Funnily enough, it's not that Idyll chatter is grating, at all! it's just that the sheer quantity of it can be daunting when you've had to stop reading and want to join back in. :0 And, "I know, I know" how many times everyone has told someone to "just jump right in".

I shall have to look at the contraption you sit behind, Denise. It was thoughtful of you to post shots of it for me AND to let me know you had. :).

We split about 1/2-3/4 cord of wood this afternoon and then promptly schlepped and stacked it all under cover. I figure we have about 2 cord ready to go for the coming winter. Heaven knows how much more is in the mountainous pile of rounds "out back". Yikes.

I managed to remove the 3 large stains of what loked like calamine lotion from the front of one of Mum's favorite cotton sweaters. I had to soak it in cold water and detergent for nearly 4 hrs., but the stains came out! I'm not really sure why I felt the compulsion to go after the stains, but it was gratifying to see them banished.

A warm hello to all my Idyll friends in case I don't get to read all the fun stuff that's happened in your "neck of the woods" any time soon.

Well, no happy dance Im sorry to report in my world - the deal fell thru on the apt because she doesnt have a perm job (just temping) and the ex-hubby who co-signed her initial lease application decided not to follow thur & co-sign for her on the apt lease (seems his newer wife might not like seeing this show up on their credit reports - gee, how surprising).... so we're all stuck - it's been a very disappointing weekend, but I was pretty sure this was gonna happen when she mentioned the ex wasnt signing after all - she didnt think it would be problem, but my alarm bell went off.... le grand sigh....
we're stuck w/ each other for a while longer. I just dont see how I can throw her out on the street - im going to be optimistic things will get better & she'll get a perm job soon and that May change her possibilities.

I have managed to see Norma's lovely photos here -- how gorgeous you all were at the event -- so much joy. Thanks again for being patient and waiting for me to see them here at home.

I did also still get into the yard and try to pull some annuals, rake the grass and lay seed, and dog guest is banned from back there for a week to see if we can get some sowing done. It's pretty bare and slimy; i suspect I will have to reseed the whole grass section in the spring. But it was fulfilling to get out in the gardens again; i've got lots more to do - I realize how far behind I am. Probably got about 300 bulbs to plant too!

Denise -- I stopped ordering from Waylaid too - i had a similar saga to yours -- too many dead plants.... I guess you could write a short story on it, couldnt you?

Chelone, nice of you to check in - it is somewhat daunting to try to review the idylls when one's been out a bit - i know exactly how that feels; but ya just jump back in is best, right?Funny you mention re your Mom's clothes - we had same problem w/ loss at the LTC facility; we learned to leave nothing of value there, but stuff still "disappeared." I have to work on tackling cleaning Mom's closets out soon -- unfortunately, I have the psycho sister who wants to take most of for herself and I confess I find that terribly creepy -- so I've been avoiding the fight. I just find it sick to think that one would want to wear one's dead mother's outfits (& frankly most of them would be too small for sister, so it's just plain bizarre). I much prefer to donate them to a worthy place. Maybe Im the oddball here though?

Wow, Cynthia -- poor Miss Katie and the planned renovation -- I hope you've got a great surgeon and lots of confidence in him -- I hope your sister enjoyed her new present of those wonderful slippers -- what a jolly laugh they must give her whenever she sees or wears them. I hope she's doing better.

Well, I suspect I've missed commenting as usual on lots of other stuff; I enjoyed the quickie geo-thermal lesson - lots to think about.

Kathy, glad you've graduated re drink & food! hmm, might be a nite for a couple glasses of vino myself.

--Cindy

Denise...or was that Kathy; )just kidding! I am as weird as you(but then you're not weird)I really do like to read obits too-I read them daily as a habit. Partly to see if I've lost anyone from the past but also I just find it interesting to read about people's lives. Sometimes I think about writing my own. It's odd when I see lots of people much younger or at my age dying and I think,when will it be me-odd, but I do think that. I remember as a kid thinking how strange it was that my dad would always know somebody listed in the obits but he was a teacher so he did know many people/families. Now that I'm at that relative age it makes sense though I was astounded as a kid: )

Hang in there Chelone-it's just like jumping rope-you'll jump in and get into sync when it feels right. Since I'm so limited on time I can only comment on a couple things and sometimes have to let many comments pass until I'm back on track. I'm just glad we know you're there and if you need to let anything out the idylls are here for you.

