I have mastered camera strap installation along with kitty photos and took some experimental plant pics today. DS took possession for a couple of hours . an then proceeded to sell me a 4GB memory card with an attractive carrying pouch and a little thumb-drive doo-dad. Evidently he has three of them already.4GBS should be pretty dandy for IU6 !

I would say that Denises Freesias are about 10 days more advanced than mine. Only one flower per stalk barely open. Interesting Denise that your container plants have resisted Freesia-Flop syndrome. I have sticks poked in all over the place to support mine. I am making a note to copy you and try some in pots.

Julie, some good vibes coming your way. So what might be the euphemism for Adult Stupid Son ? Follow my drift ? My hope (and maybe yours) is that his not-so-niceness is a result of finding himself in a position that is so dependent on the good will of others , perhaps a blow to the manliness thing, requiring periodic lashing out. Hopefully this is only temporary. Bring on the wine deck ! I have more seeds to plant too, but it will have to wait till the weekend.

Hi PM ! Please continue to check in when you can , your posts are missed.

Mary, my company has gradually increased the employees contribution required for health benefits. I definitely have a negative cash flow in this area, and would have been better off financially with no insurance the last few years, as I rarely need the services of a doctor and would be cheaper for me to just pay to go get a check up once a year. The fear of something bad happening though keeps me paying for services I never use.

Marie, Im sorry to hear of the anxiety of DD re the new baby, though it is certainly understandable. I hope they are able to overcome and maintain the wonderful joy of life and interest in getting out there, seeing, doing; the whole joie de vivre thing.

Saucy, Im plodding through the instruction manual for my camera, determined to graduate from point-and-shoot mode at some future time. I hope you will share with us some pics of the leaf castings when you get that up and running

Michelle, when I was looking for the first Idyll I came across a thread that seemed to be the prep for the first IU, but now I cant find it again, and was never able to find photos. I hit many dead ends, but it was a fun diversion that I did while recuperating from one of my many dental procedures- the 'take it easy and don't do anything' for a couple of days leaves you no alternative but the internet and movies -hard to read books on drugs , lol.

Marian, your weather sure seems to flip-flop ! Looks like we are headed for some near 70 temps into the weekend. Fortunately the camera I selected has both point and click settings and manual settings. I know it will take me a month to figure out all the functions and settings.I watch practically no TV at all , its pretty much off all winter except for an occasional viewing of the MacNeill- Lehrer Newshour . In April I start to watch baseball games , but have a satellite package that allows me to see nothing but baseball if I so choose-and I do !

Ta ta my friends, time for me to wind down and think about dreamland

Kathy in Napa

Oh Kathy, I cracked right up at your euphemism for InterPhil! I beleive that you hve hit the nail on the head in describing his sitution. He has been bored silly all winter, although able to collect Employment Insurance, and is looking forward to getting back to work very soon. Next winter he has decided to go back to school. You are a very perceptive person!

I looked at the beautiful freesias and thought "Where the heck does Denise live?" - of course, in a climate much much warmer than mine! I bet I could grow those in the house though. I might try to find some - those are beautiful! What kind of pup is Ein? I am sure you have posted photos somewhere along the line - do you have one handy?

PM2, pigs photo is cute but I must confess, not my favourites either. The is someone in town here though who has a Vietnamese Pot Bellied pig and she walks her pet on a leash...It does look very cute and the owner says it is a wonderful pet.

Marie, I bet the anxiety is mounting steadily - what a difficult time for all. I hope that worries are all for naught. Very hard for you being so far away also...hugs to all.

Gonna run now and browse to see if I can find some old Idyll threads - I really enjoyed reading the linked one!

Sleep tight all!

Cheers,

Julie

Sending out good thoughts to Mary in hopes the insurance coverage is not eliminated. My disgust for the whole medical machine mounts daily. It seems every part of it is built on fear and money; keep people afraid and then charge just as much as you're able for "call in the cavalry" treatments... . I know there are many in the profession that are dedicated and genuinely compassionate but there are just as many who are in it because milking the cash cow is lucrative. We're in the same position as Kathy and are not foolish enough to call it "health" insurance" because what it really is is "poor health/protect your house if you're lucky" insurance. Finest health care in the world, indeed... yeah, if you can afford to access it. Frankly, I'm not sure we've made greater inroads since Margaret Sanger, appalled by squalor and over-population in urban ghettos, lobbied for birth control for poor women or nurses fanned out across the countryside in an effort to stem the rising tide of tuberculosis at the turn of the century. We're certainly a helluva lot less active (read FAT), eat a crummier diet, and are looking for "lifestyle drugs" instead of behavior modification as the solution. But I certainly hope the "benefits talk" is more general, Mary. You sure don't need more stress and worry at this point in time, but know many share your deep worry, too.

I watched the local news and the unemployment figures were released, typically unemployment rises in the winter as so much of my state's economy is tied to tourism, but it's increased 3% in a year. I sure hope InterPhil has mastered budgetting, Julie! "Make hay while the sun shines" and all that old-fashioned stuff. It would drive me crazy to be basically stuck in the house all winter long so I can understand things boiling over every so often. I am reminded of Michelle's comment about retirement, "half the money and twice the husband" which made me lol at the time.

TCS is a fortunate little boy to have music available to him outside the realm of public education. I hadn't really considered the importance of good grooming and polished presentation at a recital, but it's the same thing as being polished and prepared before you enter the ring at a horse show. The ribbons I cherish most are those I received for excellence in "Fitting and Showmanship" which is a class that involves no riding, at all. You are judged on how you prepare and show your animal. Things like a glistening coat and bridle, excellent posture, and making sure there is no manure on your boots matter! In the same vein, I smiled at the preparation required to get David and the requisite equipment to the orchestra... certainly can't be easy but it oh-so-necessary at this juncture. I'm certain his performance did not disappoint. :)

I eagerly await news on the 'tufa class as the preparation seems to rival that of getting David to the concert. And I have little doubt the leaf casting idea is going to be a winner, too, Saucy!

We had stir-fried vegetables over brown rice last night and we both expressed a level of boredom with the bill of fare. I longingly thought of V. and husband and Indian cuisine, so it will be fun to hear about that, too. Maybe they'll be using home-made soap to clean up the trail? ;)

One of my brother's friends has a pig. She's roughly the size of a picnic table and is very friendly, but definitely gets people's attention when she saunters out from her preferred wallow behind the garage to greet them. Her owner has her grunts and a squeal as the ring tone on his cell 'phone. He was a farm boy from way back and he and my brother have been friends since Jr. High. Great guy.

I have to go now, can't recall if there is a trip to the beauty parlor in my future this afternoon, so I'll have to call and check today. I rather hope it's next week, actually. OK, I'm outta here and will contemplate Freesias and Marian playing with dead piglets all day long (nice visual, BTW).

Good morning!

There are many aches and pains this morning - 'tufa class is not easy on the instructor. I explained to my class that the hardest part of this medium is schlepping home the 94lb bag of portland cement (and the 80 lb bale of peat isn't light, either!)....but that is behind me now!

The freesias are gorgeous, and I liked to hear Ein's experience :) I really like how the lavendar looks in front of the agave :)

Kathy, you're inspiring me to break out my camera.....for some reason I haven't really wanted to take pictures lately, but I noticed that the morning light is really pretty right now. Everything looks gold, which reminds me of The Outsiders (not the original poem, lol). Have fun snapping away. I still have not had much luck venturing past point and shoot - I need to take a class!

V., I really liked hearing about your soap making adventure! The straw bale building sounds really cool! I wonder how many seasons it lasts?

PM, nice to see your post today. I have a friend in TN who had a potbellied pig named Oscar. His last name was Mayer. My friend lived on a farm, and when they got Oscar he was just a baby, and we had to rub lotion on his dry skin, lol! He was charcoal gray with big whiskery hairs all over his body! Later in life, he was HUGE with giant tusks! But still a sweet soul inside :)

I hope you feel better soon - I'll bet Spring will be just the thing!

Well, my ham and swiss omelet awaits! Tonight the kids are going to see the Peking Acrobats with their grandparents, so Nick and I are going to use one of those Christmas gift certificates to Ted's Montana Grille. Date night on a Thursday - gotta get em where you can :)

Saucy

Good morning

Yesterday's news was as bad as I thought - no benefits at all as of July 1st as a way to save our program. That means healthcare, sick days, paid holidays all disappear. It leaves me in a quandary as I love my job and being involved in something that really helps children. But in the past the poor pay was compensated for by excellent benefits and hours that allows me to care for the family while DH travels.

Looking at David's bills for the past 5 weeks we certainly got our money's worth this year, and the thought of that disappearing puts me in a cold sweat. We're not out of the woods yet - there might need to be more surgery to remove the screws in David's leg and necrosis of the bone will entail years of intense medical care. There are options we're investigating including Cobra and my transferring to another postion within the educational system that comes with health care. But the jobs available would be a big step down from my current responsibilities, far less interesting and eve less pay. Much to ponder.

After such discouraging news bookclub was a welcome relief yesterday evening and I totally enjoyed having something else to think about, some wine and some much needed laughs.

PM - I can't wait to show the photo and piglet story to David who adores pigs!!

Mary

A beautiful sunrise here...late though as it must climb up and above our barn. There are horizontal clouds with blue sky stripes between them. No pigs now, but there used to be pigs wallowing in the muck where our pond is now situated. There are snapping turtles there though...DH is walking Ms Phoebe there toward our bridge at the moment.

I'm concerned about the boredom of Chelone's stir fried dinner last evening. With my present attention to food (small small portions!) taste is very important to me. I wonder if spices were neglected? Did you need curry or crunchy snow peas and water chestnuts? I love nuts added to my veggie dishes, also dried apricots or cranberries.

