Hello and thanks so much for this fun swap!!!!!!!!! Shirley & Craftie2 & Corrine & Vina thanks for the congrats. It felt so good to win that I actually jumped up and did a dance. My significant other, Noel, went running for his camera so I calmed right down lol. No need for documentation... but I am so in love with all things garden and gardening that the idea of a "supa prize" got me up into the air. Corrine, thank you for your thoughts on attitude -- I think you've got that absolutely right and I'll be filing your examples in the back of my mind and pulling them out when necessary and applicable....probably tomorrow lol!!!! Have had a lot of fun and enjoyed meeting you all -- looking forward to sharing and hearing about everyone's gardening exploits and experiences in the coming season. Thank you so much Vina for brightening each day with your stories and wonderful pictures, games, etc. and for all your organizational effort!!! Best wishes, Barbara rhodes145

Norma, I meant to post that your area sounds very nice, and culturally very diverse, and did I mention, warm!? Being only half an hour from Mexico must be so neat. I hear that the best pure vanilla can be purchased in Mexico too. A friend of mine brought me some about twenty years ago, and it was the best vanilla I ever used. Of course, being in Ohio, I haven't visited, but my husband used to go and buy horses when he lived in Texas. Of course, that was a long time ago, before we met. I did visit San Angelo TX with him about five years ago in April, and it was 93 degrees. It didn't feel that warm since there was virtually no humidity. I loved the people especially, very friendly. The lakes had pretty much dried up, but I guess that happens now and then according to the locals, and there was sand and cacti everywhere. Rose, how neat about the Underground Railroad stop in Waynesburg, I never knew. Here in Ohio, Cleveland and Sandusky are known for being ports for the UR, but here in the Youngstown area there is no mention of it. I am learning so much from all of you sharing your info about your home towns! Shirley, I imagine you doing cartwheels in your new flip flops, lol! You have great enthusiasm for your box, as do we all, but for some reason when I read your post, I couldn't help but laugh imagining you receiving your package. Great boxes are flying around. Everything sounds wonderful. It is raining here for the past few days, not a heavy rain, just a steady annoying kind, sometimes a drizzle and sometimes a little harder rain. If this continues, I will have to get out the old rainsuit and go do some weeding and move a couple of things around. My DH says I crazy, but I would rather be out there tending to things in the spring before things grow out of control. So tell me, do any of you have rainsuits that you wear to garden in the rain in too, or am I really "special", lol? Have a great day ladies. Sue N.

Good morning everyone! Aaahhhh Louie! Where can I begin? Since his arrival he has knocked over just about everything. Eaten 1 of our snakes (now, I can't confirm he killed it, but I did see him munching on it yesterday...can I say eeeewwwwww) And, he has single handedly mowed down almost all the flowers of my floating hearts. I did see him taking down my water celery last night. I want to be upset with him, but, I just can't. He's so little. Maybe a foot long. I told the kids he's like having another toddler running around. You just have to fix everything after he's finished with it. Bunzy (our paint turtle) and her two new paint turtle friends who showed up a few weeks ago, Bubba and Penelope (the kids named them, lol) all seem to be getting along just fine with each other. They were the only one's I was worried about. I'm going to try to get some pictures of him tonight. Last night I was feeding the fish and watching the turtles come up and eat the food. I was to zoned in on watching them that I started to get that weird feeling like I was being watched. I turn my head and there is LOUIE about 2 feet away from my feet munching away in the water. He is NOT afraid of people, lol! Sheri, LOL,I have no clue where he came from? We are close to the Seneca River. I say close, maybe a mile away, and our neighbors have ponds in their pastures. I don't know?? I can't imagine something so little traveling so far? Shirley, our "flying dinosaurs" have been making their nightly appearance as well. The herons aren't afraid of us either! The kids run at them yelling, they just walk to the other side of the pond. I put a couple of shepherds hooks down there with garden flags thinking moving things blowing around might scare them...nope. Hubby got me 2 beautiful heron statues last year for Christmas to scare them away. They stand right next to them, lol. The iris' did have a great spring! I did have some problems with rot afterward. I don't know if it was the crazy cold we had or what? I have a few die off completely. :( The ones that survived are multiplying like crazy. Your daylilies are so gorgeous! How large is Big Bird? I am picturing a very large flower head :) Col :) Yeah! It made it!! So happy!! I hope the Hawaiian Surf made it okay too? Since today is Friday, I've decided to call 2 BINGO WORDS :) THE BINGO WORDS FOR FRIDAY ARE: ALIEN'S STARDUST and OGON WOGON OH MY BINGO WORDS CALLED: 1. FLAMINGO TWISTER 2. DO THE MATH 3. TURTLE TIE DYE 4. TINTINNABULATION 5. ALIEN'S STARDUST 6. OGON WOGON OH MY'ERS: Shirley (brittneysgran) AND Alana (poisondartfrog) SWAP WITH EACH OTHER frankielynn AND Sue (sueguanzon) SWAP WITH EACH OTHER~~~frannkielynn SENT~~~ Kathie (sinbadsmom) AND Jayeanne (pinkiris) SWAP WITH EACH OTHER~~~ Jayeanne (pinkiris) SENT~~~Kathie (sinbadsmom) REC'D~~~ Sheri (panhandle_seed_swap) AND Cinnie0 SWAP WITH EACH OTHER~~~Sheri 1/2 SENT :)~~~~Cinnie0 REC'D~~~ Suzanne(hibiscusfan) SENDS TO Colcol Colcol SENDS TO Vina (flowergirl34) Vina(flowergirl34) SENDS TO Suzanne (hibiscusfan)~~SENT~~ Tomorrow is the last day to mail for our swap. I hope everyone has been in contact with your swap partners. Or if you made arrangements to mail a little later. If you haven't heard from your partner at all please let me know. Have a super Friday! vina ps. Tomorrow is the 50 mile long garage sale around here. It's amazing!! Kids are having a pool party today and tomorrow its all garage sales, lol. Iris: Ambrosia Fool

Good Evening/Morning Book junkies, I have not been around for a few days...thought I would check in on the book swap and happenings. Speaking of "Goodwill" and books.....I chuckle (just a little) when I think of a lovely, classy lady who had many books....many, many books. She kept them in boxes around her home. She always said that one day she would donate them. But for the time being they would stay put as she often would read them again. I offered to take them to Goodwill and she would always say no. In fact, she did not want anyone even looking through the boxes of books. Her husband got to the point that he could not stand it anymore....boxes of books everywhere. While his wife was gone one day, he took several of the large boxes of books to Goodwill for donation (yes, without telling her). When his wife returned home, she noticed that many of her beloved boxes of books were no longer "home". She became very upset and I mean very upset!!! She screamed and yelled and ranted and raved and called her husband every name in the book....I know because I was their. She was one pissed off woman. I did not blame her, especially after I heard why she was really so ticked off. Yes, she loved her romantic novels, mysteries, best sellers and biographies. But in her beloved books in so many boxes, she had hidden money to the sweet tune of $15,000. One book had $100, another book had $300, and so on. After she told her husband of the money that HE GAVE AWAY, I think he nearly died. He never touched one of her books again. To this day when I pick up a used book at a garage sale or donation facility, I page though it. You just never know what you might find in a book...a good mystery, lots of tears, laughter, romance and escape or.....a few bucks!!! Let me fetch the closest book. Page 56, sentence 5....... "Many pieces require highly intricate finishing touches and their tiniest details must be treated almost microscopiclly". Off to watch the news! Happy Wednesday! Annie previous 313 + 18 = 331 books