Cindy-I don't think it's weird either way unless the clothes really don't fit. I do have some of my dad's sweaters but I think it was for a means of comfort when he first died. I haven't worn them in a few years now but they are good just for knocking around in at home.

So uh KATHY,how's the chompers?? : )

A very productive weekend here-most of my plants are ready for overwintering in my unheated porch-now I just have to make room indoors for the most tender ones. I also gathered leaves,chopped them for compost and tossed the extras on the garden. A beautiful sunny weekend.
Do you guys stand and just stare at at an annual deciding whether it gets pitched despite it's beauty? There's just not enough space indoors. Oh man,I have such a hard time tossing perfectly good plants even if it does help the compost: )

Better go get Ryan ready for his bath...

~Babs

So today marks the end of my 5 day weekend- Face is still a little swollen on one side , so I did not get any of the hard-core manual labor things that were on my list done. Silly me, I figured I would be able to dig, weed and cut back but that just did not happen ! I did sit down and start to sort out the gardening magazines. Im a horrible garden mag pack-rat, and have Horticulture, FG, now defunct Country Living Gardener , and Country Gardens going back to 1999. Not to mention English Garden and assorted old catalogs. I will however never part with my Heronswood catalogs. I also climbed up into the attic (this is a pull down ladder in the garage leading to a very small under-the eaves storage area) and was pleasantly surprised to find only a tent and one box of household items . I have made a serious dent in the garage and the closets. I made some spaghetti sauce this afternoon, and chopped everything up quite small; hoping I can slurp it down- soup is getting pretty old.

Re, Waylaid and others- I always use the photos of Aster Frikartii and Johnsons Blue geranium to gauge how accurate the mail order catalog photos are. Some never fail to blue up these photos , and that raises a red flag for me.

V, the geothermal set-up sounds very cool(so to speak) I admire those who are able to tap some of these under-utilized technologies. I have a co-worker who caretakes an estate up in our east hills that is off the grid , using solar to generate all electrical .

Cynthia, wow what a procedure that sounds like for Ms. Katie how great it would be to add years to her days with you. I am as always impressed by your loving-care of your fur-kids, they are lucky indeed. Nov 26th is my DSs birthday .

Chelone, I wrote the obits for both my MIL (was asked to do so by the family) and my DH. Though it was hard in a way, it was also cathartic and helped me to focus on the accomplishments and positive impacts each on of them had on me and others in my familyI hope you are taking some time for just you, and it is great to have you posting no matter how brief. All good Idylls need a Chelone Fix upon occasion. And glad to hear you got the electrical thing going..

And Cindy, jeesh, what a let-down for you with the guest thing optimism will hopefully see you through. Good for you that you were able to get out and do some chores. I hope you will have some beautiful photos to post in spring , and that this episode will be a distant memory..

Brenda- hog-house curtain indeed ! I eat very little meat but when I do I try to buy locally as possible- your are right about the flavor. I always buy my Thanksgiving turkey from one of the Sonoma County free range turkey farms.

Babs, I remain cautiously optimistic re: the chompers !

Sure is dark out ! Time to go try to slurp down some of this pasta I made. Tonight is a reading night ( Anita Brookner) and tomorrow a work day., the start of a six-day week.

Ta to all

Kathy in Napa

Good evening

Great to have so many posters this weekend, even though I've barely had time to skim. Chelone - it happens to all of us from time to time, and as others have put it, it's just good to have you back.

It was a nice weekend here but it flew by all too quickly. Combined with the rate the work weeks are zipping by I'm coming to the conclusion I must be getting old:0(

One of the highlights of the last few days was finding and purchasing a new guitar for David. He is thrilled to bits with a rather nice Canadian instument with a great tone and played for hours today. Fortunately a decent student guitar can be had for a lot less than a violin. He and I have been working on some guitar/violin duets by Pagannini which have been very cool to play together.

Like Babs I made a lot of headway getting things cut back and brought in for the winter. A heavy frost caught me by surprise on Friday night so many decisions on what to keep were made for me. As luck would have it I'd been dragging numerous pots in and out all week hoping to to keep my options open but misread the weather report that evening. Still there were enough survivors to keep me busy. My Salvia Black and Blue had made nice juicy tubers I'm hoping I can store over the winter - has anyone had luck with that? I also made a major dent into leaf raking, enlisitng the help of the kids and splashing out on a new rake and tarp.

I was able to add a few inches to my knitting, a deep purple woolen cardigan. GB - are you making anything right now? I read two disimilar books by similarly named authors, Songs without Words by Anne Packer, and Run by Ann Patchett. Both I thought were excellent reads. I wonder if there are any other Ann P... writers I could try.

