Yup, definitely better off in Niagara on the Lake than NF! The carriage ride sounds nice though. The last time I went to the falls w/ some friends we took them on a hot air balloon ride which was also a nice way to see it. We had great food too, don't get me wrong! Lots of seafood and lobster chowder and delicious muscles! Did you have PEI muscles on Prince Edward Island? We ate lobster, but I actually liked the lobster stews and seafood stews better than just the plain lobster for the most part. We just got a little sick of the local restaurants in the area where we were since we ate out every single day for a month (it was nice to eat in Bar Habor, Calais, Eastport and the other places we visited!) Did you go to Acadia National Park on your trip or no? We did a nice lighthouse/ nature tour in Bar Harbor, which had gorgeous scenery. We were on a lake, not the ocean. We picked a lake b/c we were told the water was much warmer on lakes in Maine and actually swimmable as opposed to the ocean which was too cold. May have been why there were so many mosquitos! Glad to hear that you'll be doing some remodeling at least :) A new kitchen, baths and a pool sound fun to do! We're embarking on a backyard landscape/screen porch project soon, but no swimming pool. Summer place: We want weather that is reasonable cool (no 80 degree days); a place where we can be on open water (lake or ocean, no houses visible) and a place where we can have at least 5 acres. I've learned my lesson after FL and I will never buy property on less than 3-5 acres again, I don't care how good the view is. It would be nice if it wasn't a super far drive from PA but that seems unlikely. If anyone has rental suggestions for next summer for a place for us to try, I'd be open to hearing them :) In the meantime, we're shifting our focus to finding a new FL house to buy (hoping the old one sells quickly this winter!) and will wait a few years for the summer home.

That is kind of how my kids learned to add very well. They knew that if I had extra money left at the end of shopping they'd get a treat. So we'd have peanut butter on the list say, and they'd decide do we want the expensive one or the cheaper one. Sometimes the answer was expensive for taste, other times they'd get the cheaper, see what I'd planned to spend on the item (yes the budget was so tight that I knew prices even), and if we saved enough...treat! DD#1 has the rule, if you beg for it, you will NOT get it. If you're good in the store you can pick out a treat. This is great, until they beg for a Plum (DS did this), how do you say no to plums? Non-junk food was my only exception. Vickey (PS, adopt me too, your a fun mom)

I'm so glad to hear you changed your plans Lynn! I absolutely love lving in Austin but the sweltering summers are really hard to take, especially after having lived in San Diego for 20+ years. Yes, there is plenty of water around, but if your idea of a vacation is lazing by a pool/on the beach with a nice breeze, this isn't the place to do it. lol I swear the older I get the more I 'need' more luxuorious accommodations. If the hotel doesn't offer room service, I won't be staying there~I enjoy a late night snack when i'm on vacay, or breakfast placed right in front of me. I hate waking up and having to get showered/dressed/make up-hair, before breakfast! Although I personally haven't been to Cancun, oldest DD has gone several times and always comes back wishing she could have stayed longer. Just being away with DH and no work schedule for an entire week will be a treat in itself. Enjoy! ;)

Rosefolly, Ashmead's Kernel is one of my absolute favorites! If I were to grow only one apple tree, it would probably be it. Well, maybe Esopus Spitzenburg too... Of those you mention, Empire apples can often be found in grocery stores here, indeed probably because it's from NY state. I have never heard of Cinnamon Spice either. It's difficult to resist apples with such names. This year one of the highlights was when we saw for the first time Black Gilliflower, nicknamed 'Sheep Nose' (a very old variety from Connecticut, 1700s). We were twisting our heads and looking at all angles to see if any looked like it, and lo' and behold quite a few had the shape of a sheep's head from profile view. It gave me a chuckle. I picked a couple but haven't yet tried them, they still need to ripen a bit. Chris, I've looked up your two apples and they do indeed look similar, but both must be very delicious. Ha, just this morning I made applesauce! The best advice I got about making it, and incidentally it's from the good people at this orchard, is to mix several different varieties, tart and sweet. And I also love how the kitchen then smells, ... autumn is here. gdinieontario, I'm glad about you found Akane and many thanks for mentioning this orchard. It looks like a nice place to visit when in Ontario. Summers, I also like looking at online recipes. They have the advantage of readers' comments, truly tried & tested. And valuable especially when more than one person make similar suggestions for altering the recipe. Perma, I'll mention this book to the orchard owner because, as a family-owned farm with more than 300 varieties, they are not entirely organic but do try to reduce chemicals and use integrated pest management. Thank you.