Six Cat Photos

We received the results of Faith's bloodwork yesterday, and she is, overall, doing really well, especially for a cat with cancer. A few numbers are a little off, either from the cancer or taking steroids for two years.

The lab did say she has a 95 percent chance of developing kidney failure in twenty-fourth months. We are not worried. She will be seventeen in April and was diagnosed with small cell lymphoma two years ago, which we opted to treat with palliative care only. Faith will most likely not be here in twenty-four months where kidney failure is a concern.

However, Faith gets concerned whenever I leave my room and will check up on me. I caught his photo at her eye level before she darted away (as if I didn't see her).

Here are a few photos I snapped of our cats: Faith (calico), Senna (tabby), and Midnight (black cat and Faith's mom).

All three cats are rescue cats.

Sue's Diner: Vampire Kiss

We don't often post a recipe with alcohol on Sue's Diner, since we really like all recipes to be family friendly and appeal to a wide variety of ages and tastes. 

But Jasmine brought this Vampire Kiss recipe to our table - and it was too good not to share with readers. And if you don't drink alcohol and want to try it anyway, just leave out the alcohol and see what you think. 

This Vampire Kiss drink is not featured in any of the BryonySeries cookbooks, including Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from "Bryony," which is a permanent fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties and features all the recipes referenced in the novel Bryony. 

However, you can try this recipe for Vampire Kiss on the Sue's Diner page on the BryonySeries website. 

But try the recipe this week. It will be gone next week. A new recipe will take it's place. 

If you have any troubleshooting questions or comments, email us at bryonyseries@gmail.com. 

By the way, Sue's Diner is only real in the BryonySeries world. But didn't Timothy do a great job making the page look like a real menu at a vintage diner?

Here is the full diner page: bryonyseries.com/sue-s-diner. You can't really order, of course (wouldn't it be great if you could?).

For more BryonySeries recipes, check out our three cookbooks at our BryonySeries bryonyseries.com/general-store.

Open Mic Night 2023: Lindsay Lake

My Grandmother's Dresser

If you live in the Will County, Illinois, area, you should know about Gilded Age Furniture Restoration at 473 Ruby Street in Joliet. Phone number is 815-726-8493.

That company just refinished two pieces of antique furniture for us. One is my maternal grandmother's dresser, which we're using as a coffee bar in our townhome. The other piece (for a separate post, much longer post), is way off to the far right in the photo below, past the kitchen table.

By the way, all those boxes to the left of the coffee bar are nearly thirty years of photos that were never put into photo albums (because I became a single mom and worked two jobs through 2012, when Ron's dementia was becoming apparent). 

We did buy a scanner in 2019. Now we just need to make/find some really dedicated time to process all those photos (including the ones in the photo albums, dating back to 1981), so all six kids can have digital copies.

My maternal grandmother died shortly after my seventh birthday in July 1968, and rather suddenly, it seemed to us. But apparently she had been ill a very long time and never told anyone.

This dresser and a double bed were the only furniture I recall in her small bedroom of the two-family bungalow on Chicago's South side where she lived. I slept in that bed with her whenever I stayed with her. When my uncle moved out of the home in the early 1990s, he offered the family anything we wanted in that house. I wanted the dresser.

When I moved into our current townhome in August 2021, I set the dresser right under this window and turned it into a coffee bar. But our old Keurig developed a leak and ruined it. So Rebekah went looking for someone to restore it and founded Gilded Age.

Now, not everything sitting on it belongs to the coffee bar. The dishes and the baskets are for my son. The goblets are gifts for co-workers. The rest actually belongs there: coffee, tea, cups, and little "coffee" gifts from friends, who are virtually present with us for each cup.

Gilded Age did an amazing job, right?

Happy Monday!

This Song Has No Title (Remastered 2014)

Alan Hines: Winner of 2024 Calkins Day Painting

Good morning! 

In between assignments last Saturday, I popped into The Book Market in Crest Hill where Chicago poet Alan Hines was having a book signing.

Alan is super supportive of the BryonySeries ever since we first met him at our 2023 Calkins Day celebration. 

Calkins Day (Feb. 13) is the BryonySeries' official holiday. It's a day to celebrate laughter, imagination, and generosity, and it just so happens to land on the birthday of Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara, BryonySeries author and character. 

Ed is a ruthless dictator/Irish vampire in this book, this book, and this book in the BryonySeries, is also an author in the series. After he published his first novel, he joined WriteOn Joliet. So on Calkins Day 2024, we were celebrating the release of "The Fifth" (Ed's latest book).