I've been following Julie's French/music difficulties with interest. I was presented with this business years ago as a French teacher. French and music were dicey areas to be in as they were the "un-necessaries", the first to go in tough financial times. (In the US) Those children would NEVER hear a real Frenchman speak. They never went farther than 10 miles from their homes in a lifetime. So the motivation was not there for language learning. But music? I simply don't get it. Everyone benefits from that!

When our two kids went to school they attended an all French school and earned their French Baccalaureates. The school taught every subject (except English) in French. The school was good at academic things! This meant that as parents we had to tend to extra-curricular activities and in our case that meant carpentry, art, sports, music etc. We never expected school to excel at everything. Over time the school did improve and there were school drama activities and better sports. Being a parent is such a big job and it never ends! This is not all bad either. :)

I am late out of the gate this morning, so must go tend to DH who needs nourishment before driving off to class.
'bug

Not much time here today --

Michelle I do hope you feel better soon -- having a cold at the end of the winter can be very depressing.

Mary -- that's awful -- how can they end your healthcare if you belong to the school system? are you a contractor or something? That's just awful. It underscores the reason for having it thought doesnt it, just in those times when something like David's accident happens -- one really needs it -- Keeping my fingers crossed that something creative happens for you -- Im sure COBRA will be expensive (& only last a couple years at most; altho I think it may have been extended as part of the stimulus package?) or can you geet thru DH's company now? Im keeping my fingers crossed.

Lisa - so glad you had a great class -- I bet you're a terrific teacher and have lots of creative ideas -- I would so love to learn this -- have been looking around locally but so far no success for some weekend seminar. I bet it's got you enthused for spring now too and you'll pick up your camera again.

Okay, back to biz and being gainfully employed.
-cindy

Mary and Saucy! Somehow your postings weren't there when I last posted! I guess Saucy has taken up weight lifting. I'm so glad the class was a success. Please do take photos, no matter the quality. (Practice makes adequate...)

Mary, thirty eight years ago when we moved to Canada I recall a big sigh of relief as we crossed the border in our U-Haul truck. It was all about relief over the medical system. Coming from UK, you must really be on pins and needles over this recent news. Big decisions need to be made on your home front and I don't envy you that one bit. Book Club sounds like a far better topic! Our meeting is next week.

Later gators,
'bug

Oh Mary! What rotten news! It sounds as if your work was the perfect fit for your life, and now, just when you need it least, you get a kick in the head! That is very sad.

Saucy, I would love to take a Tufa class. I keep discussing this with gardening friends and we have thought about getting a "recipe" from the 'net and spending an afternoon trying to do it ourselves....Makes for fun talk but...no action!

Does anybody know if I can grow a Japanese Maple in the house all winter, and put it outdoors for Spring, Summer and Fall? Or do they require a period of cold? I have a large hibiscus that I hardly even like that gets this treatment, and I was thinking I would rather a Japanese Maple. They do sell them here, but I doubt I could keep one alive - risky at best. Now DD, who lives only an hour away from here, next to the mighty St. Lawrence River, says they are growing all over Brockville. Just middle-of-the-night thinking last night...

Freezing cold again today, but bright. Pork roast and all the trimmings for dinner tonight. One thing I hate to do is make dinner. I like to cook, mind you, but it's the timing - by late afternoon I want to enjoy the rest of the day and spending an hour or more making dinner that will be eaten in about 20 minutes does not turn my crank. So I very often make dinner in the morning, or do something like a roast that can go in to the oven at lunch time and be ready for dinner....just aimless idyll chat!!

Now that InterPhil has been a grump for two days we find out that a very kind older man who owns the local pub bought him a beer on Thursday evening and then went home and dropped dead of a heart attack an hour later. Find this out as DS trots out his "good" clothes for the funeral today. *sigh* Now of course I feel like a jerk for being snarly in return. Well, what's done is done...I offered to iron his shirt to make amends...

Has anybody here seen that Train game that you have to move the cars around to make trains all of one colour? There is a link on The Kitchen Table, I think....I find it very addicting....just one more time before I vacuum....maybe just two more times....

Cheers!

Julie

I didn't expect to be musing over Margaret Sanger this morning, but there's just no telling what crops up on the idylls. I'm in complete agreement over the healthcare comments and find it appalling that you're put in this quandary, Mary. I hope better options fall into place as you sift through these issues. Can we please have a moratorium of lightning bolts being thrown at Mary's household for a spell?

Speaking of healthcare, my dad's heart valve surgery is on hold, as a second cardiologist doesn't think the valve is leaking that much, direct contradiction of the main cardiolgist. Dad's thrilled, mom not so much...since he can only sit in a chair and pant these days. oy...Their full healthcare is courtesy of my dad's union, as is his amazing pension, which I continually point out to them, especially during election cycles (they vote "the other way," double oy)

Wait, did Julie say she needed to see a picture of Ein? Oh, what do you know, I happen to have one right here:

{{gwi:152453}}

Great job, Saucy, and I hope it's the first of many paying gigs. There's gold in them thar tufa hills!

I'm kind of a "Big Sister" to the pit bull mix next door, who doesn't get a lot of attention from her owners these days. She gets treats regularly in late afternoon, when Ein does, handed to her over the fence, plus lots of affection. Picking up the mail yesterday, I heard Ginger vociferously guarding her mail box as the mail man approached her house, which is quite close to Ginger's fence. As I walked back down our driveway, there was that awful sound of an injured dog, that pathetic whimpering. She came up to me at the fence on our driveway side, lookiing completely devastated, and I examined her for injuries, thinking maybe she hurt herself on a fence spike jumping up at the mailman. No visible signs of injury. I made her walk the length of her fence, me leading her from the sidewalk next to her fence, but could see no sign of injury, no limp. Conclusion: the mailman must have either maced her or tasered her, right? I did notice it was a new mailman. I gave her a dog bone which she did take, but I noticed her resting on her porch bed afterwards. I'm not blaming the mail carrier, and she is fearsome indeed, but it was an odd chain of events to piece together. She's fine this morning...

The sun is shining, it's up to a balmy 19 degrees F, and I have lots to report here!

Denise, I am quite familiar with Citizens for Conservation, but it is not a group that I am directly involved with. They operate a little southeast of where I live, but I usually patronize their native plant sale every spring, as they accept preorders and the local sale does not. When I first became involved in prairie restoration work, one of the training sessions I attended was hosted by CFC, and I had the pleasure of meeting one of their dedicated volunteers and supporters, Wendy Paulson. Her husband Hank went on to become the last treasury secretary under George Bush.

Tuesday when I was heading home from work, I came across a dog running down the middle of the road. I hate to see a dog in danger, so I pulled over and rolled down the passenger window to see if he had a collar. The goofy dog jumped in the window! He was very (too?) friendly, clean despite the presence of a lot of mud and had no collar at all. I had seen some dogs in the yard of a house just down the road, so I gambled that he might have escaped from there. Long story short, he had indeed escaped from that house. He was digging under the fence so the owner strung electric fencing at the bottom of the fence, he then started jumping over the five foot fence (I can attest to his jumping abilities!) so he was put in the yard on a chain. So of course he slipped his collar.

Before all was settled, I was drooled on by a very friendly Rottweiler, had the runaway dog in and out of the car three times and had another of their dogs in my car. Needless to say, my dogs had a field day sniffing my colthes when I got home. But I was glad to get the dog returned to his owner, and glad to know for sure where he lives since he sounds like a chronic runaway.

Our Indian cooking class was very interesting and delicious. The chef hosts these classes in his home kitchen so everything feels do-able. He started with an overview of the spices most commonly used, then we started on the cooking. First thing we fixed was the Indian rice pudding with pistachios and golden raisins (started first so it would be cooled by the end of our meal). First course was cod filets breaded in a chickpea flour, deep fried and served with a mint cilantro chutney. Quite tasty, and remember that I don't like fish. The main course was chicken tikkam misala, an eggplant and potato dish and chappati bread. Everything was cooked from scratch, quite spicy and very good. It was great to be walked through the different steps with a good sense of what to start first so that a complex dinner all came together in the right order. The chef has traveled extensively in Asia, so our dinner conversation was interesting as well.

Wednesday I scored an unusual triple play - three back-to-back-to-back meetings, each of which included the appropriate meal of the day. Breakfast board meeting, day-long ag preservation meeting with an amazing lunch, and pizza ordered in for the four hour long environmental commission meeting. My dogs now think I have abandoned them for greener pastures.

Mary, your insurance news is quite upsetting. Be sure that you get very straight answers on COBRA coverage, because there are cases where it does not apply if coverage is being discontinued. I know I don't know all the details of your employment, and of course there are law changes that just occurred, but if you are going to go the COBRA route, be very, very careful to get assurance that you are eligible for the coverage. I hope some positive news comes your way soon!

Denise, I love the photo of Ein and the agave/lavender combo. I may steal that idea.

Saucy, congrats on a successful class!

DD called yesterday morning to say that the health service thinks she has pneumonia! Her spring break starts tomorrow but I wish she was home right now so I could hug her and make her some soup.

Lunch is over and my desk is calling, so I'd better close.

V.

Time for some smiles from my corner....

A funny story from DD:

Last time Skyler was with us, we sent him to clean up his room. He had a big pile of clothes on his floor (all clean), and was told to put them away (not thrown on the bottom of the closet or left on top of his bunk bed, or left on the floor). He said that he had no room left in his drawers, and he didnt want to hang them up. Then he said "I know", and closed his door.

DH was sure Skylers solution was to put everything in the laundry basket

Then we all burst out laughing when 15 minutes later he came downstairs and was wearing EVERY piece of clothing in the pile. That included:

-1 tank top,
-9 T-shirts,
-2 long-sleeve shirts,
-his pyjama top
-his rain jacket
-underwear
-a bathing suit
-2 pairs shorts
-pyjama bottoms
-jeans

Never a dull moment!

