Well, the pains my mom has been having for some time now has grown and after a visit to the doctors they have found out why. One of the vertebrae in her lower back has shifted out of position and when she is sitting or standing for long periods of time it compresses her back and puts pressure on the nerves because that one part is so far out of place. The discs between them are also very worn down and from the bones rubbing together it has created bone spurs. They can't really do anything to fix it, instead they can just to physical therapy for her to help relieve some of the pain. As to what caused it, they are thinking that it may have been the car accidents she has been in and over the course of time it just worn away till now it reached a point where she has noticed it and nothing to do. About the same with the cancer she has where the tumors grew slowly over time till finally they started to majorly affect her health.

Will continue working on things and artwork when I can.

Well, my car repairs are going kind of slow but I was able to get one thing done that saved me a great deal of money. Estimates for repairs was about $4000 for all the work that had to be done, and I was able to knock it down a great deal by solving a mysterious problem that came up. After about three hours of work total I have fixed the leak by tightening all the bolts to the header covers. It took some time to get to them since I had to crawl under the hood of the car and over the engine to get to all the parts. She is idling kind of low, so I'm going to look into that, along as some rumbling that is possibly the universal joint. She's always had this mysterious ticking sound, so will try to find that out as well and see if I can fix it.

But, with that large repair done there is the stereo system, new carpet, and paint job to do and she'll be fixed up almost as good as new. 92' Mercury Sable just cruising down the road being all cool.

Well, having a number of set backs right now on things but am still managing to pull through with things.

Mom's been having a great deal more difficulty with things. Pains from her liver and also other parts of her that have been injured over the years from car accidents. Its gotten to the point where she can barely stand for more then 5 minutes without being in extreme pain. She's been able to manage and I am helping her out as much as I can. Means that I have been called away from things I have been working on and delaying finishing projects and commissions.

Been having same thing with my dad, since he has several injuries as well that have damaged his back and legs. 22 years in the military and several in combat areas can do that to a person. There are days when he can't really move without being in pain, so he rests all day and I have to take care of a number of things around the place. Most of the time he takes something for the pain and then goes to get some sleep when it does get bad.

On job front got some setbacks as well. The book that I had done the cover of has been pulled by the author so that she can do some editing to it and restructure the story. She's also gotten a new artist to draw the cover of the first and second book. Total commission from sales was about $6.00, so I am out that and more with the work that I put into things. Been struggling with getting commission artwork done, and still have offer to refund money to commissioners for taking so long. Have also had a drop off of sales at my store where barely making anything, but do have one customer that said they would be paying for another shipment of Megaman items in November or December.

Will try to get as much done tonight while I can on things.

As some are aware, my mom was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer that was brought on by chemical exposure. The exact time and type of chemical is unknown, just that it caused a couple of large tumors and several dozen smaller ones throughout her liver. They were slow growing, so they could have been there for years before they reached point where they started to affect her health last year. Because it is so rare there hasn’t been much research done, and so there was no cure, just treatments that could slow the growth and treat the side-effects. One of the treatments is surgical, which my mother had done and resulted in half her liver being killed off, which then crystallized inside her body. Now if she moves at times she has sharp pains in her side from her liver.

Not long ago I reported that the doctors had some good news about her latest scan results. The tumors that were left were apparently shrinking and dying off, but they weren’t sure why or if it was just a false reading from the scans. Today ( Sept. 7, 2012 ) my mom went in for her monthly treatment and the doctor had some more news, that when I heard it from my mother tonight I just about burst into tears. There is an ongoing study that involves the drugs used in the treatment for the side-effects of her tumors, and the results are showing that the combination of the drugs are doing more then just treating the symptoms, they are actually killing the tumors themselves! While this is still an on going study, that means they may have found a treatment and cure for this cancer.

