Susie, Glad you received your package! It was fun to put together! Both books were found new at garage sales. I should have sent you my tattered copy of Joshua but the tattered copy means so much to me as it has great memories. :o) Yes, I love photography...living where we live gives me lots of photographic opportunities. ENJOY!!!! Bear Hugs! Kirk

Ahhh, you're right, purplemoon...I just went back and re-read the guidelines! I hate it that our "search box" is not working anymore! Jeanne (guess I'll have to wait at least a couple more wks. now that it is June) Anyway, here it is: I copy & pasted Kirk & Carol's posting ................................................................................................................ Join the Fun! Summer junk exchange Guidelines. Brought to you by clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by kirkus Zone 5 WA State (My Page) on Sat, Mar 28, 09 at 1:24 GARDYLOO! (As Susiewantsroses says, that expression means a cry formerly used in Scotland to warn pedestrians when 'slops' were about to be thrown from an upstairs window. Modern translation - YOO-HOO, I'm throwing my "junk" out. Here it comes!!!!) For those who wish, this can be our summer gift exchange greeting! Its time to gear up for our Garden Junk summer gift exchange, THE SUMMER JUNK JAMBOREE (winning title by toomuchglass)! My wife Carol and I organized the Garden Junk Secret Santa Exchange for the past two years and are organizing this summer exchange as well. WonÂt it be fun to receive a gift from a Junking friend to use right away in your gardens? If you would like to join in on the FUN, please be COMMITTED to the following guidelines: 1. In order to participate in the Garden Junk Secret Santa Exchange, you MUST be someone who has posted on the Garden Junk forum in the past or currently. 2. Then, go to MY PAGE (above) and send us an e-mail by Friday, May 1st. (PLEASE NO LATE PARTICIPANTS.) Include the following information in the e-mail you send to us: a. "SUMMER JUNK JAMBOREE" in the subject line of the e-mail you send to us. b. Your Garden Web name c. Your name and address d. The e-mail address where we can e-mail you the person for whom you are to buy a gift for. e. State your Garden Junk Tastes: For example: rustic treasures (Please know that being a teacher, I understand the importance of being confidential and will share your information with no one.) 3. Find a garden "treasure" from a garage sale, thrift store, etc. for a Garden Junk friend. Spend $10 OR LESS on the item. (DonÂt feel like you have to spend $10. Garden Web junkers have been known to find free items! It might also be a treasure that you have around the house which you intended to put to good use but never have!) If you feel crafty, you could even make something! Wrap the item if you choose and send it to the personÂs name you receive. 4. Be COMMITTED to mail the item by Wednesday, July 1st. ALL PRESENTS SHOULD BE RECEIVED BY WEDNESDAY, JULY 15th. 5. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT COMMITMENT Now raise your right hand and repeat after us, "I PROMISE to post a picture and/or thank you on the CONVERSATIONS side of the forum once I open my gift." WeÂll start a post on July 1st where people can post pictures and/or thank youÂs. Unlike the Secret Santa Exchange, you may open your gift whenever you receive it so you can enjoy it right away in your gardens! :o) We canÂt wait to start hearing from people! We will be e-mailing out Summer Junk Jamboree names the first week of May! You will be receiving a personÂs name and address at that time. That will give you 2 months to find the perfect gift! DoesnÂt this sound like fun? GARDYLOO! Bear Hugs! Kirk and Carol P.S. If you are willing to send a gift to another country, please let us know in your e-mail.

I finally have different parts of my computer working and uploaded the picture I took of the wonderful things that Purplemoon sent me. The picture she posted was only a few things from the treasure chest! I had trouble fitting everything into one picture but I finally did it. Some of the things that weren't present in her photo were the glass squiggles, the glass seashells and all the bits and pieces for outfitting a fairy house. Now if I could just get my butt in gear to make it! lol! I just love it all! Thanks again, Karen!

Oh boy can I relate. We went through that so many times....but we were by ourselves. DH is an only child and my brother never helped with anything. We did DH's grandmother's NYC apartment, his parent's NYC apartment, my mother's house of 50 years (plus 3 barns full of stuff!) when she moved to her condo here, and then after she passed, the condo and her house in FL. Then we had to pack or toss everything from the old house that was on this property (DH's family's summer place) and move it to our old house while we tore it down and rebuilt. Then we had to pack and move everything to the new house once it was built so we could sell the our old house. There's a reason why my attic looks like a goodwill store! My cousin is going through the same thing with her Dad's house of 60 years. We spent an evening together trying to determine who was who in the boxes of photos we've amassed as everyone from that generation is no longer with us to ask....so please label your photos! It's also a key reason why I don't have a bread maker and a rice cooker et. al. It's also a reason why I try to decorate with what I have...it's so hard to justify buying more stuff, even if it isn't perfectly my taste. After you go through that, you realize that yesterday's "gotta have" is tomorrow's "gotta get rid of this drek!"