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This one's all about the love of dessert. When I was growing up, Mom always made sure that something rich, infused with sugar and fat, was a part of our evening meal.  It wasn't necessarily fancy; cakes and pies were staples; but it was, it seemed, essential. Dinner could never be finished without this indulgence, this treat for our taste buds,  this decadence. It was all home made with love, and like mother, like daughter, it was a ritual I carried forth when raising my own family. Especially since I love dessert and since I married a former farm boy, who had been as used to a full menu as I. Getting up and leaving the table without a piece of pie, a bowl of fruit cobbler or crisp, or a slab of cake was unheard of.  Through time, cheesecakes and trifles became popular choices as well, with little thought to whether any of it actually offered any value to our diet. Then came the 1980s, Jane Fonda, the fitness craze and the dawning of a new awareness. It became clear tha

In just a little over a week Christians celebrate Easter, the holiest of occasions, a time of death and mourning, resurrection and rejoicing. However, it's difficult when thinking of Easter to not have images of the more commercial aspect of the event fill your head.  Spring is in the air, and lilies, bunnies and baby chicks fit in quite nicely. It's a bright and cheerful time. Children with wicker baskets seek out the soft pastels of beautifully decorated eggs and folks bring out the yellows, pinks and blues of a new season's wardrobe. While there are many illustrations to be found online that capture the essence of this colourful time of year, with image editing software and a tutorial or two, creating your own can be a lot of fun. Here are some great tutorials to help: css creme Make Easter Eggs Tutorial Lounge Multihued Easter Photoshop, Illustrator Tutorials and Freebies 40+ Easter Photoshop and Illustrator Tutorials Web Design Library Roundup of Easter

So, today is the first day of spring — officially. And several weeks ago, a certain underground rodent in this area had actually predicted the season would arrive early.  Yet this morning, we look out the window at an accumulation of snow to rival what we had all winter, more falling and more projected to fall over the next several days.  It's enough to make you weep. As someone who struggles to see the best in winter, this slow start to the next season is definitely disappointing.  Of course, when it comes to Mother Nature we take what we get, so while I'd love to stamp my feet and rage it's more sensible to accept that this is one 'parent' unlikely to give in to my tantrum. The promise of spring is just beneath this snowy white surface and as any child has been told, all good things are worth waiting for. And so I must, one day at a time bringing me closer to a tiny blade of grass, a budding flower and my first robin pecking at the earth in search of food.

"Dogs are not our whole life,  but they make our lives whole." — Roger Caras The connection of people with dogs goes back centuries. They were first domesticated to protect person and property. And also sadly as a resource for food, fur and as beasts of burden. Though they are still kept for security and working purposes,  they have also, over time,  become pets, favoured for their devotion and loyalty.  Those who love them have long recognized that people could do well to act more like their canine friends. Renowned 'dog whisperer'  Cesar Millan has said, "I believe in integrity. Dogs have it. Humans are sometimes lacking it." A dog has been a part of my family for as long as I can remember, until two years ago when  we had to say goodbye to our Ani. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done, enough so that the idea of experiencing that kind of heartbreak again has kept me from even thinking of getting another one. But I do miss what she

It's Wellderly Week,  recognizing senior citizens who never act their age. As a self-proclaimed prophet for the 45-plus group, Canadian media mogul Moses Znaimer has founded a "New Vision of Aging" — the Zoomer phenomenon. In addition to championing the rights and interests of what he felt was the under-served 15.1 million in this demographic, Znaimer and his mission has put a positive spin on getting older, while debunking misconceptions.  In the words of Dylan Thomas, when it comes to aging,  Znaimer would have us not "go gentle into that dark night". In this New Vision of Aging,  the word senior and rocker has nothing to do with furniture. This is a generation  prepared to live life to its fullest from 45 years of age and far beyond. Limits are only there if people set them. Of course, there are always exceptions but in the Zoomer age, today's seniors are vital, active and far healthier than those that went before them.  Any doubts just check out th