I was thrilled to learn Alan had won a beautiful painting that painter and retired art teacher Nancy Calkins (Ed's wife) created and gave away just for Calkins Day.

Alan found out when he was setting up for his book signing. So, of course, I had to get a photo of him holding it.

To check out his many, many titles, here is the Alan Hines Amazon author page.

And for those who don't know (yet), here is why we celebrate Calkins Day.

Here is how to celebrate Calkins Day.

And here is a twenty-question interview with the real Ed Calkins.

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Feb. 17 to Feb. 23

Good morning!

I have nine news and features stories to share with you this week. But more will be posted over this weekend, especially with me working this weekend. So be sure to check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news.

Despite a steady flow of health challenges this year, I finally finished the novelette I started about eighteen months ago earlier this week and dabbled a bit with the third novel in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy (see updates below).

And on Wednesday evening, the local authors of WriteOn Joliet (which includes the BryonySeries) experienced a huge victory (for us) in terms of recognition and future plans to connect readers with their books. 

I'll share more about that triumph in future posts. For now, we're basking in the recognition as we make plans to move forward.

Here are the BryonySeries book updates:

House on Top of the Hill: Third book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy. I now have a good working draft of the entire book and four chapters and a prologue that are ready for final edits. We are estimating a late 2024 release date.

The Adventures of Cornell Dyer: Timothy said the next book will be slightly dark ("slightly" because it's for kids, too) and will involve an old toy store. We are also working on the last book in the series (but it's not the final book, if that makes sense). Timothy is actually writing that one. We had a tentative "Cornell breakfast" scheduled for last weekend, which didn't happen. We are trying again for this weekend. We've scheduled and broke several in 2023. Our last one was July 2022. So we are LONG overdue.

Brainy Ann: The fifth book in The Girls of the BryonySeries is outlined and ready for some serious writing in 2024. The first chapter is written, hurray! Jennifer Wainwright has already started working on the cover portrait. That one is called "Brainy Ann."

Jennifer designed the cover portraits for "Julie and the Too-Hard Homework," "Katie and the Big Fear," "Summer Sisters." and "Karla Joins In," as well as the frontispiece for Lycanthropic Summer.

A Year of Shadows and Moonlight, of Gathering Blooms in the Woods: A rather unusual, poetic novelette in the second person is completed and just needs final copyediting. Rebekah is also playing around with art for the cover. We are estimating a mid-2024 release date.

Rebekah is also slowly updating the BryonySeries YouTube and Pinterest accounts. And she' catching up with Kindles for some of the BryonySeries books. So do watch for those.

Now back to The Herald-News stories stories. Simply click on the link of the story that looks interesting to you. Happy scrolling!

But before the stories, I have a list of additional resources and information. Please check them out, too.

Finally, if you'd like to find more kindness in your life, consider this book.

And have a great Friday!

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Sue's Diner is a fictional restaurant in the fictional Munsonville that only exists in the BryonySeries.

Each Wednesday, we post a new recipe. The recipe is either featured in one of our cookbooks, will be featured in an upcoming cookbook, or is just an "extra" we want to share with you.

Check out the recipe here.

WRITERS

If you're a writer anywhere in the world, you're welcome to join WriteOn Joliet's Facebook page. We're based in Joliet, Illinois, but we love to meet and interact with writers outside our area, too.

If you'd like to officially join WriteOn Joliet, we have two tiers of dues and two ways to attend meetings. We also have a marketing arm that's getting longer every year. Check us out at writeonjoliet.com.

I also suggest this book: Little Book of Revision: A Checklist for Fiction Writers. It's exactly as it says. Each page some with one suggestion for revision. The rest of the page is blank, so you can add your own notes. All proceeds benefit WriteOn Joliet.

If you need editing or help with self-publishing, check out dmbaranunland.com.

ARTISTS

If you need an artist for a project, I offer these recommendations.

NEWSLETTERS

Sign up for The Munsonville Times by emailing us at bryonyseries@gmail.com. The newsletter still isn't official yet, so we don't have an actual link on the website - but we are working on it! 

SOCIAL MEDIA

Daily updates: I haven't posted anything on Twitter/X (except a daily Bible verse) since September I can no longer schedule posts in advance. I'm not sure yet how to manage the account without that option. But you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61.