A gracious good evening to all, I detect Friday just around the corner. Its looking like an outdoor weekend will be on the agenda for me, as pleasant weather is predicted. The weekend of the 21st Im going to skedaddle down to the SF garden show- (in San Mateo this its allegedly final year ) where the lily bulb selection knows no bounds. I would prefer to attend on a weekday but that just isnt in the cards at this point,and perhaps the economy will keep the crowds down. Did I read somewhere that Denise is coming up for this ?

Mary , your news is so upsetting to me-economy aside it is clearly back-asswards when one has to choose between just a job and a job you love because of health care, particularly when one is actually making a difference in peoples lives. I hope you are able to resolve this somehow. (((Mary)))

Saucy, it has certainly crossed my mind (after about 5 minutes with the users manual) that a photo class would be very helpful. We have them at our community college . I note that your comment on friends pig was followed closely by news of a ham omelet.

V , what an adventurous few days youve had , making soap, Indian food and rescuing a runaway dog .Arent you going to New Mexico pretty soon? Or did I dream that ?

Time for dinner prep-catch yall later.

Kathy in Napa

Good evening all...I haven't been in a posting mood today. The cold dreary weather got to me. We ended up only getting a dusting of snow, and it melted as it fell, but the high was only 35, briefly. After 83 last friday it is a shock to my aging system! There was a pretty good breeze all day too, and the house was not warming to my comfort zone. Tomorrow is to be a better day.

Mary, I am so angry at what is happening to you. As if you did not have more than your share already! I wish I were rich, I would bail you out. Unless SS and Medicare are cut, we will continue to do okay. Our home and vehicle are payed for, and we have no outstanding debts. We certainly do not live as high on the hog as the majority of people, but have more than we need.

Julie, I can certainly identify with your anger at your DS. I have been there, done that, and yet I love him dearly. I do not think I could live with him any length of time. We do not see things the same at all.

The weather prompted me to cook up another pot of beans and ham hocks.( Did I already tell you that? ) Then today, I got to looking in my cupboard and found that I had boxes of cake mix and fruit bars that were past their expiration date. So I killed two birds with one stone...I cooked all three, and the heat from the oven helped heat up the cold kitchen. :-)

Interesting dog stories, Denise and V. I was espacially entrigued by V's rescue. A big dog jumping in my car window would have been rather disturbing to me! Glad it turned out okay.

Marie, I am thinking that was a strange way Skyler had of "putting his clothes away" !!! What happened after you all quit laughing?

Marian

Kathy, the New Mexico trip is in eight days. I can't wait!

DD called this evening, quite upset that her car wouldn't start. It sounds like it could be the starter. Since she was supposed to drive home tomorrow and she's still feeling lousy, she was quite undone when she called. But now she has managed to make other arrangements to get home, she'll get the car towed in the morning, and she's a bit more positive. (And her mom's a little more settled now.)

Marian, I should have mentioned that the dog looked like it had some labrador retriever in its background and it was easy to see right off the bat that it was very good-natured. I would have been right out of my door had it been a threatening-looking dog. And I've also learned that I should not roll the window all the way down. This is the fourth runaway dog that I have "captured" and returned to the owner, but before I get close to the dog I always make sure it's a friendly dog.

V.

Marian, I can certainly relate to how you felt after an 80+ degree day followed by a 35 degree day. I felt that way last Sunday when it was beautiful and it snowed on Monday. Good thinkin' to warm the kitchen up with some cooking. I've actually been thinking I should surprise the helpmeet with some sort of confection when he gets home this evening. I meant to comment on that jughead octo-mom, too. I am frankly appalled by it all. She is clearly little more than a spoiled child herself and the notion that she's brought 8 more kids she clearly cannot afford into the world for the rest of us to pay for is beyond the pale. One would think that the monies she will derive from public appearances should be put into a trust overseen by others so that the hospital bills and the attendant costs the children will accrue over the course of their minority will be met and the taxpayer spared. She has demonstrated no ability whatsoever to make anything close to a calculated and intelligent decision. And the good doctor who clearly flouted all professional protocol surrounding the implantation of 8 embryos should be investigated fully and roundly punished for such gross incompetence. I put more thought into adopting someone else's cast off pet than she put into bringing 8 more mouths into the world, for Pete's sake. I was awakened by animal noises last night and happened to snap on the TV in time to catch a brutally funny parody of that foolish woman with the rest of her clutch running around the house doing all sorts of dangerous and inappropriate things in the background. I couldn't find it this morning, but it cracked me up. I think it was on the Jimmy Kimmel program, perhaps it will be available later today.

Nothing of great interest on the docket today, just some quality time in the Lab. with some sewing and maybe I'll move some lighter pieces of furniture back into the Salon later today. I could also do some cleaning... the boiler room (my dryer), perhaps?

The super-sized TV in the living room has definitely crapped out on us and since it weighs the best part of 300 lbs. I'm not quite sure how to get rid of it. But it needs to go away SOON. I've loathed it since it arrived from BIL's home (without my knowledge, lol) and I like it even less now that it serves less function than it did before. The devastated helpmeet has done nothing whatsoever in that regard... hehehe.

Eden will be gratified to know that there has been considerable "night shift" activity in the yard, a sure sign of spring's imminent arrival. Foxy Loxy has been quite vocal and last night it was likely racoons making the ruckus that awakened me (and set Rex and the cats fleeing for window vantage points). Even with yesterday's cold the sun's rays are banishing the snow daily. The cats are thrilled to be outdoors more now and have been doing a lot of excavating the thawed soil next to the house...

Very exciting news about cameras and renewed interest in photography. Maybe I'll catch the bug some day, too. I should probably add a tripod for my camera; seems to me it's useful when taking pictures in lower light?

Mary, I don't know what to say to you about the impending loss of "health" insurance. It's probably time to have a very frank pow-wow with the good doctors on David's case and then do all the in-depth research V. suggested with respect to Cobra coverage. I agree with Denise, it's time the lightening bolts were directed elsewhere... maybe toward someone more deserving, like Bernie Madoff, maybe? (he has few worries now, guaranteed 3 hots and cot for the rest of his natural life).

On that cheery not I'm off to do some meaningful work now. :)

Good morning

Thanks for your support everyone regarding the health care. I am setting up all sorts of meetings including with the head of HR for our organization. At the announcement she said she would keep us up to date with details of Cobra. Apparently some of the stimulus money in NY state will be directed to pay 65% of Cobra for people who have lost health care, for which we would be eligible. But as V says, we need to be very, very careful. I still totally bummed that for all I've put into my job amf the responsibilites it holds, I'll be reduced to an hourly timesheet employee. Plus I'm loosing 40 sick days I'd accrued which I always felt was there as a little cushion. #$@#$%&

My solace throughout this week has been seed starting. With all the questions about moving last year I didn't plant anything indoors and I can't tell you how much I missed it, both during the spring and throughout the growing season. For me, things I have nurtured from seed provide the backbone of the garden and keep me connected to it as a whole. Something grown from seed gives me more pleasure than even the rarest specimen grown by another.

On a frugal note, I have done what I always promised I would try - restrained from over ordering new seeds and delved into my box of treasures instead. A little procastrination has also helped as I never got orders in as planned, and now it is a little late. I am eyeing some unusual salvia seed on ebay though. I went through every seed packet I own, discarding those that are no longer of interest or likely to germinate and am growing a combination of old favorites and new things. So far under lights I have:
lettuce mix
arugula
mini red peppers
Ichiban eggplant
Pansies (electric blue carma or something)
Black Magic geraniums
Blood red wallflowers
Linum perenne
Bishops Children Dahlias
Salvia Azurea

I'm about to plant tons of sweet peas I picked up at HD and will start more annuals and tomatoes in a week or so, and a big slew of Zinnias and sunflowers in May. I can think of no better therapy:0)

V - your Indian cooking sounds fabulous, I bet Woody would have enjoyed it too:0) We had a similar experience with a dog rescue one day on a very busy street. The dog was wandering on the road, causing havoc with the traffic. I opened a window, assessed by his wagging tail and demeanor he was extremely friendly and let him in through the door. The children were younger then and delighted to have a squirming companion trying to lick them. Fortunately he was wearing his nametag and we drove him home. Nobody was in so we let him though the fence door to his back yardm where hopefully he stayed safe.

Denise - Ein is adorable. He looks so much sweeter than the ill tempered Corgis our monarch keeps LOL!

Waving to everyone else. I've become terrible about commenting to others - bear with me, its not lack of interest, just time.

Mary

Kathy, yes, after I finish this transcript that is ruining my life we're heading "Norte," stopping at Lotusland in Santa Barbara then to San Mateo/San Fran for the garden show. Did you know The Sir Francis Drake keeps a Friday night bloody mary bar? ;) I want to get out to the salvage yard & Flora Grubbs too...we'll see. Will you go Sat or Sun?

My seeds have yet to arrive, just a few packets, but I need only a few seeds from each. After I get some seedlings started, It'd be fun to throw the rest into a communal idyll seed pool.

I just sowed some spinach seeds from a couple yrs past expiration which germinated, and I've read the bigger the seeds, the longer they keep, so theoretically something like a bean seed will stay fresh longer. Does T&M still do those little green germination info booklets from years gone by? What a goldmine of info.

V, so glad DD is sorted out. I wonder if Hank Paulson is completely indifferent to his wife's enthusiasm for prairie restoration? And leaping canines! what an adventure you had!

Nice to hear you're baking up a storm, Marian. Sounds like a plan for the weekend...

Last night's moon was glorious between branches by the barn....It was bitter cold though.

Today is sunny and cold, the ice having reformed on the pond and creek both.

I spent the morning getting flowers for a funeral (yellow tulips, mini white asters and blue iris) for a friend of mine who is unable to leave her home these days. I did other errands, returned home, then remembered about the book I need to return TODAY at the library. Hrumph!