Right now there is a great deal of worry that has been lifted from my mind and my shoulders, since I have been taking care of my mother since she was diagnosed. My grandmother lost her battle with cancer not even a few months before my mom was diagnosed with cancer, and I could see a lot of parallels forming from where my mom took care of her and how I was now taking care of my mom. This means that a lot of others that were told there was nothing the doctors could do but make them comfortable now have a way to treat this thing. It is kind of over whelming.

Yup, another journal post but this time it isn't related to me as much. Mir, a very talented artist is in need of some help with things and there is now a little auction going on by her for some art services! For details please check out her site www.smokingpen.com. You can catch more details at her gallery page here  mirandaleigh ! So, go check things out and help her if you can. Her boyfriend will be taking some writing commissions also from what I gleamed from her journal. So hop to it boys, girls, both, and undefinable!

Lost another family member today. My Uncle’s father passed away from complications from cancer as well as diabetes. The only thing that was keeping him alive were the machines he was attached to, and it reached point where his body could not take it any more.

Been a heck of last few years.

Nov. 2010
Grandmom - Dies of complications from bone cancer that originally started as breast cancer.

March 2011
Great Uncle - Commits suicide after battling bone cancer for years, and didn’t want his boyfriend to see him suffer.
Mom - Diagnosed with rare form of liver cancer.
Fiance - Leaves me.

May 2011
Mom - Nearly dies due to medical mistake in treatment.
Great Aunt - Feels tired from long day at work, passes away in her sleep.

September 2011
Bear - My cat, terminal with inoperable cancer and diabetes. Passes away.

September 2012
Uncle’s father - Terminal Cancer & Diabetes, dies.

There have been more in my family, but right now it is hard to focus on things.

On sale at Wolf Eclipse, the personal website of Cory Belote, a number of Megman items are on sale now! Models, Toys, Games, Cosplay, all for sale at reasonable prices.

Example, a Roll.exe plush from the Rockman.EXE ( Megaman Battle Network ) series, originally priced at $35.00 + Shipping & Handling is now $20.00 + Shipping & Handling!

Many other items are now cut down in price for this end of summer sales event from September 3rd to the 9th, ending at Midnight East Coast time on the 9th.

Go to http://www.wolfeclipse.com/megaman.html to check out the prices, and contact Cory Belote here on FA or by email at CoryBelote[at]gmail.com if you would like to make a purchase.

On September 1st a book that I have done the cover art for went on sale. It is a fairly interesting book that deals with a lot of magic and fantasy, with science fiction elements.

It is on sale in three versions at http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/InsaneXade, and thanks to an arrangement with the author I get a part of the proceeds. So, feel free to check the book out and purchase a copy.

Cover © Cory Belote ( Me )
Aden & Story by A.L. Shonce

Well, yesterday was the 20th and that marked the end of 29 years. I am now 30! Yikes.

I didn't do much yesterday other then spend time with family and get some gifts from people along with well wishes for a happy birthday. Updated a few things in regard to my age, and closed down commissions for now till I can get the few that I have done. Going to change up what I do also since workload on other things kills my time for drawing. Need to buckle down and get things done since things are a bit tight. Least have some royalty fees coming in soon from book sales as soon as they go up for sale. I'll put up a link to them in my journal when they do so you all can check it out and see if it is something you'd want to read/purchase. Not a book by me, I just did the cover art for it.

Well, its August again and that means another birthday for me. Honestly not exactly happy about it. Call it "Birthday Blues" if you will, but yeah it has me down along with several dozen other things that have been going on and on my mind.

Do have some good news in that my mom's health is improving to where they can't see some of the smaller tumors anymore and she is able to get around a lot easier and more often. I've also been able to make a few sales from my online shop of some old Megaman and Dragon Ball Z things I had laying around. Think have finished or close to finishing the book cover art that I have been struggling with as well, just waiting for word from client on what I sent them this morning since I couldn't sleep at all. Feeling exhausted right now, but not sure if I will be able to get any rest with all that I have to do today. The sun is already on its way up over the horizon her.

Other small bit of good news. I have lost more weight and am able to get into some clothes that I had previously not been able to as well as some other clothes are fitting a lot looser.

