Zackey, my regular beds are totally done with home done compost! I have 4 different bins! This is my first year having raised container beds, so I was trying to go with the stuff I had in the beds (don't know what it was, cause I bought it from the neighbors who moved to Maui) and trying to go with the guys on the container forums! I went to the container forum, looking for advice, and kept hearing PINE FINES! Couldn't find them, so added a conditioner for the soil (kinda woody stuff) instead. The Osmocote is for containers, cause it's a time released fert. This is my first time using fertilizer! I've always used my own compost! Nancy

Actually a husband who has a sense of humor is valuable. I think its hilarious. Our lights aren't up yet either. We aren't having an open house until Dec 30 so there is plenty of time. You have a terrific sense of humor too. Scarlett, you live in Southern California--there are companies who will put lights up for you. Frankly if my husband doesn't get to it I will just wind some up the olive & fig trees and out on the balcony. Its been rainy here so I'm not enthused either. I just got my final Christmas card out (150 including clients). I think there are fewer lights up this year --a sure sign a recession may be on the way. My hubby has been doing a lot of repairs around the house, and he only has so much time. Sometimes people have a tough time being excited about holidays --especially as you get older.

Been a while since I checked this forum but this thread reminded me of how I saved a marriage. In 2002 friends of mine moved from Illinois to Florida. The home they built in FL was ready but the home in IL was still on the market. SO they moved anyway hoping the IL house would sell quicly. Most of their posessions were moved but some furniture was left in the old house for staging. Months later the house sold and the husband flew back to IL to pack up and move what was left. The small U-Haul he rented was not quite big enough so he weeded out what he thought was unimportant (basement furniture, odd pieces in the garage, etc.). The day after he put those items out on the curb, I went by on trash day doing my weekly "Pearl diving" (my kids call it garbage picking). I took home a square game table about 20" square with a swivel top. Needed to be refinshed and I was in the process of packing for a move to Florida so I put it in my basement. That table made it to Florida in 2003 and then moved back to IL in 2005 when I moved back. Never did get it refinished. Anyway - was talking to the guy who threw it out ( we all remained friends thru the years and emailed each other regularly) and he was telling me that he and his wife were having marital problems since their move from IL. He said she had never forgiven him for throwing out her Aunt's table - it was the only thing she had to remember her favorite Aunt. Well guess who had that table? I had the extreme pleasure of telling him that I had it and he could pick it up on his next visit back to IL. You would have thought I pulled him from a burning building - which I guess is what he felt like. Needless to say he made the trip to IL in record time and table is safely back in his home. Neat story huh?

One time when our kids were younger....Denny and I had gone out and they all stayed home...When we walked in the door...the phone was ringing....They picked it up downstairs at the same time I picked it up upstairs...Whoever had called had hung up at the same time. The kids thought we had called home... They also at the same time heard us come in the front door...When they heard us at the other end of the phone...they though a stranger had come in the front door...and they started screaming.... We were laughing so hard...I could hardly get the words out that it was the two of us up on the main floor... Turned out to be just another funny memory. I can't imagine how you got connected with your brother ...that is weird. patti