I am sowing no seeds until I return from my trip west. This weekend DH and & need to sort out travel ($$$$)plans as trips have mounted up! There's a memorial service in OK for his nephew, a 50th class reunion later on, Idyllunion in Maine, a wedding in August in NH, and of course BABY! We never did make it to DS's place in Boston for the past few years and that is totally wrong. Fortunately he has visited here. We really cannot afford all of those trips and the carbon footprint distresses us too.

I haven't had lunch yet, so off I go.
'bug

Drat. Ryan's bday celebration was supposed to be tomorrow. It wasn't until after I had baked the mexican spoon bread casserole and the cake that I noticed how quiet he was...100.8 fever will do that to you : ( I even had the base of my guacomole marrying it's flavors so tomorrow I'd just add teh [that one's for you,Mary] avocado chunks. I even have some chicken marinating in lime, garlic & honey with some fresh cilantro for some nice quesadillas. We'll just have to party next Sat. instead and I'm freezing the prepped items. I'll cook and freeze the chicken too-might as well.
The irony is that on Wed he had a well kid check up and he was fine--then.

One cool thing is that Chris had a day today so he's taking AJ to track so I can tend Ryan.

Poor David about never wanting to ski again-but each time he reaches and passes a milestone things might change. I'm sure everything is so fresh in his mind too. He's got a lot of healing to do both physically and mentally I'd bet. I agree about the swimming as a great start for P.T.

So Mary is your employer the school system or a private contract? That's such devastating news about your coverage.

Hi Cindy! Very strange-the same day you saw the croaked turkey I saw a dead deer just 200 ft. down the road from my home-first time that's happened here, tho I've been expecting it since our one neighbor feeds them. It's been an accident waiting to happen-I wonder how the car is that did it. I guess we have good road crews here because two hours later when I drove by it was gone.

Hi Martie!
And Wendy! Is your DD excited about starting high school?

Must go check patient~I have to say, Ry's one of those kids that's just as pleasant sick as he is when well.Can't believe he's 8yrs old in just two days.

I just realized not only do we have all this fun party food but there's margarita mix as well ; ) Get out your sombreros ole'

~Babsarita

Happy Friday everyone ! The sun is out and spring continues to unfold. Looks like indoor housework might be on the back burner this weekend. More seeds to plant too ! And weed abatement continues.

Denise, 98 percent I will go Sat the 22nd, Ill e-mail you my cell in the event we are in the building on the same day. Stopping in Santa Barbra on the way up at least gives you an excuse to do 101 instead of 5 . Even though it takes longer Ive done 101 the last few times Ive ventured down that did not involve an airplane.

Chelone, if you go out and buy a new boob tube, most of those places will haul the old one out for you. Our garbage service has e-waste recycling; you can haul the stuff down yourself , or they will pick it up for a fee. There must be something like that in your area?

Mary, what a nice list of seed starts you have.. Isnt is nice to have something like that to turn to in times of stress ? I am very partial to the Bishops Children series of Dahlias, I might try some of those from seed myself. WALATing this evening I noted that my volunteer Nasturtiums are up , and Cosmos too.

Hi Babs..sorry the Fiesta got postponed, but you did make me decide on Mexican food this weekend. Fajitas I think.

Thats all I have for this evening , but a wave to all , and hoping to see Martie, PM , Norma and Brenda check in this weekendand where did Honey go ?

Kathy in Napa

Rotten news that Ryan is going to be sick on party day, Babs.. I have to say, the chow sounds wonderful and I sure hope you'll post a picture of the cake, too. Roadkill in the area seems to consist largely of squirrels, nothing as exciting as a deer for which I'm grateful. I'll bet the crew was all over it as something that large puts out a powerful stink with time (ask me how I know). On a brighter note, what's the hot birthday gift for an 8 yr. old these days?

I've chuckled over dog rescue stories, too. My own was a few weeks ago when I rounded a corner on the road and saw a Great Dane loping down the yellow line. I stopped, called him over to me and quickly looked for tags (none). Another woman stopped and pointed to a house indicating that's where he lived. His name is Luther and we walked to the house together where his Mummy was relieved to see him. I pleasantly pointed out that he really needed to be registered in case he wandered farther than the immediate neighborhood (he is an intact male), but she didn't seem terribly concerned about that. Beautiful dog and very friendly, it would take a really big window to accomodate him, V.!

I've been thinking about the loss of 40 days of accrued sick time, Mary. Will they cut you any sort of deal on them, perhaps allowing you some compensation albeit at a "cut rate"? I'm also certain it must really hurt to see a program that you've poured your heart and soul into evaporate, but budget constraints are harsh taskmasters and if the tax base is hurting, so too will certain programs however deserving they may be. I suspect it's going to get worse before it begins to get better, too. It must be very discouraging for you as well as all the others it touches. I can assire you, though, that being "an hourly timesheet employee" does have a certain honest dignity to it and beats the hell out of being an unemployed salaried one. Hang in there, Vulcan must be running out of lightening bolts or at the least losing interest in your household. ;)

Everyone's efforts with respect to seed starting really reminds me that spring will be here before I know it. Mary has shown remarkable restraint in the seed department. The helpmeet has been poring over the vegetable seed selection lately and the familiar brown package should be on the front stoop in no time. Yikes! I have too much left to do indoors. I can't wait to see the results of the Idyll Zinnia Effort, no doubt coupled with new cameras we'll be dazzled for months.

I wondered if Honey was beamed up by aliens, too.

Not to fear, 'bug, our lack of enthusiasm over stir-fried vegetables is only because it's a regular in the menu rotation and has been for over 25 yrs. now. Ditto Pasta Prima Vera and a series of other items. We had a lovely brown rice and bean "slop" last night and a plank of salmon which was delicious and a nice treat. I've been thinking about the Indian cuisine since V. described the menu but not enough to entice me into the galley, thank you.

We are in a bit of a stalemate over the issue of a television. The helpmeet and BIL hauled the big Sony into my home without my knowledge, let alone my consent. I was not happy about it because we had one that worked just fine and the Sony is truly a behemoth. Its arrival essentially dashed my faint hope and drowned out my repeated pleas that the that the TV could be housed in some sort of cabinet when not in use. Now, the Sony has given up the ghost and has been effectively lying in state in my living room for the past 5 days. No action with respect to its removal has been undertaken despite my repeated requests. It can be taken to the transfer station on the first Saturday of the month (April). We have not one, but two perfectly serviceable televisions that can fill the void, but naturally the helpmeet has designs on a new flat screen and has used the "free" disposal as a carrot. I can't say I blame him, BUT its low on my list of priorities since we already OWN 2 ready replacements and he did slightly more than nothing about dealing with the conversion and antennae issues. Frankly, I would rather have a front loading washing machine (the present toploader is pushing 20 yrs. old), or a new gas stove and effective grease abatement system for the galley. My stance on this topic was not well received over dinner. :)

I made multiple trips up and down the stairs to the Salon yesterday, carrying various pieces of furniture and gently placing them on the floor. The cats had a grand time following me up the stairs and then exiting the Salon via the window and their system of switchback ramps. Rex surveyed all from his bed by the south windows.

Today I plan to spend some quality time vacuuming and applying little soft pads to the feet of some of the pieces that will likely remain there (Cynthia's love seat is one). I have to get on the stick and locate a source for study metal legs on nice casters to support 4x8' sheets of melamine covered plywood, to construct a series of moveable work tables. Again, I am faced with the frustration of googling. I clearly do not know how to refine searches adequately to focus in on what I want (a steady driving rain might make the learning curve more enticing).

It's time to fold some laundry and contemplate the day's activities. Later!

Yesterday was my first opportunity for WALATing. There are signs of emerging bulbs in a few areas, those not still covered in snow. This morning mallards are swimming in the pond.

So much to DO around here these days! Both indoors and out. Today I hope to get exercised, clean cat boxes, get to the recycling centre, prune some more clematis, do more recipe organizing, walk the dog and insist on some manners, cook, stitch together the almost completed baby sweater, and on and on. Tonight I'm to attend a ladies only birthday event. I should also begin packing a travel bag...

And so I'm off, but thinking of others and their busy lives as well. (Not to mention the odd lurkers and posters on antiquated Idyll threads.)
'bug

Babs, Jake had a cold on his birthday for many years in a row...it's a joke in our house now, "you feeling sick? It's almost your birthday!" Hope Ryan feels better and I'll bet everything will fall right into place just as the universe wills it!

I want to go to Lotusland and spent quite a bit of time poking around the virtual gardens on the website. Please bring us along through the camera!

And how great if our west coasters met up and thumbed their noses as something (pick whatever you like, ladies!)...

Mary, I don't know what to say. I hope some good news comes your way, soon.

Today we're burning the brush and limbs leftover from my clean up last Fall. The kids invited friends to help (it's always fun to poke around the fire) and I imagine we'll all be tired come night time.

Well, I'd better go...everyone's asking things of me and they won't be put off any longer....

Saucy

The resurrected thread from April 2006 is an interesting read, but pretty annoying that it was brought up in order to tack an advertisement on the bottom! Isn't that against the rules?

Now...back to our regularly scheduled program. :-)

Chelone, your take on the octo-mom is almost indentical with mine. I will add...her botoxed lips almost make me nauseous. :-(
Oh my, I would be so afraid to introduce furniture to that gorgeous floor! I would think you will be sick when there is scratches or stains found on it.
I can certainly feel for your putting up with the dead TV, but 4 days is not so bad. I have had a dead one in our livingroom for several months! It is not nearly as large as yours, but it is heavier that we can work with. At least it is not all that visible, but it hinders my getting to the corner bookcase, and my dad's writing desk. I managed to 'walk' it into that corner when it died.( Struck by lightening)

Marie, how fortunate that you have been able to enjoy the moon. It has been overcast here most every night since it has been at it's fullest.
It is good that you have so much to plan for. I am focusing on just surviving from day to day. :-(

Babs, so sorry that Ryan has become down with a virus right when he is to celebrate his birthday. I hope all that you had prepared can be successfully frozen.

