelda

human being

liderata

sketchedout

prozacville

enigma

ellisnadler

andrea

valerie

Spread the loooove......

You've all been tagged.

This one's fun. Instead of tagging certain people, Bohemian Mom has invited everyone to consider themselves tagged, so I've accepted her invitation.

Here's the rules.....

There are five categories under which you have to link back to a previous post.

Go back through your archives and post the links to your five favourite blog posts that you have written...but there is a catch:

Link 1 must be about family.

Link 2 must be about friends.

Link 3 must be about yourself, who you are and what you're all about.

Link 4 must be about something you love.

Link 5 can be anything you choose.

I think this is a great way to circulate some of the older posts everyone has written, return to a few great places in our memories and also learn something about others that we may not know.

Please consider yourselves tagged and have some fun.