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

Hi guys! I'm here again. Already been to a Scottish Highlands celebration---VERY FUN! and an airshow---big stuff here---very talented pilots! "Big" earthquake wasn't anywhere around here, but there are frequent earthquakes in this area. The REAL threat is the mosquitoes! YIIIIII! I bought HUGE citronella candles, DEET spray, and citronella plants---and STILL they come! Combatting the bugs is a joke and constant hobby here. I was potting some plants for my porch yesterday and thought I was going CRAZY--getting bitten and buzzed out there! I will take my large candles with me next time! The greenhouses here are very casual and freely run. The plants are mondo sized and CHEAP! Nearly everything is under 10 bucks. It's downright dangerous for me! lol. QOD: the 4th: We're headed out to a small fishing village that has a gigantic celebration on the 4th. It's a 5 hour drive and then a ferry ride, but I'm told it's worth it, so off we go! Then coming back to a family casual dinner with all Americano food probably--kosher dogs, salad, and whatever else people bring. Tikanas~ I am STRICT about keeping a food diary and try to eat healthy choices; lots of fiber and veggies and VARIETY! I don't eat a huge amount of protein-usually only for dinner-and an occasional egg for brekky. I was weighing in every day at home and then once a week at Weight Watchers, but since I arrived here for the summer, I have not weighed. I probably will cave and buy a house scale and there's a WW place nearby, so I will start weighing in again. I use the scale and book from WW to keep myself accountable to someone! I have lost a large amount of weight since October- about 25 pounds or so. It is a SLOW weight loss (about 2 or 3 ponuds a month), but it's finally staying off and no big fluxuations any more, so I'm finding this to be the way for me to go. Well, we are having a guy DH met over for dinner tonight. He's Korean and homesick, so I am making Korean BBQ, rice, and cabage salad with sesame oil and chili oil. I better get hopping tho', cause I have to marinate the beef! I'll check in tomorrow! Magickitty~ Up, up, and away with the restart! Take Marci's hand and go for it! NHSuzanne~ So glad SP is holding her own. Good luck on the diagnosis. And don't sweat the deadline---it'll pass----lol. :) Cheers! Eat healthy choices! Can we have a junk-free Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday CHALLENGE to make up for the holiday weekend? Planning ahead---just in case! Join me?

Happy Canada Day to our Canadian neighbors and happy Independence Day to everyone here in the United States. I have nothing in particular planned, Elery and I have been working hard renovating the kitchen. I just painted countertops and they can't be used for a couple of days. Ashley is in the hospital, the docs think it's her gallbladder. No, kidney stones. No, wait.....oh, they don't know. Ugh. Makayla is signed up for ballet camp and I've been driving her back and forth to Grand Rapids. Fireworks used to be fun until they started popping them off at every amusement park, ball game, car dealership opening, whatever. Now I don't care if I ever see them again, but Amanda is working on the 4th of July and I might end up with Bud and Makayla somewhere. Have fun, everyone! Annie

Oh yeah, we moved everything out of the room about 2 weeks ago then pulled up the carpet, baseboards, dust bunnies, dog & cat hair, etc. and scrubbed the room clean. I've had everything from that room stacked up in the dining room for two weeks. It was a mess, but that's just part of the process. Now I'll start the same process on the sewing room, but taking everything out of there is much more daunting! It really does look like an episode of Hoarders in there because it's my sewing and crafting stuff, leftover stuff from when my mother lived with us, a couple hundred books, and the catch-all for everything non-Florida people would put in their basement. It's scary but it needs to be done.