We are endeavoring to make the Intentional Aroid Society Newsletter and portions of Aroideana *our annual journal) much more "user friendly". Aroideana will remain much the same since it is a scientific journal but we are also hoping to add several more horticultural articles to each edition. However, we are also looking for scientifically correct articles that can be useful to growers as well. If you can offer a good explanation as to why soil should be mixed in a particular way to benefit a specific group of species, WRITE ABOUT IT! If you have an unusual collection of Amorphophallus, WRITE ABOUT IT! If you are good at growing Alocasia and Colocasia in cold climates, WRITE ABOUT IT! If your expertise is in some unusual genus, WRITE ABOUT IT! I am asking that all of the brilliant minds on this forum consider doing an article for the International Aroid Society Newsletter or Aroideana. We are specifically looking for horticultural articles about growing plants in unusual conditions. We need articles about growing specific genera and anything you may have learned that may be useful to others. We need articles about the exact same things we talk about right here! If you don't consider yourself a "writer" there are those ready to help! We just need your ideas and input. Remember, even writers with thousands of articles to their credit had to write the first one! Writing is not difficult, just express your ideas, we'll see it is edited with your help to make it the best article possible. If you have an idea for the Newsletter please send it to Carla Kostelac ASAP. We still have room for articles in the next issue but we need to get ready for the first issue of 2011 as well. If you have an idea for an article for Aroideana please send your recommendations to Dr. Derek Burch The board is now on a mission to increase the membership of the society and to make the entire society and its publications are directed as much as possible at our members. You are about to see a lot more promotional material as well as a brand new full color membership brochure. If you have any ideas please make them known right here! By the way, this request goes out to all IAS members and if you are a non-member please make your idea known as well! We really want to see more articles coming from our members that live in Europe, Asia, The Caribbean, as well as South and Central America. I know there are some very good minds in this group because I read what you post all the time! Just expand on it! If you have elected not to join you can do so quickly at www.Aroid.org. Just look to the left of the page! The annual fee is small and you will get all the benefits of the next three months by joining for 2011. The IAS is your society Help us make it better! Steve

Et tu, doceo - Welcome - and sorry for belated greeting, been running around non-stop since posting invite. I don't think your post was overly long at all - great to know more aboutcha. I, too, fervently wish I had known about GW from the getgo - would have changed a few things, I think, although - wish I had relied more on GWers recently than on my local friends on the kitchen floor advice. We really do end up with a wealth of knowledge from the combined research/experience. And I should now trust my own research better. So, welcome - and, as you might garner - we talk about anything and everything "over here". Julie

I have a 1945 house with all original wooden windows which are in good shape. I noticed that the front and right side windows are in better condition since they are covered by porch. But the back and left side ones are not so great in the trim and sill areas since they are very exposed to the weather (sun, snow, wind, and rain). Half trims and sills have been replaced (not the panes parts-in good condition whew), didn't cost much since they were plain. We will have the rest replaced later. We do have storms windows, but all back and left side old storm windows are being replaced with new ones. Why I am doinf this? More protection from exposure in the back. If I were in your shoes, I would not know exactly what I would do. I guess I would find out how much it would cost to fix like Spewey suggested. One poster admitted that she had all back windows replaced so she could use some good ones to replace the ones in the front that cannot be saved at all.

I really liked the pantry next to the fridge, once I saw it on paper. It makes sense, to have all the prep ingredients together. Blondie said she really wanted a coffee/toast area for her DH and it also makes a great snack area. The freezer and microwave are close together, with a nice counter in between. I also believe this is her second oven, so it's going to be used more for holiday baking, maybe frozen pizzas, that type of thing. It really is a lovely kitchen. You do such a nice job with the floor plans. Thanks again for doing all that so quickly :)