Re: road kill....deer are a common sight along the highway here, as are raccoons, oppossums, squirrels, skunks, and in warmer weather....snakes and box turtles. I espacially hate seeing the turtles being killed. The scavengers get plenty to feed on. ( I hate to mention all the dogs and cats that are victims also.)

Back to the April 06 thread...Some of what I read got me to wondering about the outcome....One was T's fight with the woodpeckers. I miss the very interesting way she had of telling about the activities on her place.

I reread Honey's account of the '66 tornado that destroyed her DH's folk's home. What a terrible experience for all that survived! Such amazing things that happen in tornados!

I am wondering if I am the only one who lost the start of Ei's Molly Peony? I lost the lupine, and (I think) the for-get-me-nots also. Bummer. Thank goodness the orchids are doing well.

I loved seeing posts from Taryn, and wish she was still with us.

I guess, from Deanne's post about addresses, that 06 was the year she srnt the coleus to me. I still have most of them, caried over.

It was good to read reports from Marie about EP. She was a very special lady.

Mary was suffering from a sacroiliac pain...now it is David who is suffering from (sort of) the same location on his body!

It was the year for the first blooms on my Coral Dafs, from Tim's lady friend. They are growing and spreading nicely, but a ways from blooming this year, but then, it is only the middle of March!

V 'fired' her dematologist for having a bad attitude, I have, since then, 'dropped' the Derm. who treated both of us for several years. He was vey slack with his treatment of a pre-cancerous spot on my nose.

Taryn was bitten, again, by a Brown Recluse Spider! Just about 3 weeks ago a young man in our congregation had the same experience. His bite was on his right thumb. It was treated right away, but was very painful and swollen for a couple of weeks.

Babs had damage to her plantings by tree people. I am wondering if all recovered?

Bella was learning to feed herself. :-)

It is fun to go back and compare the time span from when we first 'met' the children on here, and how they have progressed over the years.

My post of all the 'woodsy' plants that were in bloom at that time gives me added hope....:-)

Lots more of interest, but I suspect that is enough for now. :-)

It is another dark dreary day here. I sure do feel better when the sun shines! I won't complain if we do get a good rain. It is needed, but not desperately.

I hope all are having a pleasant weekend.

Marian

DH is off to another BB game this morning. I'm chose to sleep in and get a little rest to aid in recovery of the latest cold. I need to de-chunk the house as well. We are meeting up with his brother who will be in our area today and we will probably end up here. I have plans for an apple cake as well. I still have frozen apples from our tree last fall.

Today promises to be lovely with a predicted high of 52 and sunshine. I think I need to walat.

I should really walk today since I wasn't able to swim all week. Crazy, huh? Monday and Tuesday we had bad weather so going straight home was imperative. Wednesday and Friday we had somewhere to go in the early evening and Thursday I felt miserable with this cold. Then another week is done.

I'm looking up all the gardening shows on Create and will try to plan my treadmill time around something interesting.

Mary, thats just rotten! I can see discontinuing to offer a benefit like the insurance, but I think if you have earned those sick days they shouldnt be able to take them away.

Chelone, it sounds like everyone is settling at the salon. I like the idea of movable work tables.

I too have a dog story. I had noticed a sign in the post office of the town I work in that someone had found a siberian husky, then I saw a lost ad in the paper of the town near where I live. I was sure it would be the same dog and thought Id hook the two up, but when I went to the post office the found sign was gone. I hope they found the owner. I was so bummed.

Babs, thats a real bummer about the birthday party. How disappointing when you are just turning 8.

Kenzie is going to a Hannah Montana birthday party today and DD said she was so excited. Its at a dance studio and they do their hair and makeup and learn a dance routine. Since she is in "princess mode" these days Im sure she will just eat this up.

Im wondering if Eden received her Queen Red Lime zinnia seeds. I read occassionally over on the cutting garden forum and it sounds like they are hard to get. The hot new item. They were gone by the time I got around to ordering. I did order some Cherry and Ivory Swizzle from Pinetree that look quite pretty.

bug, I enjoyed Skylars take on picking up his clothes. It reminded me of a little 5 year old granddaughter of a friend who put on all the underwear that she owned over her clothes. I dont remember the number of pair, but they were on so tight that the mom had a hard time getting them off.

Denise, I meant to mention how much I enjoyed your agave/lavendar picture. Shots from your garden are always such a treat. The picture of Ein should be framed. Does anyone do that, frame shots of their pets?

Id best get moving have a wonderful Saturday.

Michelle

Hi Everyone- I haven't had a chance to read the idylls for awhile, but i stopped in this morning for a quick look, and wanted to say hi!

Chelone, your floor is amazing! I am so impressed with your ability to even lay it out, let alone paint it. I am still trying to get my kitchen painted. I put the first coat on the cabinets Tuesday. Skip is going to Philly this week, so I have hopes of getting something accomplished while he is gone.

Mary, so sorry to hear of your health care news. I hope something turns out for you. I am able to get healthcare for myself for $200 per month. It has a high deductible, something like 3,000. But office calls are 50, and it is nice to have in case of catastrophic illness. When I lost my job that was my biggest worry. When Mikey was hit by a car, he was afraid to walk across the street for the longest time. We just sort of slowly worked through it, and didn't make a big deal out of it. He didn't get his license until he was past 18. He was afraid to drive. He is 23 now, driving and no long term affects in any way. You guys are such good parents, David is a lucky guy!

Deanne, I loved the pictures from your garden show. Philly had a much more creative set up than the one here. Ours was sort of boring.

Bug, you have lots of things to look forward to this year. Does your daughter know if she is having a boy or girl?

Denisez, I loved your picture of the Freesia and Agave. Scrolling down the page looking at the pics, I told Skip, that has to be one of the CA gals pics. Sure enough:) Hard to believe some parts of the world are not frozen tundra. I long for warmth. When I see a little patch of sun in a window, I stand in it and pretend I am somewhere tropical.

I bought a Furminator for my dog Maggie. She is a Golden Retriever. It came today and I quickly took a couple of swipes on her. Amazing how much fur it took off. I am beginning to wonder if it is going to make her bald:) Definitely something I will have to do outside. Do any of you have one of these? I also started taking a pottery class last week. I made a cup, a dip bowl with a larger bowl to go underneath for ice. Also some cool slabs which I guess we turn into things later. I took some classes years ago and it was very theraputic. I love playing in the clay. There is new organic restaurant in a neighboring town that I visited last week. While speaking to the proprietor, I mentioned the organic soap we have been making and she said she was very interested to see it, also said that she wants to sell soap in the store. I was excited about that and am going to take her some samples this weekend. That is about it for me. Skip is calling me to help him with a project so I have to run. Hi to everyone I didn't mention, and I hope you all have a great weekend!
Drema

Happy Weekend! JJobs are complete so now get to spend some time here. Growing Freesia outside in March is so foreign to me that I've printed the picture and am hanging it on my window right next to the Lady Banks rose. One can always dream :-)

(((Mary))) Is there any way that you could get insurance through DH's company? Only helpful hint I can give is document everything that is currently being treated in your family and Be Sure that whatever type of insurance you get doesn't disallow preexisting conditions. ie., if someone in your family has asthma and they received medication through your old insurance, the new insurance company doesn't necessarily have to cover that medication since it is for a pre-existing condition -- before the new insurance kicked in.

And Mary -- I still have some of the seeds you sent last year and just this morning went through them for viability. Thanks, again, for the gift that will keep giving for years!

Poor Ryan! Maybe he can take solace in celebrating his birthday twice? Once on the day and once next week?

V: Your life sounds a tad too interesting lately. Will you be able to see the Seeds of Change facility while in New Mexico? With no idea of how far away it is from Albuquerque, it might be a "take the car for a long drive in the desert" trip but it's one commercial grower I'd really like to see up close and personally.

Marie: I can't begin to imagine the emotions DD and DSiL are having right now. Feels to me like guilt no matter what will come into play -- guilt for being happy there's a new baby without feeling like they're dishonoring Reed. Guilt about remembering Reed when looking at the new baby and surely seeing familiar mannerisms and not wanting to compare..... I'm hopeful that they're still reaching out for help. Sure sounds like they have a lot of friends right there with them and that can only be good.

LOL about Skyler. Betcha DD made him do the laundry again?

Well, Teacher Saucy!! Those 15 folks are so lucky to be able to tap into your talent. Perhaps you could do the leaf casting in your back yard and at the same time get help with the Garden of the Goddesses?

Chelone: Your dog beating stories surely helped me from toppling over when my friend's 120 lb golden retriever decided that jumping on me in delight would work. DOWN!!!!! said me in my most authoritive voice. DOWN when the dog all the way to lying. Humans are in Command!! Yes, my friend, you saved me. LOL

I've now so many packs of zinnia seeds that the entire cul-de-sac may join the cross-continental Zinnia planting party this year. How did I ever miss those lovelies before?

Signs of Spring at the Park with daffs just poking up and most herbaceous perennials crowning (except for the Hostas that just take forever and I always think I lost them). Will wait a few more weeks to bring out della robia and terra cotta containers, but they are ready to roll.

Speaking of March weather, I was told emphatically today by the Iranian refugee who works at the local convenience store (know there's all kinds of preconceptions in that statement but it's the truth ;-) that it was Sheep Time. Huh? A few weeks back during a snowstorm I stopped in and told him that as a fellow New Englander, he needed to understand that March comes In Like a Lion and Out Like a Lamb. You can take the thought process from there. LOL

Brother news so skip if this is uncomfortable at all..... A State Legislator actually kept is word and visited my DB's hospital on Thursday. He had been there for about an hour and a half when I saw him. To say he was shell-shocked and puzzled would be an understatement, but he made it through the swarm to meet my brother and talked with him for about 15 minutes. I give the Rep every credit in the world for not making a cursory appearance and calling his promise kept. He wanted to know everything about everything, and by the time he left truly understood that $$ saved up front will be spend many times over if folks from the Hospital were displaced into the community. Now we just need to convince the other 100's of people involved in making the decision. He said he would do his "level best" to bring a better understanding and would be glad to advocate for money to be returned to the proposed budget.

