fun topic. white spirea flowering tree smells like rotting meat/sewer during peak (short) blooming season. later as it wanes and browns, not so bad since we had 'em in front of house as child. i'm lucky to live 1/2 block from 207 acre Humboldt Park in Chicago (3 miles inland from lake but park has it's 'human- made' one). coming over a rise into a hollow with a natural-fed restored 'prairie' creek, one smells the awfullest odor from a ridge across the footbridge FILLED with (too many!) white spirea. not shrubby since lower branches are trimmed off; they end up looking like very low fruit trees. soil is rich with humus and moist from creek and overhead tree canopy, so blooms are really lush and STINK right now. lilacs are great but overwhelming near windows, doors or next to heavily travelled walks etc. they should be in a corner, or out near the open away from walks and windows allowing fragrance to waft subtly. in a house, place 1-3 bunches off on a side table, ornamental table, large table, or mantle, NOT right on a small dining area or in a close room. my mother who loved them and the color lilac passed away this january... Here is a link that might be useful: myspace.com/intotheclear

Thanks Secret Pal, I received your package this afternoon! I certainly understand about "stuff" that gets one mind off the little things going on the side! However, I hope it was good stuff and not bad stressfull stuff. Firstly, I loved the card... I'm a big fan of Monet and the other Impressionists. A few years ago I got to visit Paris and visit the Orsey Museum which houses many paintings by the impressionists. I haven't guessed who you are yet, but now I'm able to narrow it down. This time the postmark was legible, so I at least know what state the package was sent from =) Thanks for the glad corms. This spring I got some itty bitty glad cormlets that I'm going to try and grow into flowering size ones. It's quite cool I'll actually be able to have flowering glads this year instead of just dreaming about when my cormlets are grown up! I've got the perfect place for the glads and the mums you sent. I will actually have to hang my hanging basket though. I'd been keeping a hanging basket on the ground in a bed to cover up a big bare spot. Oh... I hope YaYa forwarded the letter I wrote for you. Until I figure out who you are, I'm hoping she'll be willing to be the intermediary! Thanks and Take Care! -Stephanie

Dusty, I'm soooo sad to hear of another loss and for Kayla and her friend being the ones to find Ron. I have a cousin (I think 11-13yrs) who found his grandmother (who w/ his grandfather was raising him). It was even worse as she took her own life. It would be good for the girls to be able to talk with a qualified counselor. Parents/family/friends can only do so much. I'm praying that you all will feel God's loving arms around you giving you some comfort and peace. April, I'm sad for you and DH too with your situation. After my divorce (abt 9 yrs ago) my 21m/o son and I moved back home with my folks. The D, being a single mom, not receiving child support regularly, leaving many supportive friends to move back with family was all difficult enough. But then trying to find a job in a rural area was hard too as placed didn't want to hire me as I had an M.A. and they figured I'd leave soon to find a better job. It was hard to see people I knew from my home area as they'd ask all about things and I hated not being able to say things were great, and rather telling of being divorced, a single mom and unemployed. In my prayers I kept hearing "Be still and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10 and it isn't easy for me to sit still or to be quiet (may have something to do with ADD?). But this made me rely on God even more. Tough times can sure bring us closer to God and to our family. So hang in there and have faith, and remember "tough times never last, but tough people do." Meanwhile, enjoy the time you and DH have together and all the little things that might get fixed. So as to not end this on such a sad note, let me say that it is without a doubt that our Heavenly Father brought Bob into my life at just the right time. It is amazing how He can make things that seem so bad work out to be so good in His time. When Bob and I got engaged my DS (3 1/2y.o) started (on his own) calling him Daddy Bob just a few days later. The timing was just right as it was a few weeks later that my son lost his father. That was sad too, but being still and trusting God brought me a wonderful DH (whom I was told was "a good man" by a very High Authority : ) ) and he even adopted DS#1, so he nows that he was loved so much that he was even chosen to be a dear son. : ) It is so good having a husband who is truly "a Good Man" who leads his family spiritually, provided for financially, and in so many other ways. Good things will come when we have faith, trust and an ear that listens for that still, small voice that wants to be heard if we'll just be still and listen.

greenhearted, thanks for the comment, it was very considerate. I felt so bad for her and couldn't come up with a single worthwhile suggestion or think of a way to solve it. The photos I posted of her yard were after the transformation & I thought it looked good too, so good in fact I started mass planting many of my plants like she'd done in my ugly problem areas, planting all one kind in groupings like she'd done. I think the problem along with her too rich soil is the amount of rain they've had this year, everything is hugely overgrown, too tall or flopping. Barron was saying the same thing about Arkansas, too much rain. Here in central OKlahoma between those two areas of Kansas and Arkansas where I am relatively close by we are in drought and had a terribly dry summer, mine looks colorless and fried, not overgrown by any stretch. Go figure that one out. Heck even Texas got a lot of rain this summer. The worst effect my sister is dealing with since going prairie and removing the lawn is chiggers. I'd have never even thought of that happening. She said they are grossly thick and she can't get in to work without getting bit (although spraying and wearing long sleeves and pants does help but thats miserable in hot humid weather) or having them fly in her eyes. It sounded like the stuff of nightmares. On top of all that just like NHBabs was telling us, she has duscovered she is very allergic to grasses and breaks out whenever she's around them. What do you say to all that?