On the social side I had fun visiting with a friend Friday, first afternoon tea and then a trip to collect Osage oranges for fall decorations. We found a good crop and they smell sooooo good. Another friend and I made our early morning market run Saturday where I enjoy the chat and coffee as much as shopping. This evening I just got back from a pot luck supper - three Moms, 7 kids and a fun time was had by all. I'd baked a ham and we had lots of autumn side dishes including butternut squash soup, homemade apple sauce and baked sweet potatoes. Very yummy.

I'm just contemplating the last load of laundry I have to fold but curling up under the covers with a new book is much more tempting.

Have a good evening everyone.

Mary

We hosted our Harvest dinner this evening and it was a very nice time. We started off in mid-afternoon with a prairie walk, then had appetizers and warm pumpkin wine at the fire pit. The appetizers were two types of cheddar from downstate IL, smoked walleye that DH caught in the mighty Miss, toasted bread rounds made from a homemade whole wheat baguettes (and the flour was organically produced in downstate IL), and venison pate from a very local deer. Our soup course was smoky pumpkin soup, served from a real pumpkin, followed by a salad of homemade fresh mozzarella and oven-dried garden tomatoes. The main course was grilled rosemary chicken, mashed potatoes, and winter squash. Dessert was kept simple, with fresh pears, apples, roasted black walnuts and port. All of the fruits and vegetables came from our farmers market and all of the wine was produced in Illinois. It was a challenge that led us to discover some sources for local foods that we did not know existed, and it made me try some new things. And since we had donated the event to an auction for a local conservation group, we helped a good cause in the process.

The morning started out on a little rougher note. The first Sunday of November is always marked by our church as a day of remembrance for all who have passed away in the last year. As I stood up to go light a candle for my brother, I found myself in tears. I didn't think that it would be so hard for me. Only the presence of the world's tenth* most adorable baby just in front of me was able to distract me from a total meltdown. (*tenth because Bella, Kenzie, Reed, Wyatt and five other idyller grandbabies that I am forgetting are cuter, of course, and not necessarily in that order) (Whew! did I do that without offending anyone?)

Cindy, I'm so sorry to hear that your freedom has been delayed.

Chelone, as one who has had absent stretches, I know it can be daunting to jump in again but please join us as you can. Hang in there, it will get better eventually. Add me to the list of obit readers. I read the ones in the local paper to see who's related to whom (sometimes there are a few surprises there) and I read the news obits in the Trib. They often feature those folks who are not famous or fabulously wealthy or important but who were just really nice people who cared deeply about some aspect of life. I remember reading one a while ago for a man who I should have known but never met. We were involved in several of the same things, but never at the same time. It was a little odd to see how many times our paths had almost but not quite ever crossed.

I need to do a token amount on clean up and then off to bed. Why di I feel like it's later than I think?

V.

Good morning from coast to coast. Count me, Chelone, as a fellow absentee of late and I actually feel good that no one missed me or I would've felt guilty ;-0

Sometimes nasty colds/sinus/ear/throat illness are a Godsend, as I've had three whole days and today to Hang Out!! I haven't just "stopped" for so long that I forgot how, but am getting back in practice pretty quickly.

A few things before I forget -

Yes, Mary, overwintering B&B Salvia is as easy as yanking, cutting back to about 6" tops, potting in REALLY light material, keeping it barely damp once in a while, and replanting after ALL danger of frost.

Re Waylaid: I stopped ordering from them years ago after they tried to send some plants "at the proper planting time for your area" in late February. Must admit, though, that I haven't yet found anywhere else that routinely carries Rambler roses. They have a purpose in some gardens, and I'd love one for my back trees. I also got a bit peeved when they were selling Lady's Slippers (latin escapes me at the moment) for about $100 ea without saying that it takes five years to properly prep soil if it is possible at all. If it's that "exclusive and sought after" I certainly don't want it sent through the mail.

But I do like the ramblers.

All the gathering menus sound luscious and having just started to construct a Thanksgiving menu, will take all into consideration.

Hurray for the "Be a Local Hero. Buy Locally Grown." campaign in Massachusetts. It's carried over to Connecticut and I find it just a bit amusing that the up-nosed town's local rags are "discovering" 75 year old cider mills. Hey, it's never too late!

Halloween was a non event, but I did scare the patoot out of the cul-de-sac kids by sneaking up behind them and saying "boo." Ahhhh, the simple things.

