Remember Alby? From our trip to Palm Springs? He's had a bit of a rough year. But damn if he doesn't meet it ready for the fight.Alby was diagnosed with lung cancer this summer (not a smoker -- stop the judging), and he had a long and hard fight with it. There were some very tough times, but he pulled through, and his PET scan last week showed that the spots in his lungs were gone. WHICH IS AWESOME.But.The test also showed new spots in his brain and lymph nodes, so he's starting another battle this week. And you guys should see how cheerful and optimistic and funny and sweet he still is! He just amazes me with all his strength and positivity.We were commiserating today about the cold and how we haven't been able to walk as much in this weather, and we decided we are going to try to start having dates at the Mall of America to get our steps in. I'm hoping we can wear matching velour jumpsuits with gold jewelry and hold those little mini weights (and tease our bangs).The photo up there is of the lasers lining up the radiation machine to the spot in Alby's head that needs to be zapped. I doubt that's proper lingo... sorry. Anyway, I drove him to his treatment today and he asked me to take a photo of the whole getup. Pretty fascinating, I have to admit.

You guys, I recently treated myself to an ONA bag, and man-oh-man am I happy I did. How awesome is that clasp right there? I am such a sucker for good craftsmanship and high quality bags. This will be perfect for travel as it fits one camera and two lenses (one attached), and yet it looks like a purse. I can't suggest it enough. Also? You can remove the strap and use it as an insert into a bigger bag. WIN.For today's internet share of the day, I thought this story in the Atlantic about someone's experience when the President shows up at your coffee shop was pretty interesting. And? MICHELLE OBAMA WATCHES SCANDAL, TOO. Suddenly it doesn't seem like such a guilty pleasure after all... 

We woke up to a fresh coat of snow (maybe 2-3 inches?) and a very snuggly pair of dogs. I was *extremely* fortunate in that all of my duties today could be done from my pajamas office at home, so it was pretty mellow around these parts -- lots of editing, processing and posting of photos for clients.I am totally embracing the idea of winter hibernation this year, people. And it is glorious.For your internet share of the day, I'm sending you to the most clever and adorable bird I have ever seen. Seriously, make sure you watch until the end.

She's definitely a dog now, eh? The puppy energy is still there, but when she sits at attention, she appears full grown.It's amazing that when we first got her, we thought she looked more like a dog than a pup (at 5 months), but now when we go back to those first pictures, you can see a difference for sure.In the last few weeks, this girl has gotten so dang good. It's almost shocking. (And I'm knocking on wood as I type this.) We are so, so grateful for this excellent behavior since it's now so cold out that we just can't walk her as much as we did in the summer.As an example of her improved self, now when she charges into the bedroom after eating breakfast and going outside, instead of trying to eat your face off like a creature from a 1980s horror flick, she shoves her nose into my face, I put my arm over her shoulder and she nestles in beside me, rolling onto her back and tucking her head into my neck before falling back to sleep. WHEW. I am so glad we got that routine down.And the photos here? They require serious training because I'm using gridded light in the studio, which means it's aimed specifically at her head and if she moves at all, she goes black. So she was sitting and holding very still while I shot these. Which is a huge feat for a young vizsla, trust me.I know she was quite the beast when we adopted her back in May, having been returned several times to the rescue for her wild behavior, but it really shows how a lot of love, patience and hard work can help a dog. Worth every minute.For your internet share of the day, I'm sending you over to this site I found called Pack. It's like a facebook for your dog! Crazy! I probably won't spend much time on it, but I love checking out the other collies and vizslas. I'm just nuts like that. 

For today's "Savory Sunday," I'm relying on an old favorite (one that I've even mentioned on the blog before). I discovered a wonderful recipe for Cauliflower soup a year or two back and then decided to add mushrooms and Parmesan cheese to take it to another level. Frankly, adding these two ingredients make anything better, I am convinced. But the garnishes? You guys, that is what truly makes this dish magic.Anyway! Let's get to the recipe! This one is super easy (it takes about 30 minutes to make) and is super hearty and thick and wonderful for cold winter nights. And the leftovers get better and better (but maybe not better looking...)You'll need to start with:2 Tbsp olive oil2 Tbsp butter1 medium yellow onion2 cloves garlic, minceda head of cauliflowera container of mushrooms. I prefer buying presliced (cuz I'm lazy), and I am loving these baby bella mushrooms latelyA quart (or box) of chicken stock. Note! You can use veggie stock instead to make this vegetarian.1/2 cup Parmesan cheeseA splash of cream or half and half (optional)Garnishes can include bacon bits, chives, sunflower seeds and more parmesan -- it's up to you! But it's wonderful just plain as well.Start by putting 2 tbps olive oil in a large saucepan and warm while you dice a medium yellow onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Add them to the pan and cook until soft. While that’s cooking, chop up one head of cauliflower.Add one quart of chicken stock to the pan once the onion mix is soft, along with the cauliflower. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.While that’s simmering, melt 2 tbps butter in a frying pan and brown one container of mushrooms, sliced. I like to sprinkle them with garlic salt while they cook.Once they have released their liquids and it has all evaporated off (and the mushrooms are toasty brown), take them off the heat. Right about this time, the cauliflower should be done simmering.Which is when you add the cauliflower/stock/onion mixture to a blender (or food processor) to smooth. Have I mentioned lately how much I would love an immersion blender?Return the soup to the pot on low to medium heat and mix in the mushrooms and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. If you want it richer, you can add the half-and-half at this point as well. Viola!And finally, garnish as you like! Also note: this soup is thick enough to be a main course, or smaller portions will work as a starter. Either way, it pairs well with any kind of wine you can find -- I prefer red blends. And the best part? It only has 177 calories per bowl!