So if nothing comes from any of this and the Hospital does close, at least there's one truly good guy in State government and that's more than I could say a month ago. And the beat goes on....

WALATing is definitely on the agenda today, along with a pie (Michelle and I have the same thought -- get rid of the cold weather reminders and clean out the freezer!!!) and then will attempt to get the seed starting area into a semblance of order. Cleaning the grow lights will take a loooooong time since last Spring I convinced myself that this year they could be replaced. Alas, not, but gentle beyond gentle cleaning should bring them up to par.

Wishing everyone well!!

Martie

I misread your posting Martie! "I convinced myself that this year they could be replaced". I read it as "I convinced myself that this year could be replaced" and was totally agreeing.

But the sun is still shining, the cat boxes are cleaned, the dishes and laundry are running through their cycles, a phone call was made, half the treadmill bit is accomplished...Now lunch and then some more stuff to do!

Good to see you Drema, Michelle and Martie!
'bug

A quick howdy before I venture out doors, grocery shopping and TJ's run is done , and in a burst of Zinna solidarity I will sow the Green Envy seeds later this morning.

Martie, Lady Banks has started to bloom, and I have spotted a bud on Reinne des Violettes as well.

Hi to Drema , and greetings to all-time to put on the garden hat and head out

Kathy in Napa

When getting my firewood I heard and saw one of my favorite birds searching for food on the otherside of the woodshed. I was able to get several pics of him. Here is one of the best ( the best my camera can do).

{{gwi:152454}}

It is a male Towhee.

And here is a patch of some of my favorite Dafs back of the house:

{{gwi:152455}}

I just walked in the rain up to our mailbox to mail a card and gift check to our middle GD, Brianna. She will be 14 Monday. Now she can legally drive, with a licensed driver with her. Ever since they were big enough to see over the dash, while setting on his lap, Tim has let each of them drive on the dirt county road coming to our house. Naturally that is not advisable...but what can a mother say???

Well Marian, lovely Towhee. I saw one here the first year or two we lived here, but none since.

As to the girls driving with Dad up your dirt road...well I'm all for it! DH would practice with the kids in parking lots at parks sometimes. I'd rather that than learning from classmates or boyfriends. DH learned when he was 13 in OK, but that was on their own property. 14 does seem very young though to me. Of course even 20 year olds look 13 to me!

Your daffodils are so pretty! :)

DH and I managed to fill two large garbage bags with give-away clothes from the back closet. We also found the floor after getting rid of old boots and things. I scrubbed it a bit too.

Phoebe was out with DH on her gentle leader while I returned my library book. She was given a HUGE doggie treat at the recycling centre too.

Hope you don't mind me popping in so often. I need a break after each accomplishment today it seems. Wish I could be outside, but more duties are calling my name.
'bug

Good afternoon ... :-)

I wonder how much I can type and keep it under 10 minutes? [g]
Well...I am still in the process of tests and doctor appointments. Trying to get back into shape for gardening season has brought to light the latest problem.....cardiac in nature and kept me overnight at the hospital for a workup. There is now discussion of having a stress test done. *Le grand soupir exaspéré*. On a brighter note, two of our children's birthdays are coming up. We are expecting middle son to be home for a few days with Noodles. Such a treat!

Lots of discussion that I would love to participate in. Very interested in your diet choices since your trip to the naturopath, Gardenbug. I saw you post you are having small small portions and wondering how small and what you are eating these days? I thought it might be fun to start a thread of photos of everyone's breakfasts or lunches for a week. I also wondered how old your son is that lives in Boston, gardenbug? If I were feeling well, I would offer to visit him for you. [g] Our DD is now living in Boston.

Marian that was a nice summary of what the old thread was all about, since I haven't been able to read it. :-) Beau-ti-full daffs!

Mary, I agree that they should not be able to take away accrued days from you that you have already earned. If they are making changes, they should apply to future days only.

No seeds started here, boo-hoo. But I did have someone out to give me an estimate on some pruning and attempts to get the lawn mower blade sharpened are being made.

Wishing to see more pics of West Coast Spring. :-) Especially with that new camera, Kathy. Here is the wallpaper on my desktop these days.....waiting for my own spring photos soon I hope.

{{gwi:152457}}

Hellos all around!! :-) pm2

I like the activity, 'bug. I always think it's fun to read the little, mundane things people are up to at their homes. I'll bet getting rid of unused clothing and footwear makes you feel 10 lbs. lighter. I can tell you without hesitation that the JulieJob really saved my bacon over the winter, here's hopin' the curative effect works on you, too. Speaking of Julie, where is she?

I've cleaned up after making banana bread and have the butter and eggs coming to room temperature for the creation of a yellow cake later on. I plan to put raspberry preserves between the layers and probably simply dust the top with sifted confectionary sugar (what Mum always called at "Washington Pie"), though I may cave and make just enough buttercream frosting to give it a "hat". I have just finished the chocolate tapioca and it's time to get the B-bread outta the furnace. I have an ulterior motive for this baking crap, you know. If I want to justify a new stove and the longed for grease abatement system I'd best show my mettle in that loathesome little corner of the house. :) Besides there will be hungry little mouths to feed on a certain weekend in July...

There actually was a time in my life when I was a rather good baker. I suppose it appealed to my methodical and precise nature but was quickly abandonned when I began keeping time with accomplished male cooks. Here, I've found the standard tasks of sifting, measuring and sifting again are tedious because there are not adequate mixing bowls. And the Hamilton Beach Skovill "Mixette" is sounding pretty tired as it moans through the "creaming" step. Beating egg whites until "stiff" is an exercise in frustration so my plan is to flesh out the stable of necessary equipment and gradually ease into back into it. If any of you can offer some practical suggestions I'd be interested in them.

Drema, you will get that kitchen painted one of these days. If you lived down the street I'd come over and give you a hand. I really get a kick out of painting (obviously). How long ago was Mikey hit by the car? what were the extent of his injuries (if you don't mind my asking; if you do tell me to MMOB, mind my own business)? My close encounter with an automobile resulted in some truly spectacular bruises and a broken tailbone. OW! I'm envious of the ceramics class, sounds like a lot of fun and I've always thought about it but never done it.

I hope the cold is on the run, Michelle. My boss likes to use the eliptical machine (?) at the gym and she watches some television as a way to get in a good workout. I like the idea of gardening shows while you pedal. I was thinking about you and the mosaics the other day. I keep eyeing the space on the chimney over the stove and wondering what I could fashion to decorate it a bit. I've toyed with a mirror cut in an interesting shape (if they can do that) and then fooling around with etching cream or something along those lines. Rolling work tables have been on my mind for some time now. I'm shooting for a series of them that can reconfigured in a variety of ways to meet different needs from cutting to supporting the work around the machine to be used for a the task at hand. Good, sturdy metal legs with good wheels are going to be key and probably rather expensive. Lesigh. Chuckled too about Kenzie is full princess mode... I always smile when I see a little kid mincing around with a crown on her head. Too funny.

OK, I think the pall bearers have arrived for the Sony. I can't believe it! The visiting hours are over and now it's time "wake" the thing with appropriate zeal.

Lovely daffodils, Marian. And I had to really look for the Towhee in your picture. What a sensational looking bird, he's beautiful.

I have to get some baking powder and some waxed paper, so I'm outta here. I'll leave the menfolk to their task with the TV. Hi Martie!

RIP Mr Sony, your're going to a better place.

Have you ever noticed that when shovel edgeing the beds for the first time in spring they mysteriously get bigger ???

Kathy in Napa

Chelone, the Towhee is rather camouflaged in my pic. Below is a very good link that you may be interested in. I wish Deanne had been here with her camera to get a professional pic of him.

Normally they arrive in the spring, but he has been here all winter. If there is a female also, I haven't seen her yet.

I am using the name "Towhee" as my posting name on the other forum that I post on. I have a pic of the male on my member page. He is a lot prettier than the female. ;-)

We dont have Towhees here in Napa Marian, at least Ive never seen one when my BILs lived at the coast they were in a forested area (this was about 3 hours drive NW of here) they had many of them. I always enjoyed seeing them , such pretty birds. Our daffodils here are just about done for- but the tulips are budding up now -I only have a few . 14 year old drivers ?? yikes.

I finally dug up the Moonbean Coreopsis, which I have not been happy with for several years, its just so floppy ! Its spread too, so it was taking up valuable real estate that could be put to much better use Zinnias perhaps ? I repaired one of my wood planter boxes today that usually sports a couple of Coleus and Ipomea , and moved some stuff around on the patio. Things are in readiness, but a bit of caution prevails as frost is still common in March , a month that is either cold and sunny or grey and damp.

I m not accustomed to reading of complex kitchen tasks performed by Chelone. I have no doubt that you are up to the challenge ! Are there perhaps implements packed away somewhere at THTTF ? My kitchen is very small and Ive had to be creative with storage solutions, and number one was getting rid of all the crapola I never use. I like to use stainless steel bowls ;they come in many sizes, theyre lightweight, they dont break and are easy to clean. Those that I have were very inexpensive, and have lasted for years .

bug youve had a very productive day ! The old clothes purge can be quite gratifying.

Good for Mr. Legislator Martie ! One always wants to hope there are at least a decent percentage of public servants that actually give a damn, and have not let power corrupt their judgment.

And Michelle, what is presently the décor on the columns flanking your front entry ?