What hasn't gotten done in the garden won't get done at this point. The spinach is up!! Ice in the birdbaths a few mornings. It's really November!

Cindy -- I was so excited for you reading along and then KABLAM! There's got to be a shelter somewhere that will help this woman out. You have certainly gone above and beyond and at some point things are gonna hafta blow. Feels to me like she's taking the easy way out at this point at your expense. Not Fair nor Good For Healing.

Beautiful bride. Even cuter Grandson :-)

Have also enjoyed the pics of nature in different parts of the continent. Our leaf season was somewhat of a dud, but there are still leaves on trees here. Very late and a fizzled hurricane in November is just strange. Glad for the rain.

Am rambling as my cold medicine is kicking in, so everyone have a great day, HI to everyone I missed but think of often.

Martie

My sympathy is extended to Cindy. You must be crestfallen. It's been a long time since you and Chloe have had your own place to yourselves. Doubly galling, must be the disregard for your lovely garden and the lack of attention paid to a dog who desperately needs it! I seem to be on a bit of roll with respect to getting things done and saying what needs to be said... would you like me to have a turn with your "guest"? :)

V.'s harvest supper sounds magnificent. I was thinking the venison pate sounded particularly good. I like the idea that your church picks a day to honor those members who have died in the past year. Very touching and I'm quite certain you did tear up... it's all part of it. I bubble over at the silliest times and for the silliest little reasons. Count me as an admirer of your gentle approach to your home's impact on our world; most impressive. I have missed the work thing, care to point me in a direction or do a quick recap, or not! Nice work sidestepping the minefield of the cutest baby on earth, V.. You could leave Reed out, though, as we all know he's the world's most perfect baby (TWMPB). ;)

I have gleaned that Kathy has had yet another round of rather intensive and invasive dental work. I hope the swelling is down and the marinara hit the spot. "Water-y gruel" could indeed get old pretty quickly. You must have been delighted with the vacant attic space... I am not really looking forward to going through Mum's house. It's amazing how much you can accumulate over the course of lifetime.

Lovely wedding and Halloween photos. We get no trick or treaters here which sort of makes me sad, but does make the evening pretty easy.

We've still to receive a hard frost here. The Impatiens in the window boxes are looking a bit tired and today may be a good day to put them out of their misery as the rest of the week is looking notably chillier. I'll probably hold off on the geraniums for a bit, but they will provide some mid-winter cheer.

I've been walking Rex regularly and the sunshine and fresh air is a good tonic for a melancholy soul. I realized it is time to indulge in a new pair of "good sensible walking shoes", too. I have a blister on the ball of my foot as proof of what worn out insoles can do over the course of 4 miles. OUCH!

Am I correct in my assumption that 'bug's 'puter is no the fritz? I have a dim recollection of such, and her absence would speak it it, but am not sure.

Missing Honey, Drema, Ei, Da, Wendy, as well.

Good thoughts for Katie's impending "ordeal". It will be a long recovery, huh? The analogy of bathroom and kitchen renovations made me smile (not a wooden one, either).

I have some of Mum's clothing that I will wear, too. I wore a brown cotton sweater when we had dinner with friends the other night, and one of her scarves. She loved pretty clothes and I indulged her with them, along with regular chic haircuts and manicures. Perhaps it that knowledge that makes the loss of her clothing and her "institutionalized" appearance at the end so terribly upsetting. Oh well...

Well, off to write a couple of letters, call a few contractors and think about transferring some money to send out deposits, etc.. Exciting day!

Count me in on the garden mag horders (as well as old Gourmets and Victorias - altho I seldom seem to cook any more or decorate... go figure). It is truly hard to part with those. Sounds as though you're making great inroads re cleaning house, Kathy -- I truly need to do that, especially once we get into the breaking up of my parents' household things that should occur in the winter - as Im surely likely to not resist some items.

V- it's only 8:45 a.m. but I am now dying of hunger -- your menu sounds wonderful - I love how you had such "very local" items....LOL.

Mary - sounds like you had a nice social outing. Im always so impressed w/ all the things your children are doing.

