Nice try, Julie. You're off by a hundred. Take it again, from the top. ;)

O.K. now I can calm down a bit..

Living next to a park has a few disadvantages....we always have squirrels, moles and voles, and leaves! As we are the first house next to the park, all of the leaves get caught here and even though I clean up well in the fall, over the winter a ton of leaves blows over here and I have another big cleanup in the Spring. My rule of thumb for said cleanup is the 29th of March - DS's birthday - because that is usually when it is safe to uncover the garden. But this year, with little snow, the dry leaves are everywhere, and this week-end's beautiful weather has tempted me beyond control. So I have raked and tidied for two days. With our small lot, that is about all it takes.

However...one thing I can't abide is being called "Dear" by anyone other than my DH or my Mother. As dear Mother is with the angels, only DH has this right. So when the elderly neighbours stop by and say "You are taking off the leaves way too soon DEAR, it is too early to rake DEAR, I have to gnash my teeth and smile as nicely as possible and ...well, grin and bear it. I am 61 years old but am much younger than most of my neighbours...two bed bunglows and small lots in a subdivision tend to attract people of a certain age - and 61 is not it. These same oldsters stop all summer to tell me that I have the nicest garden in the area (not really - maybe the nicest amateur, but most have pros) and do not hesitate to ask me for things "if you are planning to split that whatever it is DEAR, I would like some..." and I always split stuff up and share.

My family is just in fits of hilarity over this, as they know just how much I hate being called "Dear". Happened three times today - and not DH or Mom. O.K., rant over.

I have a KA wannabe (Salton, a brand I've never heard of), Chelone, a gift from DD a few years ago...and it meets my needs very well. As I may have mentioned before, I am not a real whiz in the kitchen, and I would never have bought such an appliance myself, but I must admit it works very well and it gets much more use than I would have thought.

Like you, I got by for many many years with a kitchen that was just barely adequate. Old houses require so much basic stuff (like roofs, plumbing, etc.) that the kitchen is often left unless the menfolk don't get to eat. After 26 years we put in an amazing custom designed kitchen that was absolutely wonderful... and then sold the house. Well, the teensy beautiful kitchen sold the house...

After much discussion, DH has finally realized that I simply cannot go on without a greenhouse, having had one for several years attached to house with the afore-mentioned wonderful kitchen. We really have no place to build one here....but...we DO have a garden shed. We have installed a nice window in this shed, left over from when we had the solarium window installed in what was supposed to be the dining area of this house. DH and DS have now come over to my point of view that replacing the shed roof with greenhouse material and changing the shelving inside would provide me with a reasonable facsimile of a greenhouse. But of course, the $$$$. After the reunion, I think. But very exciting for me - I loved my greenhouse!

My Giant Cactus Zinnias are all up, but I have lost one whole pot to damp-off. I have watered well with Damp-off, but this whole pot has succembed. I used general potting soil for seed starting for the first time- next time I will go back to soilless mix. The peppers are doing well though, as are the Four O,clocks and the Lobelia. Yes, Marian, the Lobelia I have started are dark blue with a white throat. The Cannas are all poking their heads up, and the Pelargoniums that I started from cuttings last fall are enormous! Outside, I hae tiny little buds on several clems, the iris are just showin a hint of green points, the crocus are just sticking their noses out to see if it is spring, and, wonder of woners, my climbing Hydrangea has leaves. There is still ice at its base!!

Anyway, sorr y for the "me" post but I haven't been here ofr so ong, I am almost afraid to look at what I have missed!!

Cheers, to you all and Happy Spring!! Gootta go vacuum...

Cheers,

Julie

Well...that is a puzzle. Out of curiosity I went back to see where and what Idyll #343 was. I found a #342, and a #344, but no 343! So maybe, just maybe , Julie is making up for the skipped number? Or maybe she spent too much time on her wine porch??? LOL

In wandering around our yard, I discovered a very dead armadillo out front by the wood fence! I have no idea how long is has been there, or what caused it's demise. I could take a pic of it for Chelone to analyze. LOL

Marian

Poor Julie...I've had my share of mislabeled threads...lol. It has been confusing with the old threads popping up. Someone has to start a new one.

Julie, why don't you start a #430 Spring!!!, and we will post in it???

Sheesh!! Go to 430 Spring!! Good grief!

Cheers, Julie