BryonySeries stuff: I used to curated content relating to the BryonySeries on Twitter/X at @BryonySeries and still post assorted related content at facebook.com/BryonySeries, youtube.com/user/BryonySeries, and themes of each book in the BryonySeries at pinterest.com/bryonyseries.

Again, not sure yet about the direction of the BryonySeries Twitter/X account. Still mulling that over.

And of course, please follow the adventures of Bertrand the Mouse on Instagram at bertrand_bryonyseries.

BRYONYSERIES BOOKS

For books and more information about the series, visit bryonyseries.com.

BRYONYSERIES EVENTS

A full month of virtual events can be found at bryonyseries.com/calendar-of-events.

QUESTIONS

Email me at bryonyseries@gmail.com.

Thank you for reading The Herald-News. And for reading this blog. And if you've read (or plan to read) any of my books. Your support is greatly appreciated.

FEATURES

Joliet East alum creates ‘coming-of-age’ song with Joliet nostalgia: Dave McBride: ‘I’ve had that longing to get reconnected with Joliet for some time’

Morris Hospital offers concussion management program: A concussion is a brain injury that happens acutely

Lewis University hosts ‘Fulfilling the Dream’ Conference in Romeoville: Workshops provided information on the admission process financial aid and possible career paths

Will County State’s Attorney’s Office donates $5,000 to heroin relief program: HERO now has a physical home in the community

Family of Silver Cross CEO files complaint against University of Chicago Hospital: The complaint included a letter from an expert dated Feb. 12

Joliet hospice announces 2 new leadership members: Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care is currently‘ poised for large growth’

2 killed in crash Sunday morning in Joliet

Pets of the Week: Feb. 19, 2024: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

The Local Scene: Night hike at Joliet’s Pilcher Park: Here are 5 things to do this weekend

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage"

Faces of Faith: Part One

Faith is six weeks away from her two-year anniversary of her diagnosis of small cell lymphoma.

Many cats with diagnosis live two to three years when treated with chemotherapy, prednisolone, and vitamin B12.

For many reasons, we opted for palliative care only, understanding we would get two to three months instead. But except for the scare in November (when we actually scheduled her at-home euthanasia only to have her pull through an hour before the veterinarian arrived), Faith has continued to do well.

Here's half a dozen photos of Faith for you to enjoy today. Hope at least one makes you smile.

Happy Thursday!

Sue's Diner: Pound Cake With Vanilla Cream and Berries

The last time Rebekah prepared this pound cake with vanilla cream and berries (before yesterday, that is) was back in 2019 for Daniel's birthday.

The top had a nice crunch that everyone at the party enjoyed. In fact, most people said it was their favorite part of the cake. Cindy had enjoyed it so much, she asked for this cake for her birthday celebration yesterday.

Rebekah preferred strawberries, but we couldn't find any useable ones at the store. So she substituted blueberries and blackberries and found they worked just as nicely. We feel any berry could work.

The recipe for pound cake with vanilla cream and berries is not featured in any of the BryonySeries cookbooks, including Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from "Bryony," which is a permanent fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties and features all the recipes referenced in the novel Bryony. 

However, you can try this recipe for pound cake with vanilla cream and berries on the Sue's Diner page on the BryonySeries website. 

NOTE: You will need a scale with grams to measure cake ingredients. Rebekah created this recipe while in culinary, when everything needed to be measured in grams.

SECOND NOTE: Add a little vanilla bean paste to the cream if you can find it (Rebekah ran out and couldn't find any on Monday night). It enhances the vanilla taste, and the brown speckles in the cream is very attractive.

But try the recipe this week. It will be gone next week. A new recipe will take it's place. 

If you have any troubleshooting questions or comments, email us at bryonyseries@gmail.com. 

By the way, Sue's Diner is only real in the BryonySeries world. But didn't Timothy do a great job making the page look like a real menu at a vintage diner?

Here is the full diner page: bryonyseries.com/sue-s-diner. You can't really order, of course (wouldn't it be great if you could?).

For more BryonySeries recipes, check out our three cookbooks at our BryonySeries bryonyseries.com/general-store.

Open Mic Night 2023: Dale Hansen

The Opportunity in Presidents' Day (Part 2)

Can you name half a dozen facts about James K. Polk? 

Millard Fillmore?

Warren G. Harding?

Today, Presidents' Day, is a great day to do a quick internet search on one president that's obscure to you. 

While presidents from the past seem like irrelevant, ancient history, each president had a role in shaping the United States into the shape it is today. Knowing how we got here is a good start to understanding where we're heading.

