Seasons - a 2015 Calendar (UPDATED)

At the suggestion of one of my friends, I have pulled a few of my photos -- all in high resolution, so they will print well -- into a wall calendar. Take a look at it, and let me know what you think.

Are there pictures I've missed that you really wish were in it? Do you need pictures of Kane or Elly in it? (Those felt a little too personal, though they are cute animals.) Would you rather see one that was *just* flowers? Just animals?

(Note: I don't get any commission or percentage if you do happen to buy one, but if you do (and you let me know) my ego will be stroked, and that's always a pleasant thing.)

UPDATE: With feedback from friends, I've created a calendar with a floral theme. See it here.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Back-to-school time has excited me ever since I can remember. New school supplies! New clothes! Seeing friends I hadn't seen all summer! What's not to love?

Amazing Disappearing Treats: Bouchées aux noix or Nutty Nibbles

Bouchées aux noix

When we lived in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, we had a lovely neighbour named Odette who shared a few recipes with me. By far the most popular on was the recipe for these treats, which she called Bouchées aux noix, which roughly translates to Nutty Nibbles.

These bars may be the least healthy treats I've ever shared with you, but they are absolutely delicious.

Today, I'm sharing the recipe and some tips I've learned the hard way.

Well, that escalated quickly! (Or: the day I accidentally became a troll.)

The Internet is a very, very special place with lots of very, very special people. As if that were not already clear to me, I inadvertently stepped in e-doo-doo on Saturday, when I commented on a picture posted by George Takei on Facebook.

Here's the picture.

I may have gotten carried away . . .

My brother Andrew holding my nephew James, my nephew Drew doing a happy dance,
his dad Jason behind him, woman smuggling a pillow into the stadium in the background,
and my sister-in-law Mary Ann

The other day, my niece (who blogs at Diane, Diapers, and Drool) posted that adorable picture of the family enjoying a Chicago Fire soccer game. Ordinarily, Drew (in the foreground) wears an adorable, but slightly fake smile in photos.