mmmmm... bacon

It's the pancakes, maple syrup, and bacon all rolled into one!
A complete breakfast.

Blog Entry dated 12/11/2007 10:03 AM

So I just tried using Adboe Contribute to publish a blog entry here. Thought they might have some neat options that would make adding content easier and more fun. Well... nope.
It crashed on me.
So much for the ease of new technology.

brushes

This one's especially for my loving husband.
Brushes! Lots and lots to choose from! For use with PhotoShop and Illustrator.

Most of these contain elements I know you could design from scratch, but it might be fun to try using them, just to see how brushes work. Then maybe you can design some for me.

Have fun!
http://vector-art.blogspot.com/search/label/Brushes

make the logo BIGGER!

It's a rockin song for anyone who has ever worked with clients on a design job...oh, man...at least we are not alone!

mmm...ooorisinal

I LOVE these online games. Such great time wasters, with wonderful illustrations. Makes all the difference to me!

does your email run your life?

Merlin Mann talks about how to manage your email life. In a talk he gave at Google, he remembers the first time he got an email address, and how he felt that each new email message was like a little 'hug'. Now, not so much...
Hear what he has to say about organizing your email and keeping it from running your life.

He's also known as "That phone guy" - a guy who talks into his wallet as if it were a cell phone. Really funny stuff.

inside the coca-cola happiness factory

The commercial has been running before movies in cinemas, and we loved it the first time we saw it. Now... the documentary! It's awesome! It's a little bit Nick Park. It will make you smile.

what the world eats

If you are feeling particularly good or bad about what you eat, have a look at these images from the book "Hungry Planet". Fifteen different families around the world and all the food they eat in a week, laid out for all to see.

more dunany pics

Since being at a lake, sitting on a dock, relaxing in the sunshine, should be on everyone's mind right about now, here are some more pics of Dunany to help with the imagining...

The Phosphate Blues - A cautionary tale.

A funy little song written by a man who cottages on Black Lake, near our lake, where the same situation is impending. My folks are helping to get the word out for people to switch to phosphate-free soaps to keep the lakes clean and clear and as beautiful as you can see they are in this slideshow.

Anyone wanna cottage?

Our place in the Laurentiens (north of Montreal) is coming along very nicely. We've added many new perks, like a brand new deck and a fireplace. I say we, but really my parents have been doing all the work. They are so busy and work so hard, they deserve to be able to sit and relax on that deck while someone brings them peeled grapes.

The cottage is now officially up for rent. The plan is to let it out for some weeks during the summer when nobody in our family is planning on using it. That way it stays inhabited, and we can recoup some of the costs of the new improvements.

It's a wonderful place. The lake is cool and clear, and the loons sing you to sleep. There's a canoe and a dock for lounging. There are no motorboats or jetskis to disturb the tranquility. There are all of the comforts of home too - it's really a house, not a cottage.

It's even dog-friendly!

What more could you ask for?

If anyone is interested in taking over the place for a week or 2 this summer, just let me know. The rates are pretty good!

facebook takes over the world

...okay, maybe not the whole world, but certainly Toronto, and definitely many of my friends; some old, some new.
Anyway, because of facebook, I've been neglecting my blogger duties.
To anyone who checks in from time to time, I'm sorry there hasn't been much news lately.

I realize that most of my posts are either about Echo, some of Echo's friends, other dogs or dog related items, but I just have to add this one more thing.

Lately, it's becoming more and more difficult to be a Toronto dog owner. The city has been cracking down on off-leash dogs in our local parks, and it's always a chore to figure out the safest place to take Echo out for her daily hour of running. Greenwood, our closest park, has always been busy in the summer, so we tend to avoid it anyway, but now dogs are not allowed in there at all unless it's between 6am and 8am - and Echo is usually still sleeping around that time - not the best hour to be doing her speed training.

We will be helping to support a local movement to make sure dog owners' concerns are heard.
It would be a shame to lose the great places we've found near our neighbourhood where we have been taking Echo. It's one of the reasons we don't want to leave this area.
Check out the website www.torontounleashed.com for continued updates.

cousins

This weekend my sister-in-law's cousin is getting married in Cleveland. My brother and his wife, my parents and that side of the extended family all piled into a rented van and my parent's Prius to make the trip. Unfortunately, with all the events of the weekend along with the lack of space in the van, that meant that Onyx couldn't go along too.

Unfortunate for them, that is! For us it means that Onyx gets to come visit us for an extended sleep-over with Echo!




It was pretty exciting at first, with some crazy jumping and playing action in the backyard, and a startling round of barking at 12:30am this morning, but other than that it's been pretty quiet, actually. I think Echo is enjoying the visit, and Onnie is having fun trying to keep up with her cousin. It's tiring them both out, and that's a good thing.

I look forward to getting to know Onyx a bit better and learning more about her little habits. So far one thing: she sure likes the taste of her paws!

Check out some more pics from this photoshoot! on flickr

waiting for spring

This morning I got back on my bike again after a false start to the season a few weeks ago. I had been riding for 3 or 4 days, when the weather changed back to winter and at the same time I got a flat tire. So the bike went back down to the basement. But last night Magic Martin the bike mechanic fixed the flat and got me up and running again! So off I went this morning! On my way out, Echo was sitting happily in the garden sun, waiting for the tulips to bloom and the raspberries to appear on the canes. She's happy to wait there for a while.

Spring is here and in an effort to get Echo geared up (literally) for this hiking season, I'm thinking of getting her one of these.

It's a Camelback for dogs! It's just like the ones we have for ourselves -it carries all the water you need for an afternoon hike. Can you imagine Echo casually taking sips from the hose valve while running through the woods? Priceless.

george interviews June Callwood

CBC's The Hour played a wonderful interview with June Callwood last night. I was moved by a lot of what she said. One thing was her answer to "Do you believe in God?" - to which she replied "I believe in kindness."
I resolve to try and remember that more in my daily living. June Callwood is right: it can change the world.
Check out the interview here.

want to live in a cave?

This place looks so cozy! I can't say I really like the furs on the cieling - but maybe if you used fun-fur! Wow...


Click on the picture to see more images of this amazing house.

bike messengers in NYC