Last year on this day, I wrote a post called "The Opportunity in Presidents' Day."

This post gave an overview and rationale for each core branch of education (and we had more than the three Rs) that my children studied in our home-school.

The U.S. government was one, with a separate focus on all of the U. S. presidents. 

I handpicked the curriculum and added to it every year. Do you see the workbook below? This belongs to Timothy, who kept it all these years.

But it's blank, you may wonder.

Of course, it's blank. The workbooks were resources we used every year. The kids did their work on separate sheets of paper.

Now, this was just one of several books on U.S. presidents we used, depending on the age of the child.

Some of the early memorization work the kids did (first, second, third grades) was to name all U.S. presidents in order. If they can't still do that (although Christopher probably can), they will come rather close.

I shared a few pages from the book, so please scroll through and test your own knowledge today.

Or purchase your own copy of "The Complete Book of Presidents and States." The blurb on Thriftbooks said it's geared toward grades four to six, so you should be able to breeze right through it.

Happy Presidents' Day!

Yesterday: Relaxing Piano Music by Peder B. Helland | Soothing Sessions

Calkins Day 2024: Six Photos and a Bit of Commentary

Good morning Here is a quick recap, a few links, and six photos of our Calkins Day celebration on Tuesday.

Calkins Day (Feb. 13) is the BryonySeries' official holiday. It's a day to celebrate laughter, imagination, and generosity.

We held Calkins Day 2024 in a similar format and in the same location (The Book Market in Crest Hill) as Calkins Day 2023. We built our celebration around local authors and independent authors in order to help grow Ed's library of such authors and provide a little exposure for these authors. 

Basically, if you wrote a book, you could take home one of Ed's books for free if you gave him one of yours. Readers (anyone else who hadn't written a book) could talk Ed out of a book in various ways. That wasn't difficult to do, since he was eager to give his books away.

You see, Ed is not only a real person, he's also a ruthless dictator/Irish vampire in this book, this book, and this book in the BryonySeries, is also an author in the series. After he published his first novel, he joined WriteOn Joliet. Ed was/is overjoyed to meet so many authors on the local level and buy and read their books. That's why this format of a Calkins Day celebration (which is also Ed's birthday) really appeals to him.

This year for the first time, Ed and Nancy hosted the entire event from beginning to end. I handled a little of the marketing, brought the books, including Ed's latest ("The Fifth"), took a few photos (fewer than I've ever taken), and enjoyed myself.

Approximately a dozen people came out, including one man from Arlington Heights and Chicago poet Alan Hines, who won a beautiful painting Nancy created and gave away just for the occasion, and who is having his own signing at The Book Market today from noon to 4 p.m.

Here is why we celebrate Calkins Day.

Here is how to celebrate Calkins Day.

Who is Ed Calkins? Here is a twenty-question interview with the real Ed Calkins.

Enjoy the photos. Happy Saturday!

 

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Feb. 10 to Feb. 16

 Good morning!

I have eleven news and features stories to share with you this week. But more will be posted over this weekend, especially with me working this weekend. So be sure to check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news.

We had a small but wonderful Calkins Day celebration at The Book Market in Crest Hill. In addition to Ed and Nancy Calkins (and me), seven other guests came out (at least, while I was there). This included Chicago poet Alan Hines, who won a beautiful painting Nancy created and gave away just for the occasion.

We met Alan at Calkins Day 2023, and he came out for both WriteOn Joliet's anthology release party and for Calkins Day 2024. Alan has a book signing tomorrow from noon to 4 p.m. at The Book Market. He is even more prolific than I am. I encourage anyone in the area to pop in and see what he offers. From stories I've heard about Alan, he's also a terrific human being and someone you might want to know.

I am thrilled to report that we did have copies of "The Fifth," the second novel by Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara, which is now live on Amazon and available for purchase.

If you're new to the BryonySeries and this blog, here is a post that with links that explains Calkins Day. We will post some photos on tomorrow's blog.

Other BryonySeries book updates:

House on Top of the Hill: Third book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy. I now have a good working draft of the entire book and four chapters and a prologue that are ready for final edits. We are estimating a late 2024 release date.

The Adventures of Cornell Dyer: Timothy said the next book will be slightly dark ("slightly" because it's for kids, too) and will involve an old toy store. We are also working on the last book in the series (but it's not the final book, if that makes sense). Timothy is actually writing that one. We had a tentative "Cornell breakfast" scheduled for last weekend, which didn't happen. We are trying again for this weekend. We've scheduled and broke several in 2023. Our last one was July 2022. So we are LONG overdue.