I am so excited to tell you guys all about my amazing friend Nancy. Seriously, I know this post might be a touch long, but stick with me through the end -- it's a great story.Nancy and I worked at the Star Tribune for many, many years. She was a news copy editor, and we worked very closely when I designed the front page -- working weekends, nights and holidays creates a special bond that the two of us share.Back in those days (2003-2006ish), Nancy's love of recycling... um... grew into quite the passion. You know that friend of yours that is so passionate about any given topic that they just will not shut up about it, but you love them so much that you continue to listen and smile and nod? Nancy is that friend. And I mean that in the nicest way possible.When we worked at the paper, not only did she set up the recycling bins around the newsroom (and not just for office paper -- for CDs from media kits and batteries and plastic and a variety of other options), but she also set up areas where you could bring in plastic bags or freezer boxes (that the city didn't collect). She learned which locations around the metro would recycle these special items, and she set up "centers" in the newsroom to collect them. Then she recruited volunteers who lived near those areas to take the recycleables home on a regular basis and recycle them. Seriously. And she did all of this in her "free time." For "fun."She also would shame coworkers by taking photos of their trashcans full of office paper and post them on the break room fridge. Or she'd take photos of trash cans full of aluminum cans that were RIGHT NEXT TO the aluminum can recycling bin and she would post them throughout the room. She was RUTHLESS.But her heart was good, and she did change us. To this day, I cannot put anything in the trash without first pausing to consider if and where it can be recycled. There have even been cases where I can't find a plastic recycling bin and I'll toss my bottle into the trash, then stop and think of Nancy and go back to retrieve it and bring it home to recycle. Her guilt is THAT STRONG.So! (Still with me? We're almost to the good part!) A few years back, Nancy's copy editing job at the Strib was eliminated (along with many others). We were all devastated with the loss, but this girl did the best thing she could do. She took that severance package and got an "internship" (that paid less than minimum wage, I think) with the county helping out with their recycling program. She knew her passion, and she wanted to make a career out of it. And she's been there ever since.In 2012, she worked with the county to start something called The Fix-It Clinic. That is what I was photographing today, and it was AH-MAZING. It's a clinic put on by the county the second weekend of every month (sometimes a Saturday, sometimes a Sunday). You bring in any appliance or household item that is broken and you are thinking of throwing away, and there are volunteers there (electricians, tinkerers, seamstresses, etc etc etc) who will take apart your item and teach you how to fix it! For FREE. So you get your item back, you don't have to pay to fix it, and the landfill has one less toaster in it. HOW RAD IS THIS?Today it was packed, and I saw everything from antique irons, table fans, humidifiers, laptops, tape decks, CD players, turntables and even cuckoo clocks being fixed. And talk about bringing the community together! There was even a kid who had turned his cell phone to "Spanish mode" and couldn't figure out how to get it back to English! And they fixed it!Nancy has been featured in the newspaper and on the TV news several times to talk about her clinics, and you guys? I could not be prouder of my dear friend. Watching someone you love take their passion and turn it into a career is pure magic, I tell you.If you live in Hennepin County, and you are interested in attending a clinic to fix a treasure of yours, here is the information. And if you don't live in Minneapolis, you guys should work to get a program like this set up in your town. For real.Oh! And the photo up there! That's a woman who worked with a volunteer to fix a broken lamp, and that moment was when the light came back on. It was fantastic!Oh, and it would be rude not to mention that Nancy is also the reason we have the wonderful Merlin in our lives. She, like me, has another passion and that is for Collies. She heard of a blue merle pup at a shelter down south and convinced me to go meet him on the day he was put up for adoption. She drove with us to meet him and has been his godmother ever since. And that boy loves her just as much as he loves me (I am pretty sure).

I spotted this house on my walk to Tilia for dinner with Mere tonight. That is one big electric bill, I tell you.How about some gorgeous animal portraits? These amaze me.

Remember back in October when Jamie won a bunch of clothes from Trunk Club and Esquire magazine? Yeah, that was awesome.Well, he has been working with Trunk Club for a few weeks and he now has all of his clothes in the right colors and sizes, and I thought you guys would want to see the goods! Most everything pictured was part of the prize, excluding the watch, the guitar and the ties. Pretty nice prize, eh? Special thanks also goes to my man here for letting me take this many photos of the poor guy and put them on the internet.And for your internet share of the day, did you know Tupac auditioned for the new (terrible) Star Wars movies before they came out? He would have been a Jedi knight had he not been murdered and all that. Pretty interesting.