brrrrrrr...ahhhhh finally thawing out here a little. Just got above zero here today for the first time this week! Wahoooo! Actually, they cancel school so kids aren't out waiting for the bus (at these temps you can get frostbite in less than 8 minutes) AND the bus companies have a tough time keeping the buses running (and the liability of them breaking down with a load of kids). Just a little trivia for ya. Oh, and about those seeds that haven't sprouted....no worries. I have seeds out, did last year before our "deep freeze" and everything was fine (perennials and annuals).

If it is a Seifertia azaleae (or Pycnostysanus or Briosia azaleaea) infection, the dead bud will be covered with short hair-like structures. Seifertia azaleae is best controlled by sanitation, but may be reduced by spraying buds with fungicide. Avoid application of nitrogen after late spring, but phosphorus and potassium may be applied throughout the growing season.

Was suppose to be -12 last night here, think we only say -7. Tonight is forecast for -11 and then we see a warm up tomorrow where the low is only -6 and then no more negatives in the 10-day forecast....how good the double digits (positive) will feel again for the day time highs!!! Today only got up to 3F. Didn't get below 38 in the garage though as I kept the heater on most of the night for the roebys. 1 more day of this crap and then some more "spring like" temps--hey, it's all relative right? 13F for a high right about now sounds like spring to me!! Good luck everyone!

Lots of great advice above. I especially like the emphasis on supporting individual artisans. That's how I justify my ginormous library fines: I am supporting the local library. For me, I often will have an amount in my head, beyond which an object just seems unreasonable to me, regardless of whether or not I can actually afford it. Currently, my own dilemma concerns a 4,000 range hood. For me, this is just not a reasonable amount to spend on a hood, no matter how much I love it. So, is there any conflict in your mind about spending for a faucet what you would spend for an excellent quality dishwasher? If not, then it will probably thrill you every time you turn it on. And who doesn't need a good thrill several times a day! If you go for it, check out Home and Stone. They seem to carry some versions of it for a teeny, weeny bit less. The only thing I wonder about is whether this faucet style goes with the mission style you described above (e.g. the oil rubbed bronze light fixure from Rejuvenation). Now, I'll be the first to admit that my design style is seriously lacking, so I could be totally wrong on this! But when I saw the rough hammered faucet, it made me think of my sister-in-law's upscale western style, "chic cowgirl" bathroom in Colorado. It doesn't read "Greene and Greene" to me. But as I said, I could be totally wrong about that! :-) francy