As per PM and others request, a spring preview from today, practice shots with the new camera, taken in the safety of the point and shoot mode !

A flower bud peeks out of the new growth on Reine des Violettes

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Clematis 'Ramona' who was pruned to a fare-thee-well this winter and still lives to tell of it.

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Viburnum tinus 'Spring Bouquet'

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Autumn Joy

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The roses are all leafed out-I just love this stage even though flowerless, they are full of promise.This is Sun Flare with Just Joey in the background.

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Kathy in Napa

Well, I am stopping back in:)
Chelone-I don't mind talking about Mike's accident. Mikey was hit by a car while walking home from school when he was in 8th grade. I guess that would make it 9 or 10 years ago. He was out of school the rest of the year. It was the first day of nice weather and a high school senior girl was the driver. He was life flighted to a trauma center.There were a number of accidents that day and the doctor told me that it happens every spring. The Ortho surgeon was there all night working on other kids. Mike had a compound fracture of his lower leg that eventually had to have a number of surgeries over a period of time. It wasn't fused after a year and they finally had to put in a rod. Now he is fine, but he has a huge lump on his leg where the bone calcified. He had a smaller injury to his arm and elbow which required pins at the time and healed fine. I was always thankful that he didn't have spinal injuries. You are baking up a storm at your house. What kind of stove are you thinking of? What is a grease abatement system? I have been dreaming of granite counter tops and an open kitchen forever. But there is something to be said about my old grandma cabinets, too.

Marian your daffodils are beautiful! Towhee is not bad either:)

PM2 I love your desktop wallpaper. Do you know the name of the plant?

Hi Babs! Hope your little guy is feeling better. If you want to get together sometime, just let me know. I am out and about a lot. We could meet for lunch or wander through some garden centers when the weather warms up if you like.

Skip is watching Clash of the Titans and I am trying to stay awake. Previously he watched a science fiction channel movie about crocodiles. He has been working hard the past month, and I think the mindless TV is helping him recharge his battery. He had left over roast beef and mashed potatoes, I am going to make some popcorn, black bean and corn salsa along with blue corn tortilla chips that have sesame seeds. I love the sesame seeds. Nice dinner:)

Nite to all!
D.

Pm2, I sure hope the cardiac problems are easily fixed! I had a stress test a few years ago. Passed it in flying colors. Apparently my chest pain was, and still is, from the fibromyalgia, and from acid reflux.
There is a lot more of interest in that old thread than what I mentioned, but I understand your not being up to reading it all.

Marie, I sure would be happy if I could scare up enough ambition to weed out my clothes closets. I would have bags and bags of stuff, including shoes, to donate to a thrift shop.

Chelone, your raspberry filled cake is slightly like the fruit bars that I cooked,. They are raspberry filled. Nolon seems to prefer them over the cakes ( both unfrosted) . One is a Devil's Food, the other is Butter Pecan. I am enjoying the second one, with Butter Pecan Ice Cream on it.:-)
BTW, I agree that you need a new washing machine. Mine is over 15 years old, and needs replaced, mostly because the agitator no longer agitates. :-(
LOL...."pall bearers for the Sony". My old and new TVs are both Sonys.

WOW! Kathy. Your pics are great! And a Viburnun yet...they are my favorite shrubs, and I have several differant species/varieties. My Autumn Joy seems to be fizzling out. Maybe last year was too wet??

Marie, it isn't just our driveway Tim lets the girls drive on. It is the entire 2 miles of county road before getting to our driveway, and it is not a straight road. I have seen very bad accidents of such county roads. The one setting on his lap is not strapped in either. Yes, 14 is very young, but not as bad as the practice of allowing 6 year olds to hunt! That is very common here. Every year there are page after page in the local newspaper of the children with their deer or turkey.
Okay, I will get off my soap box on that issue....

Marian

A quick good morning from me. Yesterday was quite the long day yet again, and I'm afraid that I "crashed and burned" at the end of the day. I left early in the morning to drive to Dixon, IL where I did two hour-long presentations. I did take the scenic route home and this year remembered the camera. I'll post a few photos from the side trip later. I got home to find all the kids home. I baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies (Chelone, I strongly recommend dropping the dollars on a Kitchen Aid mixer, it will be at your wake and not vice versa) and then helped DD2B assemble wedding invitations until dinner time. In between, I stressed about DD's continuing fever, DD2B's knee injury (she's on crutches and wearing a knee brace), my unwashed laundry (kids have taken over the washer and dryer) and the need to shop for various and sundry items to keep this household humming. Oy! It will all get done, but I'm not sure how or when.

Time to hit the shower, but I do have to post just one photo for Mary. When I pulled into the parking lot of the state park, this was the first thing I saw. It's a tree stump that has been carved, but I could not help laughing out loud at the sight.

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Enjoy your Sunday!

The galley (a nautical term for a kitchen, bathrooms are called "heads". BTW) in our home is very small. And I like it that way. I'm all for containment since I'm the one who does the lion's share of the cleaning. That's only fair since the helpmeet takes care of the marketting and the cooking. There is a Kenmore refrigerator that's pushing 15 yrs. old and the stove is an apartment sized gas model (24") by Premier that is 25 yrs. old. The "grease abatement system" is the range hood, Drema. And I used that term loosely, lol. It has one of those removeable filters (that never gets removed) a two speed fan and a defunct light, that piece of equipment is probably from the early '70s and was salvaged by my late FIL from one of his architectural rehabs.. The 2 bay stainless steel sink was a freebie from my father. There is no cabinetry, only open shelves that were one of the helpmeet's first woodworking projects. And that is the extent of our kitchen appliances and amenities, unless of course you count the "microwave", a Black Angus toaster oven/broiler that was acquired with S&H Greenstamps in the mid-60s. No kidding.

We moved into this house on an absolute shoestring budget. The walls were sheetrocked and we had doors on the one operable bathroom but that was the extent of it. We have done every bit of the finish work by ourselves, learning and paying as we went. The kitchen is the last vestige of that time and it is perfectly serviceable, no doubt about it. But it's time to give it some attention and I've been lobbying for it for a couple of years now. The range hood is ineffective and consequently coooking smells linger and the inevitable film of mung produced adheres to everything. This bothers me more than it does the helpmeet since it tends to fall to me to keep it under a modicum of control. The scope of projects tends to overwhelm him more than they do me, probably because my work involves looking at a project, organizing it, then breaking it down into manageable portions. And this is where his latent MCP rears its ugly head (male chauvinist pig); he balks, takes on a knowing, slightly condescending, paternalistic tone and generally makes a mountain out of what really is nothing more than a molehill. I do not have designs on very high end appliances, nor do I care that much about expensive cabinetry or countertops. My goal is to have an effective, smoothly functioning range hood and a new, full size gas stove. So, I'm making my move on his "territory" and have begun patiently putting together a plan one that can be implemented in stages. I had to "shut up and put up" for the years Mum was here and that part of my life is all finished now. The status quo is no longer working for me with respect to household amenities. I have decided it's time for action on this front and have spoken with my brother about enlisting his services for some of this and he seems receptive. We think similarly about projects and work well together. He will take the time to go over my plan, asking questions about things I may've overlooked, and will assign me work that is within my skill set and will make his part of it easier. We will have a lot of laughs in the process, I'll learn something new and something that has been a burr under my saddle for years now will be eliminated. Time to "quit wishin' and start doin'"!

The Sony has been borne to its bier in the bahn where it awaits the final journey to the transfer station in April. I went to the storage locker yesterday and returned with the Toshiba that has replaced it in the living room. There was some initial panic from the helpmeet about the necessity of a remote control for it, but I produced not only that, but the owner's manual, as well. He voluntarily cleaned the tv, the dvd player, and the dreadful stand that houses them, too. Even the helpmeet proclaimed that the size of the Toshiba is "less intimidating"... looks like we're makin' progress you guys. :)

The layers of the cake came out lopsided and that disappointed me because clearly one side will be drier than the other. The stove is not level evidently, as the helpmeet commented that his brownies are always thinner on one end than the other. I requested that that be corrected either this evening or tomorrow when he's not working. I'm fine with "makin' do" but the equipment needs to at least be properly adjusted and in good working order.

OK, I have to get crackin' on household chores now as I have company coming later on this morning and the place has taken on the grey tone a coating of pet fur lends everything. I need to invest in a good mixer, you guys. I'd prefer a hand model, I think, mostly because counter space is at a premium here, but would entertain a larger model if you think it's warranted. Can you give me manufacturer recommendations and an idea of price points?

Magnificent V!!!

Back later to chat.

Mary

Chelone - I second the recommendation for a KitchenAid stand mixer. Expensive, but worth the price! The dough hook is particularly valuable - makes making dog cookies easy :-) And the wire wisk makes whipping egg whites much easier than with a hand mixer (but the important thing in both cases is making sure the bowl has no trace of either grease or detergent...)

Your lakeside carving got a good laugh out of me, V. Sounds like you have a house full! I hope your daughter starts to perk up soon....I've had walking pneumonia and it's not something I bounced right back from! Glad you got her home safe and sound :)

I want a Kitchen Aid! I think I could get really creative with cooking :) Chelone, check out your local scratch n' dent for a new stove - I always look there first :) It's nice to have a 3rd opinion in your brother.

Kathy, I'm insanely jealous of your spring greenery! and a rose bud to boot! Poking around here yesterday, signs of life were there, but you had to go rooting around for them :)

GB, the vinegar shot is not half bad....problem is I can't remember what I read that made me think I wanted to take a shot of vinegar. Does it help with lost thoughts, lol?

I grabbed some Zinnia seeds yesterday, I'm going to sow them today. I couldn't pass up the thought of Green Envy planted with an annual blue/purple salvia....I think in the bee garden! Hopefully I can grow something under lights :)

Well, I'm off....don't know what I'm going to do, but I'll be doing it outdoors :)

Saucy

Good Morning, Spring has decided to arrive a few days early for a preview at our house! It felt great yesterday afternoon to get outside and get the front gardens all tidied up. And more great weather through Tuesday to look forward to.

