@Karen That's an excellent idea, thank you. I found one called Australian Carnivorous Plants, one of her favourite kinds. @rhizo_1 Those authors all look rather fascinating. She actually has none of those, which to me sounds like a perfect excuse for making a bookshelf to store her new library on. Thank you. @meldy_nva Yet a third excellent idea. We've never been able to agree on decorations for our domicile, but x-ray prints are something I'll enjoy as much as her. Thank you, for ending years of tedious point and counterpoint. @daituom Because giving a gift voucher to a pretty important person is thoughtless and lazy, and the simplest way to say I didn't care enough to look into her interests. It's like the difference between getting an e-card for St. Valentine's Day, versus a long, handwritten love letter on thick hemp paper, opening the envelope and being assaulted by the scent of the rose petals tumbling out. Or something like that. It's a terrible, painful, hypothetical cliche, but I know which one she'd rather get. Not to mention remember two weeks down the track. Besides all that, she can buy books she already knows about on her own. Also, why did you capitalise HER and SHE? I can't tell whether you're trying to be snooty with me for presuming something, or trying to constructively point out that I'll fail at finding something she enjoys.

Of all the antique roses I've grown none is better for cutting than Mrs. B. R. Cant. It's blooms are large and frequently occuring. To my nose it's very fragrant and it's among the healthiest roses out there in terms of disease resistance. The only downside is that the bush can get very large. I grow Natchitoches and dearly love it, but the blooms are small and not long lasting. Plus the color shown on ARE is not accurate. It's a light pink, blooms continually, its clusters of blooms are held high above the foliage, it's healthy, will take some shade, but for cutting ... no. Plus I don't get a fragrance. Of course, it's hard to beat Belinda's Dream for a big pink rose. If you don't have it, go with that one first. The size is more manageable. Here is a link that might be useful: Mrs. B. R. Cant on HelpMeFind

WOW!!! Whipped that off like the Obsessed!!!LOL! Awesome! I like it better than my idea of a plain jane multi pic frame!! Gotta raise the bar now!!! Might make mine folding wings and call it "a Heavenly Time" or "Gift from God"!!! Those stockings are too cool, just might havta make a pair myself! It's sunny this morning!! Yaaaa! My DH cooked me a nice salmon dinner last night...I'm sooo spoiled! Great friends, great Hubby, I already miss you guys!!!!! Jane

Wigardener, the books I received for Christmas are from the New England Historical and Genealogical Society, the "Great Migration" books. These document nearly everyone (well, male heads of families, at least) who arrived in America from 1620 - 1633. As my DH's family has been here since then, they're going to be very helpful in sorting his side out. Another book I've found helpful for early immigrants is Meredith Colket's Founders of Early American Families, which offers much more abbreviated info but over a longer time span. If you have early New England settlers in your family tree, these are great. I've found lots of books available to be read online, too. In addition to books of vital records and histories of particular towns, I've also found a lot of family histories available just by Googling the family name along with the words 'full text'. It's amazing what's out there, most of it out of copyright.