Thank you and Happy New Year My Art Lovers

So, where have I been? The part time blogger, artist and social media poster appears to have done one over the festive period. No posting, no blogging and no art created.

Well, it could be said that the mojo was lost. Which to a degree is correct. For reasons I can't fathom in the darkest depths of my subconscious mind, I have always struggled with Christmas and New Year. A couple of years ago was probably the toughest and just added to my disdain about the event. Time and events do not care if its a time for festivities.. shit. still. happens.

There is an immense pressure to be happy, and the commercialisation is immense. Giving gifts is a way of showing your appreciation of someone, yet we tend to only give gifts when we are told we should by companies wanting to capitalise on an event which should be more about a religion not spending your money and going into debt... anyway...

enough of my ranting!

Another reason I disappeared into the Abyss is, I work in a pub, so, whilst you are all taking time off and relaxing, I'm working the busiest time of year.. which is a good thing for a bah humbug.

That Horse Again- Learns and more Learns= head FCUK- but most interesting.. I actually hated science at school. Oh the irony.

My attention has also been elsewhere regarding fixing my horse- you'll know her, Nancy. As you will also know, if you have read previous blogs about our journey, she hasn't been the easiest horse, which is fine, because I have been on a super journey of learns. My new one being about the gut micro-biome.

I've always been a believer of bio-diversity and self selection with horses. A few years back I was allowing self selection with my then (three) horses, and it was really interesting to see which one selected which herb. It was also a time when Nancy was the most consistent in her behaviour, not perfect, but I was confident to jump on and ride, regularly. I stopped as it was costing me £100 a week!! Eek

Anyway, along with looking into Nancy's diet further and making some changes, I have been researching more about my own diet and following Dr Gregers Daily dozen. (Dy Greger is a plant based MD in case you were wondering) And learning more about essential amino acids (I watched a video not long back by Dr Bruce Lipton called 'The Biology of Belief). I won't talk about the nature of Bruce's work, but I find it fascinating. A penny was dropped about 20 mins into the video (I have tagged-underlined and blue ^^) regarding the effect calcium (one example) has on the amino acids making the proteins active which then affects behaviour..

applicable as I had just been talking to my trainer about chelated calcium and Nancy's lack of concentration..

Basically what he's saying is, protein reacts to a signal (in this case calcium being the signal), thus creating a behaviour (positive or negative). One of my learns over the years is that the cell has to have the correct ratios of calcium, potassium, magnesium and sodium in order to function correctly.

But my new learn is Protein is the main building block for life and we need to be feeding ourselves and our four legged friends foods which contain all nine essential amino acids, in order for our bodies and brains to function correctly. And to do this we must have a diet which is rich in bio diversity. Which in turn will create the right bacteria to thrive in the gut. BUT, there is a bacteria in a horses gut that feeds off salt, Archea, which from my limited understanding is methane producing (causing bloating, Nancy has been bloated most of her adult life) so, is it best to allow the horse to free salt? Although I am a believer in self selection, I'm also aware that horses wont always make the right choices. So, if I'm not physically feeding her salt will she self select to ensure the correct balance for her cell function? To date, she hasn't, but there is also the option to put salt in a water bucket, having fresh and salt water available for the horse to choose, which also acts as an electrolyte. (You all confused yet?).

The gut is considered the second brain, and if the right bacteria's are not maintained it plays havoc with the chemical balance within our bodies and signals sent to the brain!

Of course, what I write here is in its most simplistic form..but I hope you get the drift.. eat well, feed your mind with enriching material and you are on your way to a healthy mind and body, same is said for the furry ones!

Conclude if I May after the Tangent I have Wondered off on.

So, in a nutshell, that's where I've been.. doing other stuff. Staying away from the chaos of Christmas and New Year.

That said, I want to thank you all who have supported the Urban Fraggle Journey, liked, commented and of course, bought my work. Christmas wasn't as successful as one would have liked. I tried to get on the whole bandwagon of Christmas mayhem and pressure sales, 'buy one get one free', which I recognise is a complete disconnect with my own views on commercialisation around the merry time of year. I don't need to sell my art at Christmas alone, I have all year for my super duper new and old followers to buy and appreciate the more abstract world of horse art.

So, buy for now, and see you this year.. 2019..

Joanne GG Barrett