One of my online friends had an incident with his parents and his laptop that resulted in them destroying it and much of his work. So in order to get money to pay for a new computer he is taking on commissions. He does some very good work and I recommend checking him out. You can find his journal and page at the link below.

http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/3657549/

He usually gets the work done pretty fast, and is a nice guy.

= Mom Health =

Well the terrible cold that I caught seems to be defeated, but my mom is still battling it. She was the first one to catch this cold and it turned into bronchitis for her, and she just kept getting worse after visit to the doctors. So went with her again the other day and they did an X-ray and other exams, the bronchitis has turned into pneumonia. The news hit me harder then it hit her, since it brought up memories that are still fresh in my mind.

My grandmother died of bone cancer and complications from it in 2010, but before that she was under treatment for the cancer and caught a cold that turned to pneumonia and nearly killed her. So now here I am with my mom, who is fighting a rare form of liver cancer and undergoing treatment for it and she ends up catching a cold that has turned into pneumonia. Needless to say, that after got home and mom taken care of and she was sleeping... I retreated away for a bit and just broke down. Next appointment is on the 15th and then another on the 19th for test results on how her cancer is responding to the treatment. Hoping for some good news on that department, about the only thing that seems to be going on the up side are things with my store.

= Store =

So far sales are going up on my store at http://www.wolfeclipse.com/megaman.html , with me netting about $119.13 or $130.13. Uncertain figure there because I have two items under the same name that have different prices, and I need to clarify with the buyer which they want. Not a bad turn around for Megaman related items that are over ten years old. I will be removing the items from the store soon, but for now those that are interested please go have a look.

Those that have purchased things from me have so far been very satisfied with the prices. I would post their comments, but I’ll have to check with them before doing so.

One of my friends is open for commissions now, so go check out his stuff! I'm sure you will not be disappointed. Here is a link to his journal http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/3615305/ , now go check it out for yourselves people, furs, bots, insectoids, and various others. Even you in the back trying to sneak out the door, yeah... I see you. Go check him out. =)

Just got back home at about 5PM from trip to Virgina and shall be making another trip in August. Still dealing with a lot of things and trying to cope as best as I can. Have some things going on in personal life that are highly complicated and emotionally draining.

Hey everyone. I'm still here and working on commissions and some other artwork that I have been hired to do for a book. I haven't been posting much because I have been busy with that as well as some family issues that have become a bit more stressful as of late. To be a bit brief, it involves two aunts and two uncles that I have.

One Aunt has diabetes and is having trouble with her feet and getting around now, along with some other health concerns.

Uncle that has a sever form of autism as well as other health problems is having some bad reactions to things going on in his life right now.

Aunt & Uncle that have been married for over 16 years are getting a divorce and are going through a very ugly battle over things. Aunt's trying as hard as she can to keep roof over head for her and son's head.

That's all the details that I'm going to go into on things. Sorry that I have been so busy lately to chat with people and get things done.

I have four pages worth of Megaman items that I have for sale on my site, and there seem to be so few buyers out there these days. Hopefully by promoting this a bit more I shall have some more takers. If you are interested, please contact me on here and shall get things set up for purchase for you.

http://www.wolfeclipse.com/megaman.html

Got back late last night and have started working on a number of things that I have to do. The trip was a mixed bag of emotions and events both good and bad.

I shall be heading out of town tomorrow ( Wednesday, May 9th ) to visit some family down in lower Virginia, as well as pay a visit to my grandmothers grave. It will be the first time that I have visited her grave since she passed away. Won't be online much while I am down there but I shall try to check my messages when I can.

Well got some good news and bad news to report on some things.

First off, the good news. Officially have sold the Nightshade Zero toy that I had for sale and shall be shipping it off tomorrow morning to the buyer. Still have a lot more in my Megaman collectables and toys to sell so those that are interested can still contact me.

