Hi Susan, I am interested in some of your seeds not on the SASBE list and was wondering if you would like to do a trade. I have Campanulas and others on my trade list. I would love to try some of your: Coral Bells Lime Rickey Lychnis Snowbird Salvia Swan Lake Salvia Blue Cloud Also interested in your Salvia Purple Prince and Coral Bells Dales, if you want to do a larger trade! Thanks! Carol

Oh, yeah, Dalette - you've found a passion that will challenge you, that will fill your days with a lot of joy and just a bit of sorrow (we all lose a few...), but it's a hobby that will keep you busy once you get into it. Plants (Hoyas & succulents) have been a lifelong hobby for me because I don't have children - I imagine trying to do BOTH would be challenge a lot of people couldn't handle! Which probably explains why the cactus/succulent club I belong to is mostly us older folks! Denise in Omaha

I'm with you Iris...if stamps only grew in the garden I'm happy that some of my cards have been received. I wish I'd put packing tape on the envies after hearing about some of the cards arriving torn. rosemctier and redthreaddiy had the right idea! In the past few days a lovely assortment of holiday greetings have arrived. I've been too ill this year to decorate so the cards are my bit of Christmas cheer. I appreciate the time, energy and care put into each and every one! Thank you Vina/flowergirl34 for the poppy 'lilac pompom' and columbine mix. Your packages are always so colorful and cheerful. I like the use of a money card...afterall, seeds are better than cash :) Lisa/pumkingal, those are the cutest lil stickers! Thank you so much for the blue sea holly. I'm so excited about the bok choi! I love eating it and cant wait to grow it. You made my day with the story about your little grandson 'nans we got planting to do'. How sweet :) Faye/nottougly, my kitty (he's 17) loved your card so much...he rolled on it. Now his black fur is all gold sparkly :) Thank you so much for the Goodneck burgundy Loosestrife. I grew swiss chard for the first time this year and found I really like it. And the seeds are unusual and funny looking :) Rose/rosemctier, I wished for a purple basil...Thanks to you, I'll be growing 2 varieties! 'Purple Ruffles' and 'Dark Opal Purple'...I cant wait :) I'm so happy to also receive Five Spot and Penny Black. Heidi/xiangirl, thank you for the suggestion for squash bugs. I'll have to give that a try. The squash and pumpkins appreciate any help they can get :) The Gaillardia will be fun...you never know what you're going to get...so much variety. I'm so excited about the fennel! I've not grown this before. Those are some tiny seeds. Cant wait to try it. I really appreciate the info on the packet. Thank you so much! Katie/redthreaddiy, I loved the pics you shared of your cards ready to mail. I was lucky enough to receive one of them today :) Your generous gifts covered the flower garden, herb garden and veggie garden. Eggplant 'long purple' and 'black beauty' basil 'Italian large leaf' Pineapple sage...I bought a small plant of this from the farmers market a couple years ago. By the fall it was nearly 3 feet tall and covered with lovely red flowers. I'm so excited to grow this myself :) Salsify 'mammoth sandwish island'-I had to look this up. Its supposed to taste like oysters. This will be fun to try. Has anyone grown this?? I love trying new-to-me tomato varieties. Thanks to you I can try: 'Costoluto Genovese' 'Great White' and 'Rosso Brunno F3' For the flower gardens you sent Mallo 'mystic merlin' and Poppy 'double shirley mix'. Thank you for your generous selections :) I think its time to edit my trade 'wish list' and remove all the wonderful seeds I now have :) I know the swap isnt even over yet but I'm already thinking about what kind of cards to create for next year...fun fun fun :)

Hey francy, I'm using EK paint in the trim formulation--the ICI Dulux Lifemaster 9200 (see link below), mixed with a tad bit of Floetrol. The paint mostly levels out (DH says it does completely--he's amazed how easy it was for me to get a good finish on melamine), in fact I'd say it's more uniform than the other surfaces I've done with a brush (it occurs to me that I hadn't used floetrol in the other trim I painted--Devine trim paint), but there is a bit of a texture, just an imperceptible bit. But it's all over, not linear. I really like the look of it, but you might not. I think Michael had said to go over it with a brush if you want to get rid of the "stipple", but I would rather leave it as it is--the risk is greater for me than the potential reward. Maybe trying Floetrol will give you greater control, longer workability and leveling than you have now? Just a possibility. When I first tried it I poured out a little paint into a yogurt container and mixed a tiny amount of floetrol into it, just to see what I thought of the different consistencies/workabilities. I much prefer life with Floetrol now. :) AND life with the Jumbo-Koter.