Andie, it was William Morris, one of the most significant founders of the Arts and Crafts movement, who felt that things should be both beautiful AND useful. I do think many things that are useful, such as furniture or kitchen utensils, are even better when they are also beautiful. I remember being at a craft show once and marveling at the hand-carved wooden spoons, the "homeliest" of objects made lovely to look at and to hold in the hand. I know the soup doesn't care what kind of spoon stirs it, but the cook might.

Sounds like good stress therapy to me. I can just see that idiot driver that tailgated me all the way up the mountain,this morning, being blown into a little bubble and my dog bursting that bubble and that driver tumbling all the way down the mountain. Of course he did'nt really get hurt just a very big surprise.LOL And then again i can see blowing a wish into a bubble and see it go floating up into the air to be answered later. I went into town this morning to get groceries and the stores computer would'nt accept my check. so the checker called the manager who took a look at me and said "oh, she comes in all the time. her check is good." I did'nt recognise her. but it felt good being known by the store as a good customer. I've been saying for a long time that stores should put up a list of people that have been shopping there for years and never had a bad check beside the list of people who do write bad checks.yep! i mess up enough that i like an occasional pat on the back for doing something right.

It's been a while, but I've met construction loans. Please put slide-out shelves in any cabinet that is waist-level or lower. I spent an hour this morning doing calesthenics trying to reach a bowl at the back of deep kitchen cabinet. It's been almost 20 years and I still can't believe I agreed to those cabinets! It's gonna be rough having mature hormones in the midst of the 19 y.o.'s, but I suspect you'll find a lot of quiet admiration from them. Miss 3 weeks and get grade lowered ONE letter?!!! That sort of attitude makes a mockery of all the grades he gives. I hope he's better at teaching than at grading. You gonna try to fry those 12-carat tresses with a serving of mitigating circumstances on the side? Let's see, trespassing, breaking & entering, theft, invasion of privacy... last time all that happened was when the cat opened the pantry, tore apart the TunaNibblies package, crunched a bunch and buried the rest under MY pillow. She pled not guilty; the jury agreed due to the mitigating circumstances of irresistably aromatic packaging inducing a catfit.

Mellen, The box from you arrived today. Wow! I was thinking it was like Christmas morning as I pulled one thing after another out of the box. The only bad part is that I am almost certain that I was here when the mail was delivered (probably around 1:30 or 2 p.m.) and the postal worker did not let me know. They usually beep the horn so you can walk out and get the box. Around 7:30 p.m. I said to my husband that maybe we should check the front porch in case the box came and there it was! My husband was a dear and helped me get the plants either in the ground of in pots for the night. You sent me so many plants that I love, I just hope they settle in okay. I put some water on them even though it was almost dark at that point. Anyway, I can't possibly list it all - Mary Ellen sent a beautiful Christmas ornament decorated with fancy lace that I will certainly keep from year to year. I also got a candle, memo pad, journal, angel plant poke and squirrel pot hanger (these two are so cute!) With the journal, I decided I will try to keep myself a little better organized with my plants and will write it what I received and who it came from. I completely lose track of that. Mary Ellen also was a true treasure as a friend because she had already prepared plant markers with the plants' names to stick alongside them. That is so good. I usually rush to put them in a pot or the ground and think I will remember and do a label later and I don't get around to it and forget the name. (I know no one else does that! LOL) Anyway, as for the plants, I got: Sweet Potato Vine 'Marguerita' (I have two sweet potato vines but didn't have this one), a Polka Weigela - it is a shrub - couldn't believe it when this came out of the box! - a cigar plant, a Sum and Substance Hosta that I have wanted for a few years now, a heuchera 'Chatterbox', two daylilies - Heron, and Custard Candy, and a flowering maple (also called Abutilon - I have a different variety that I bought at the Botanical Gardens plant sale this spring and it bloomed all summer and I love it so I am really happy to have another!) Does anyone grow these? I am wondering how to get more (root or save seeds)? I also wonder if they are winter hardy in our weather. Guess I will do a little research. Anyway, I know I did not list some of it. Thanks so much Mary Ellen. I know you weren't feeling well and I don't know how you put all this effort into the box that you sent. Thank you so much! Sandlapper