Now for some bad news. Apparently after taking my car to be looked at and worked on a bit by a mechanic she has sprung some sort of new leak and is leaking worse then before. If left running for long periods of time, such as driving to and from somewhere, you can smell burning oil and also when parked you can smell gas. Very odd she develops this after going to a mechanic to be looked at and got that large bill that listed things that should be fixed. :/ Ah well, more for me to work on I guess.

It didn't seem like it was that long ago since I updated this thing, but I guess it has been. I'll put things under little headings so you all can skip to what you feel is more interesting to you.

Car Work
I've been working with my Dad to get my car into working order and things are going fairly well so far, except for a large bill from a mechanic of things that they found wrong and offered to repair for us. Instead we just had the headlights realigned and all the fluids in her changed out, we'll take her in to get the power steering pump replaced later since right now it is working okay after having a flush done to it. Got some body work taken care of to both rear panels and shall get that finished up tomorrow I think, along with installing a stereo that is somewhat original to the car, at least it is one that came with the Mercury's since the one that was in there died a while ago. With that done a lot of the major things will have been taken care of and she will be even more road worthy then what she is now.

Commission Artwork
Still working on commissions as much as I can with what time I have off. I did have to take a break with some family being over and some other stressors popping up that I didn't expect. I'll be on a trip to visit family as well as the graves of my grandmother and brother come May 9th, so I won't be able to work till I get back home. Making some progress with things and those that contacted me about possible commissions for me please contact me again so that I can get things finalized as to what you all would like.

Family Health
Had a number of things that happened that some are aware of already, and a new thing that popped up recently that has me and other members of my family concerned. My eldest aunt has lost feeling in her feet and after a visit to the doctor they cut them open to drain fluid from them that was dangerously close to becoming septic. My aunt is diabetic and has not really been taking very good care of herself since Grandmom passed, since she had been living with her and Grandmom took care of her. Fear is that she might loose her feet due to her diabetes and her health habits. Fears were also compounded because the doctors found a suspicious lump on her breast that they aren't sure if it is or isn't cancerous, it might just be a spot of dense tissue, but the doctors want to check it out. My mom had a scare with breast cancer that we found out was nothing but dense tissue, but it also led to the discovery of tumors on her liver; My Grandmom did have breast cancer and had it removed, she was doing well for a time, but it was discovered the cancer had moved to her bones and in November of 2010 she passed away after fighting it for so long.

With all of that it is understandable I guess as to why myself and other family members are concerned, and I am thankful for my commissioners for their understanding since dealing with all of these issues and other family matters eats up a lot of time that I would normally have spent drawing.

Berserk, Megaman, Sorcerer Hunters, Angelic Layer, Hellsing Sale
In order to help generate a bit of extra income, as well as to clear out some things that I no longer need, I am selling off a number of things. These are private sales, so I don't have a checkout thing or cart or anything like that set up on my site. Instead those that are interested can contact me on here or by email as to what they would like to purchase and I'll do my best to have it shipped to them. So far I haven't had many people buying things, and have lost a few buyers who changed their minds at the last minute. Hopefully shall have things sold and put into good homes by people that enjoy the series and games.

Did a great deal of work to my website ( wolfeclipes.com )over the week to try and get it more user friendly as well as to get the shop section set up properly. I have added a donation button to the main page, something I wasn’t too keen on doing, but I figure I could use the donations to help cut down on the shipping cost of items as well as for site upkeep.

I have the comics section of the site working for the “Folf!” comics, the others will be up later on. I also have a number of items still for sale in the Shop. Hellsing, Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Battle Doll Angelic Layer, Mega Man and Berserk items are on sale right now along with commissions. Those that are interested can browse my site and email me for more information at CoryBelote @ Gmail . Com ( remove the spaces of course ) or can send me a note on here. I have shipped things internationally, so if you are worried about that, don’t be. Custom forms aren’t that difficult a thing to fill out.