Brainy Ann: The fifth book in The Girls of the BryonySeries is outlined and ready for some serious writing in 2024. The first chapter is written, hurray! Jennifer Wainwright has already started working on the cover portrait. That one is called "Brainy Ann."

Jennifer designed the cover portraits for "Julie and the Too-Hard Homework," "Katie and the Big Fear," "Summer Sisters." and "Karla Joins In," as well as the frontispiece for Lycanthropic Summer.

A Year of Shadows and Moonlight, of Gathering Blooms in the Woods: A rather unusual, poetic novella in the second person. Three-fourths of it is written and edited and another fourth is in the developmental stage. Rebekah is also playing around with art for the cover. We are estimating a mid-2024 release date.

Rebekah is also slowly updating the BryonySeries YouTube and Pinterest accounts. And she' catching up with Kindles for some of the BryonySeries books. So do watch for those.

Now back to The Herald-News stories stories. Simply click on the link of the story that looks interesting to you. Happy scrolling!

But before the stories, I have a list of additional resources and information. Please check them out, too.

Finally, if you'd like to find more kindness in your life, consider this book.

And have a great Friday!

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Sue's Diner is a fictional restaurant in the fictional Munsonville that only exists in the BryonySeries.

Each Wednesday, we post a new recipe. The recipe is either featured in one of our cookbooks, will be featured in an upcoming cookbook, or is just an "extra" we want to share with you.

Check out the recipe here.

WRITERS

If you're a writer anywhere in the world, you're welcome to join WriteOn Joliet's Facebook page. We're based in Joliet, Illinois, but we love to meet and interact with writers outside our area, too.

If you'd like to officially join WriteOn Joliet, we have two tiers of dues and two ways to attend meetings. We also have a marketing arm that's getting longer every year. Check us out at writeonjoliet.com.

I also suggest this book: Little Book of Revision: A Checklist for Fiction Writers. It's exactly as it says. Each page some with one suggestion for revision. The rest of the page is blank, so you can add your own notes. All proceeds benefit WriteOn Joliet.

If you need editing or help with self-publishing, check out dmbaranunland.com.

ARTISTS

If you need an artist for a project, I offer these recommendations.

NEWSLETTERS

Sign up for The Munsonville Times by emailing us at bryonyseries@gmail.com. The newsletter still isn't official yet, so we don't have an actual link on the website - but we are working on it! 

SOCIAL MEDIA

Daily updates: I haven't posted anything on Twitter/X (except a daily Bible verse) since September I can no longer schedule posts in advance. I'm not sure yet how to manage the account without that option. But you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61.

BryonySeries stuff: I used to curated content relating to the BryonySeries on Twitter/X at @BryonySeries and still post assorted related content at facebook.com/BryonySeries, youtube.com/user/BryonySeries, and themes of each book in the BryonySeries at pinterest.com/bryonyseries.

Again, not sure yet about the direction of the BryonySeries Twitter/X account. Still mulling that over.

And of course, please follow the adventures of Bertrand the Mouse on Instagram at bertrand_bryonyseries.

BRYONYSERIES BOOKS

For books and more information about the series, visit bryonyseries.com.

BRYONYSERIES EVENTS

A full month of virtual events can be found at bryonyseries.com/calendar-of-events.

QUESTIONS

Email me at bryonyseries@gmail.com.

Thank you for reading The Herald-News. And for reading this blog. And if you've read (or plan to read) any of my books. Your support is greatly appreciated.

FEATURES

Plainfield D-202 adopts asthma medication program for quicker emergency response

Plainfield South invites all to sing along at Black History Month Showcase: Hope Moore Mezo, coordinator: ‘Any age, any race, any culture may participate in the community sing’

Joliet’s Rialto Theatre to show ‘Wizard of Oz’ and ‘Mary Poppins’ in February:  Tickets go on sale Jan. 29.

