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For more cool cartoons, check out Savage Chickens.

Nope, I haven’t started thinking about Christmas shopping. Yet.

I don’t know the statistics on babies with milk “sensitivities,” but as I find products that won’t cause an allergic reaction, I’ll post them here in case anyone is looking. Here’s what I have so far:

Soy formula - If you’re using formula, you can either look for lactose-free or soy. Some websites state that lactose-free is not enough for milk allergies because it still contains milk itself, but is partially broken down for easier digestion. I suppose parents will face the decision of trying lactose-free first or just skipping to soy if they are convinced that milk is the problem. Doctors usually recommend that as little change as possible should be made in brand and type of formula, so the severity of the baby’s symptoms should probably be the parents’ guide for this dilemma.

Most formulas (or is it formulae?) are designed to be used only until the one-year mark, when babies can digest cow’s milk. There may be a soy formula that can be used beyond this age, but my plan so far is to switch to one of the brands of soy milk available for adults. I’ll definitely research prior to this point. Also, not all babies will become adults who can’t drink cow’s milk, so there will be a point where we attempt to introduce that into our child’s diet.

Sidenote: I can’t comment personally on eliminating dairy while continuing to breastfeed, but I would assume that the woman should be careful not to lose all calcium intake. As always, do your research before making changes - many women online will share their experiences to help others, and being informed when you meet with your doctor should make the visit more effective.

Cream of Wheat - Untested at this point, though I should have an answer soon. The ingredients on the label don’t mention milk products, so this should be a safe alternative to baby cereals, which are either made with milk powder or contain traces of milk due to the processing equipment.

Arrowroot biscuits - Some baby biscuits contain milk ingredients, so read labels carefully. Arrowroot appears to be milk-free.

Remember that the current warning is that so-called “teething biscuits” could break off in pieces too large for a baby, so supervision is required. What I’ve seen with Arrowroot is that sucking on the biscuit gradually “melts” it away. Still, there is advice on the label about supervision, just in case.

And that’s all I have so far!

How do you follow three excellent suspense novels? If you’re Brandilyn Collins, you kick things up a few notches and release Amber Morn.

Action-filled from the opening pages, the final installment of the Kanner Lake Series grabs the reader and just won’t let go. This is the ultimate example of a book you don’t want to put down, and it’s a blast to read.

Time is flying, I swear it! Here’s my babe at half-a-year old.

For more cool cartoons, check out Savage Chickens.

Find more cool cartoons check out Savage Chickens.

For more cool cartoons, check out Savage Chickens.

Thanks for all the stories from your childhood, the books and your art. (Even gruff old men can make beautiful things with their talented hands.) You made delicious pizza and provided great company for the many lunches on our weekend visits.

I hope you know how much you were loved. The holidays won’t be the same without you. I’ll miss you more than I want to admit to myself.

Rest in peace, Ernie.

The arrival of my first baby has definitely changed my days. Gone is the former routine, replaced by the needs of a newborn. I’d like to ask an online friend to prepare an announcement for me, and will post it here once it’s done. In the meantime, here are the important details: Tim was born Oct. 29 and is making his parents very happy.

Haven’t uploaded many photos to my own gallery yet, but here are two:

PySolitaire is the Windows version of PySol, a game I can never live without when I run Linux. Forget clicking separate menu items for Spider Solitaire, Klondike and FreeCell, the three games that Windows provides; now you can have those and many, many other types of solitaire in one program. (And the screenshots reveal that MahJongg is included in the Windows program as well. Smart move, I say, ’cause I also love to match MahJongg tiles.)

All right, back to my game of Braid - I used the demo function to remind me how to play this Napoleon-type solitaire and I’m determined to beat it in less games than it took me to learn and conquer Terrace…

“Big Bang Theory” - witty sitcom with former “Roseanne” actor Johnny Galecki; on CBS Monday evenings.

“Chuck” - funny spy/action show; on NBC Monday evenings.

“Pushing Daisies” - may get tired of this after a bit, but for now the quirkiness is cool and the dialogue is interesting as well; on ABC Wednesday evenings.

“Private Practice” - this may also wear out its welcome after some time, although it’s quite good at presenting both the personal problems of the staff and the dilemmas of their patients; on ABC Wednesday evenings.

Also worth mentioning at this time: “Journeyman” (time travelling) and “Moonlight” (vampires). We’ll see what stays and how attached I remain!

Since this came up on Katie MacAlister’s message boards, I thought I’d share it here:

Red Dwarf Theme

It’s cold outside,
There’s no kind of atmosphere.
I’m all alone,
More or less.
Let me fly
Far away from here.
Fun, fun, fun,
In the sun, sun, sun.

I want to lie
Shipwrecked and comatose,
Drinking fresh
Mango juice.
Goldfish shoals
Nibbling at my toes.
Fun, fun, fun,
In the sun, sun, sun.
Fun, fun, fun,
In the sun, sun, sun.

(And if you’ve never heard of “Red Dwarf,” you’re missing out on some great British humour.)

It’s probably not surprising that I sped through Crimson Eve and loved it, considering that’s been my experience with the previous two novels in the Kanner Lake series.

It probably does help to read the books in order, but I think each one does a good job of having most of its story stand apart from previous events. There may be references in Crimson Eve to Books One and Two, but they don’t have a huge impact on this story, and I appreciate that - there have been so many times in my reading history that I’ve only been able to find a later book in a series and I hate to be shut out.

I made guesses along the way with Crimson Eve, trying to determine what was going to happen. I was close with a few things, but Brandilyn has proven once again how much better she is at plotting. She’s been honing her skills for years and I love the result!

And just in case you don’t think suspense novels are your thing, this one is action-filled with realistic characters and great dialogue. (I’m so picky about translating everyday speech to the page!) I hope you’ll like it, too.

Here’s what a weekday now entails for me:

- Wake up just before 7 am and take my time with my early-morning routine of breakfast, shower and walk with the dog.

- Check my to-do list for errands and housecleaning tasks.

- Alternate those tasks with recorded TV shows (there are so many at the start of the fall season!) or a bit of reading.

- Watch news at noon with lunch. (I’m copying my dad with that one.)

- More TV, reading and/or tasks!

Sounds like the sweet life, probably, and I am enjoying it. Of course, if you don’t like to clean and organise, it wouldn’t be much fun.

I’ll likely need to add a few more hobbies to the mix so there’s no chance of getting bored, but there will also be a baby soon to take up my time!

I installed both Windows and OpenSuse! Sure, there are still a few things I could do to customise the operating systems; but overall, I’m pleased with the two environments I can use to play around when I’m not reading novels or cleaning house.