Did some cleaning to my cars wheels and decided to call it quits when I saw the left front tire was low on air. So I started to pull her into the garage and when I took my foot off the break she surged forward half a car length. I slammed my foot on the break to stop her, but she was stopped by something else... my dad's tool cabinet and the wall. Only damage so far is the tool cabinet and my nerves. Cripes, that scared me and still on edge about it. Sudden acceleration out of no where.

*edit 6:00 PM *

Found out the cause of the sudden acceleration of my car... the driver side floor mat. I recently put in some new floor mats and apparently the one on the driver side decided to slip and move up in a way that it actually pressed down the accelerator. There is a crease in it where it had actually held down part of the pedal. So that explains why she surged forward when I took my foot off the break, but I still feel bad about causing damage to my dad's tool cabinet. Made the discovery of the floor mat with my dad, and he assured me that it wasn't my fault and that it could happen to anyone. Have a solution to the floor mat issue for now, which is to take it out and lay it out in the sun for the sunlight and heat to bake it a bit to even out the creases that caused it to slip. Second part is to take a piece of wire and loop it through where it would normally clip onto the carpet by a hook, and tie it to the driver seats mounting frame. This will be a temporary fix till have the new carpet and hooks installed, but it should keep what happened today from happening again.

Things are moving along okay so far with both commissions and my store. I didn't expect to sell out of my inventory in one day, but I did have some good news come about in the possible sale of one item. Person told me they would have the money together by the end of the week so I have the item on layaway for them till then. As for commissions, I am making more progress and have some slots set aside for those that contacted me about things. I still have some left that are available. With my Mom's health improving I am able to get some more time to work on things, and less time being stressed out. If any one is interested I have my shop page open on my personal website, and it has been sectioned off into what I am selling as well as a commissions page. I'll post a link at the bottom of this journal like I did last time for people to take a look. If you see something you are interested in, you can send me a note on here or email me at CoreFolf[at]gmail.com and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

http://www.wolfeclipse.com/shop.html

I mentioned this a few times to others, but why not put this up here as well. I have opened a small store page on my personal website where I am selling a number of times that I have collected over the years from different series. I also have a page with commission information available on the shop page. If any of you are interested then feel free to have a look and contact me here or on my website.

http://www.wolfeclipse.com/shop.html

Well my Mom is doing better everyday now it seems after the last visit to the doctor where she saw a new one, that gave her something for pain that actually allows her to sleep and sleep comfortably. She's been getting stronger and able to do more things without getting as tired as easily, but still might be till mid-summer before she is 80 - 90% back to her old self again. She will come out and watch me as I work on my car at times, and I got to drive her around in it the other day. It use to be that she was terrified or worried of me driving, but now she is perfectly calm and relaxed. I'm not sure if it is because I have gotten better, or she is use to my driving her since I have been doing so off and on since I was 16. ( Apart from driving her crazy with my childish stunts as a kid, like jumping ramps on my bike and such. ) But yes, she is doing better everyday now and it is kind of a large relief to see after how hellish this year has been since she was diagnosed with having cancer.

Like I mentioned, I have been working on my car, a 92' Mercury Sable. She is still in good running order, and I have parts on the way to fix some things that are wrong while I have to track down a few more since places around here don't carry parts I am looking for. Took her in to get inspected, as required for this state, and she passed with flying colours. That took another stress-or off of my shoulders, since I was worried after another state inspector in another state decided to nit-pick things with her before... such as the dark tint on the back windows that had to be taken off just for her to pass inspection. Meant destroying the defroster for the rear windsheild, which hasn't been fully repaired since.

With all that is going on still I have only a few hours to work on commissions, but I am getting things done and shall have a preview for those that have commissioned me by this weekend. If there are any others that would like to commission me please drop me a line and I will reply as soon as possible. I also will be opening up a new shop section on my personal website where I will be selling some items I have collected over the years. The shop will open on the 1st of April, and you all can contact me on here if you are interested in purchasing anything on its pages as well as through the information on my site. Just be sure to label your notes or emails accordingly, "Commission" for a Commission and "Shop Item" for something on my shop.

Till next time everyone, take care.