V, your photo gave me a good laugh. And it brought back good memories of IU3 in Eileen's garden.

Michelle, I did get the Red Lime seeds. I'm going to split the package and send some to you. You'll do a much better job of growing them than me.

Chelone, I have a standmixer and a handheld one and use both depending on what I'm mixing. My standmixer is a Sunbeam Mixmaster that I chose just because I like the vintage look of it. If I were serious about it I would have gotten a KitchenAide though. Jennifer has the KA and absolutely loves it. On the tv front, as much as I fought getting the flat screen, I've got to say that having the tv hanging on the wall instead of taking up floorspace is really nice. Brad's a new technology kinda guy so, wasteful as it is, I have to admit that we've replace 3 perfectly good tvs in the last year with flat screens. We gave the old ones away to people who were happy to get them though so I guess it's all good :) I don't think I've told you how much I like your finished floor. Can't wait to see the salon all put back together and finished now.

Brad doesn't drink his vinegar as a shot but mixed into a bottle of water. Drinking a shot would definitely clear your sinuses I would think. And your brain it would seem according to Saucy :)

Babs, bummer that Ryan got sick for his birthday. Loved hearing your menu though. It made me want Mexican food too. And with a margarita or two of course!

Drema, good to see lots of news from you. Your pottery class sounds like such fun. I love to do stuff like that too. I've done the ceramics thing but never pottery. Maybe I'll have to look into that.

Mary, so sorry to hear about the cuts to your job. I get really frustrated about the health care thing too. Megan has to pay for her own insurance for her and Bella which is a big chunk of her income since she's a single mom. She called to make an appointment for Bella's yearly physical and they said she would have to wait a couple of months for her insurance to cover it. Now if she didn't work so hard and got government assistance I'm sure she would have had a free visit with no questions asked. Not fair!

I enjoyed reading the list of the seeds you've started Mary. I have a couple of boxes of seeds that I need to go through. And I guess I should get going on those zinnia seeds this week too. Hope things are steadily improving for David!

Kathy, I'm jealous of all that spring green in your photos. I did see lots of little green things poking up yesterday in my garden too though which makes me very happy!

This morning is flying by so I need to go get some household chores out of the way and get out in the garden.

Eden

Coffee at the ready and I await a bit more light to head downtown with CNC (Cool New Camera) to take some more pics of buildings. It's a bit overcast this morning so light will be subdued and its not freezing out.

Chelone, Kitchen Aids website offers factory reconditioned stand mixers , at less $$ than the newbies.

Yay, Saucys planting Zinnias ! I'm going to start another batch of the Cactus flowered today, I have an idea for the 'hell strip' that with accomodate more of them.

back later !....

Kathy in Napa

Drema...no, I didn't know the name of that plant and was hoping someone here might know. It looks a little aggressive to me, I wonder. Very cute.

Kathy...I am as envious as Saucy of your spring greens. I always think how healthy everything looks and wonder if you have some special secret. I know you are organic, but...still, you must have something up your sleeve. :-) Thinking the bud on the rose is early, no?

Chelone...we had an old Sunbeam from MIL but it conked out quite soon after we got it. We don't do a lot of baking so an inexpensive hand mixer has always seemed to do for us. We also use one of those submersible hand blenders that I scoffed at when our DS brought it home, but later had to change my tune. It replaces a blender quite nicely for us. The only other piece of equipment we have is a small junior food processor that works great for certain things and takes up less space, cleans up in a snap. If I were planning on baking a lot, I would definitely go with the professional KitchenAid mixers with the dough hook etc.

Marian, glad you were able to pass your stress test. A wonderful reassurance. You must be doing something right. :-)

DH and I went out briefly and he started some of the garden clean up this morning, while I sat in the sun. Not a bad deal. [g]

Happy Sunday...

Waiting for things to warm up so I can prune more clematis. Our first robin has appeared and Phoebe is barking furiously at birds. What a goof.

PM, here's the deal with food. I get 5 "meals" per day. I have a shot of cider vinegar 15 minutes before the 3 main ones. I have loads of supplements for my gut as well as a very expensive meal replacement which I take once a day (around 4pm) So that leaves me with breakfast (berries, almonds and 1 protein, usually 4% cheese)- at 11am I take a couple of tablespoons of fiber, then lunch (soup or salad)- then dinner which is whatever remains from my list, such as legumes, vegetables, possibly a protein. What with exercising 3 times a day there's hardly time to LIVE!

Martie, you are right about the conflicting emotions surrounding the baby's birth. It is that and more. With a raging ex-wife in the mix, life is stressful (hence the smoker) and DD does her best to be calm, happy sensible. She makes a great effort to stand back from the negative and enjoy friends and family life. Indy dog is glued to her side these days which is a big comfort.

Last night a friend was celebrating her 49th birthday. I never would have guessed, though her oldest child is 19...It's been ages since I've been out with "The Girls" except for book club. I think that women together are amazing and have a very special humor and emotional bond.

In the kitchen I am an antique Chelone. I use an egg beater- hand held! This is really funny because all the boyfriends and girlfriends who have trotted through our kitchen in the last 10+ years have had to ask me what the heck it is! Occasionally I use a blender. I also have a cocoa maker thanks to Eden's raves, but it isn't getting used because of the diet. I also have a bread machine but really don't enjoy the bread it produces. (And with the diet, I am eating no bread.)Oh, and we have a neat waffle maker thanks to DSIL and I guess that's what I use the most, especially when company is here. Our stove top and ovens were here when we moved in, and are of 80s vintage. This means we live in terror....In former homes we had the 24" range and found it just fine...even cooked 25lb turkeys in it. I do prefer having the two ovens I have now so I can prepare things at different temperatures simultaneously.

I've signed up for a 2 hour photo class later this month, with a friend who teaches at the Center for the Arts in town. It is called "People and Portraits" and I'm hoping for some hints on using my camera and on taking indoor baby shots.

Knitting the neck to the tiny sweater still, then I'll just have to whip up the seams.

Spring is coming...there are flies and ladybugs on our window sills!
Ciao,
'bug

Speaking of "the Girls," I was recounting some idyll detail probably related to healthcare to Marty, and he was asking for context, like "Who are you talking about? Where did you hear this?" In frustration, I blurted out, "You know, the girlfriend channel!" Immediate recognition (and a smile) spread over his face...

I fall into the camp (and sometimes it feels like camping!) of the less-is-more kitchen gadgetry. Do have the ginormous Kitchen Aid mixer tho and pull it out from deep storage for the holiday baking mostly. Marty woke up yesterday and said he dreamt the kitchen ceiling fell in while a neighbor was visiting. When home renovation projects are haunting your dreams, it might be time to step up. Nasty cracks criss-cross the ceiling (possibly earthquake of '33?), but we are loathe to dry wall the old plaster ceiling so mainly keep our heads down ;) I was thinking of the faux antique tin tiles to cover it up...or we could repair the old plaster...or just throw a sheet of dry wall up, which is probably what will happen. There are very few original plaster walls left, and all other ceilings have been dry-walled. I have a shocking tolerance for decreptitude and get overly sentimental about this house as far as updating it.

Finished the transcipt last night, made a black bean/chicken quesadilla, grabbed a Harps lager and the movie Synecdoche (sp) and tucked in the bedroom. Marty on night shift so Ein was my date (too bad I can't smuggle him into movie theaters!). Syned. directed by Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich) is unrelentingly, shockingly dark...but I totally "click" with Kaufman's ruminations which mainly concern identity, the fleetingness of existence, with lots of hypochondria thrown in, all wrapped up in a theater/playacting metaphor, lol. Doesn't get an idyll thumb's up, and I wouldn't even want Duncan to see it, but apart from the hypochondria, there is some angst kinship there for me. I'm probably one of the few people that actually liked his movie Adaptation based on The Orchid Thief.

Chelone's baking marathon brought a smile. Had me thinking that actions are the best communicator, and how often when we aim to convey a big point, we find such ways to get them across rather than use words...

That's one "potent" sculpture, V!

Martie, appreciate the update on your bro. It's so exciting to hear spring stirring for everyone. Hopefully we can bury some woe in the garden this spring. Works for me! I was weeding nutgrass out of the front garden earlier today, where rupifragum poppies and erodium seed rampantly into the gravel. In a weak, garden-starved moment around December/Jan, I thought it'd be great to let all the multitudes of seedlings grow rather than thin them...of course, now it's a madhouse. Once the erodium gets a sheet of bloom going, I'm grabbing the camera for a photo then yanking the lot of them, but I've been getting error messages when uploading new pix to photobucket lately. Here's the seedlings from back in Dec. Stay tuned...

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Im in the Kitchen Aid camp even though I dont bake a lot anymore. I have the cheapest one they make and DH got an employee discount on it at the time we got it. I do love it though. One of my favorite things to do with it is make real whip cream and not have to stand and hold the mixer.

Denise, have you considered a beadboard ceiling? The 4 x 8 sheets would be easy to put up.

Eden, that is so sweet.

Chelone, I find it interesting that the helpmeet being the cook doesnt want an upgraded kitchen. I dont relish cooking but find it more pleasant with an adequately outfitted kitchen with an nice amount of space to work on.

As for flat screen TVs we now own 3 and I could have done without them.

Marian, your daffs are so cheerful.

Drema, the pottery class sounds like so much fun. So does Saucys tuffa class.

Kathy, I still have the Christmas lanterns and greenery on the columns for lack of something better for winter. Im searching for the perfect containers and having problems. Everything seems too tall. Id like something short and squat. Im enjoying your spring and hoping for ours to arrive soon.

Im thinking I need to talk a walk outside and enjoy the warm air and sunshine.

Michelle