Shorewood HUGS chocolate ball fundraiser helps group grant wishes: Shorewood HUGS hosted its 14th chocolate ball Feb. 3

Photos: Shorewood HUGS 14th chocolate ball

Silver Cross cardiologist shares her own heart experience, expertise: Dr. Reema Sheth is skilled in transradial cardiac catheterization

Lenten fish fries to try across the Joliet region: Here are 11 fish fries to try

Veterans must register by Monday for Vet-to-Vet program in Shorewood: The event is free to veterans

Herald-News seeking ‘Women of the Year’ submissions: Entry deadline is April 5

Pets of the Week: Feb. 12, 2024: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

The Local Scene: Visitor-led art at Will County forest preserve: Here are 5 things to do this weekend

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage"

Snack Bags From Jasmine

I think "comfort food" is important to most of us from time to time, although what comfort is to us might be different from what comfort food is to another.

Many people often give gifts of food or drink to express affection or love, like chocolate on Valentine's Day or pot of chicken soup to someone who is ill.

So on Saturday, Jasmine brought "snack bags" for herself, Rebekah, and me before we set off to celebrate Lunar New Year with Cindy and her family, so we could have a cozy ride there and back.

Inside each snack bag are comfort foods tailored to each individual person. So no two begs are the same. She also brought coffee as well as tea (for Rebekah). But Jasmine is thoughtful that way.

Just twenty-four hours earlier, I had another flare-up of whatever abdominal thing is going on (my gastroenterologist isn't completely convinced it's diverticulitis; colonoscopy is still two weeks away).

So a bagful of comfort treats from someone who cares really cheers the soul, too. 

I did give the graham crackers to Rebekah (they had sulfiting agents, a no-no for me). 

But she brought my favorite Saltines (brand-name, whole grain), whale cheese crackers (which don't have sunflower oil as regular goldfish do. I never heard of whale!), and two bags of "chippers" (miniature chocolate chip cookies).

As I was getting ready for a shower, Rebekah said I looked nice that night. I had worn leggings for abdominal comfort, with a long black sweater and a red shirt (red was required if we had it).

So I asked her to take a photo, and she did.

I wanted to remember her comforting words...and also that I somehow managed to look nice on the outside when the inside was not feeling as nice.

Happy Thursday!

Sue's Diner: Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls

Happy Valentine's Day!

Rebekah stumbled across this recipe a few weeks ago and decided they would be perfect to share on Sue's Diner for Valentine's Day.

So she modified the recipe and prepared a batch, which we enjoyed last week.

The recipe for this chocolatey twist of regular cinnamon rolls is not featured in any of the BryonySeries cookbooks, including Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from "Bryony," which is a permanent fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties and features all the recipes referenced in the novel Bryony. 

However, you can try this recipe for red velvet cinnamon rolls on the Sue's Diner page on the BryonySeries website. 

But try the recipe this week. It will be gone next week. A new recipe will take it's place. 

If you have any troubleshooting questions or comments, email us at bryonyseries@gmail.com. 

By the way, Sue's Diner is only real in the BryonySeries world. But didn't Timothy do a great job making the page look like a real menu at a vintage diner?

Here is the full diner page: bryonyseries.com/sue-s-diner. You can't really order, of course (wouldn't it be great if you could?).

For more BryonySeries recipes, check out our three cookbooks at our BryonySeries bryonyseries.com/general-store.

Happy Calkins Day

Happy Calkins Day!

The BryonySeries has an actual holiday - and today is it.

Calkins Day is a day to celebrate laughter, imagination, and generosity.

Here is why we celebrate Calkins Day.

Here is how to celebrate Calkins Day.

Who is Ed Calkins? Here is a twenty-question interview with the real Ed Calkins.

And if you'd like to celebrate in person with us tonight, please see the flyer below this photo.

Happy Tuesday - and Happy Calkins Day!

Vanilla's Valentine's Day Surprise 🌹

My Valentine - Martina McBride (Piano Version by Riyandi Kusuma)

"The Fifth" Has Arrived In Time for Calkins Day

Sometimes, life just seems to work out.

Despite a very tight editing schedule for "The Fifth," by Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara, the second book in his Ruthless series...

And despite the holidays and a health emergency (or two) thrown our way...

And despite a few cover adjustments before KDP could approve the book...

The books arrived in times for Calkins Day on Tuesday.

Please join us in celebrating laughter, imagination, and generosity from 6 to 8 p.m. on Calkins Day (Feb. 13) at The Book Market in Crest Hill.

We will have a similar format as we did for last year's Calkins Day, which means we hope to give away more books than we sell. And if you're an author (or other artist or a reader with a cause) come on out and swap a book you've written (or art piece with the same approximate value as a book) for one of Ed's books.

The only change is that Ed himself is handling refreshments and some of the marketing this year. 

Full details are on the flyer below this photo.

Happy Saturday!