Well, more excitement in the nite for us - the CO2 monitor started "chirping" at 2:15 a.m. - but it was not a strong signal, just chirps every 3 seconds or so... it totally freaked me out; I woke the houseguest on the lower level and we ended up driving the local environs for an hour & half to find more batteries as I couldnt decide if the monitor had gone bad w/ back-up battery in place (it's an electric plug-in kind) or if my aged furnace was giving off dangerous fumes. We opened all the windows during our absence, turned off the furnace - so the house is this a.m. a nice "bracing" 50 degrees (sure felt colder) and we lost a couple hours sleep in the antics. I am hoping it was malfunctioning monitor and not furnace. Gotta get new monitors tonite at el cheapo or somewhere & test them out; if not a new furnace w/ no estimates for cost replacement may be in my future too --

Not a good way to lose sleep over but we breathing fine. I guess I should have taken those cautions to check the batteries at daylite savings changes. Frankly, I dont think I have ever changed the battery in that electric model.

Okay, just got the news I've got to hit the bricks & start the running for the day.

-
Cindy

Cindy - how disappointing re your guest that has overstayed her welcome. I really think you should let Chelone have a chat with her to straighten her out! :-) I hope a new battery sorts out the CO monitor situation - much cheaper than a new furnace!

Cynthia - that sounds like a complex surgery for poor Katie. I'll keep my fingers crossed that all goes well and your twirly girl gets back into fine shape quickly.

Re finishing the basement - true, it's easy to make a mess down there and not feel guilty about it! Too easy! If I did finish down there, I'd use terrazzo for flooring - no grout to suck up dirt if I was potting things. Anything that's tough enough to use as flooring in a mall should be tough enough for the basement! A gray/white terrazzo would look good down there. And I'd make the rest of the plant area into a work area with lots of counter space, storage and work table extending out from the counters and storage. I have a very clear idea of what I'd do - I just need to win a lottery to pay for it! Also, since this house is a bungalow, the basement is as large as the house. If it was all finished, it would add 2200 sq. ft. to the finished area of the house. That's a lot of extra space for two people. Also more space to clean! It would also probably significant increase our already high property taxes. So the basement will likely remain mostly unfinished unless a winning lottery ticket comes our way... :-)

Chelone and others - re clothes and longterm care facilities. I gather that clothes in good shape left behind when a resident dies usually end up being provided to other residents who cannot afford to buy new clothes and have no family to bring them things. I suspect that items in the laundry without identifying labels to get them back to their original owner probably end up being used that way too.

Kathy - You've certainly been having a rough time with the teeth. I hope you were able to enjoy your pasta sauce.

Yes, that shelving where I'm drying the elephant ears etc. is one that has the plastic greenhouse cover. In the spring I put the shelving unit out on the back porch with the plastic on. It becomes the hardening off area for seedlings. But, this time of year, in the basement and without the plastic it is a great drying rack. I'm not sure whether the empty last shelf will get used or not. The acidanthera bulbs in the last elephant ear pot on the driveway just won't stop blooming - even though we've had at least 4 hard frosts and the elephant ears in the pot are toast! I'm thinking I might just move that pot into the garage when the bulbs finally stop blooming. If the bulbs or EEs survive the winter in the garage, great, but, if not, I've got lots of other EEs and the acidantheras are cheap.

When I cut back the brugs, I did keep cuttings - although goodness knows what I'd do with them if they decide to root... One of them from the pink brug had buds on it that never got around to opening. I left the buds in case the largest one flowered. I was curious to see what color it was. Yesterday this was what appeared on the living room windowsill:
{{gwi:183997}}

Very pretty (but no scent - the lady at the farmer's market that sold them to me in July said the pink one wasn't scented but the yellow one was. The yellow one didn't set any buds.) I can see the attraction in growing brugs. But the water and fertilizer requirements still bothers me so I remain undecided about what to do next year. In case I do decide to keep growing them, how often do the hibernating ones in the basement need to be watered over the winter?

V - the geo-thermal heating sounds like a smart idea. Not too practical for a 1960s-era home in a suburban setting like mine though :-) I'm hoping that, by the time our roof shingles need replacing in another 10-15 years or so that someone will have refined the idea of a sheathing that doubles as solar panels as well as roofing material. I read somewhere, not too long ago, that someone is working on that. We have a large roof in terms of square footage and a roofing product like that would be ideal if it was practical and not too outrageously expensive in comparison to conventional roofing.

Another one of those windy, raw, rainy, November days is on tap. Doesn't look promising for an afternoon walk with the big dog. Perhaps I'll sort through the accumlated detritus on the desk... .

The cats were beginning to switch to their "winter" routines but turning the clocks back really hastened the change. Yesterday Vera and Polly were in by 4:30 of their own volition, and I made one quick pass around the yard calling for Spencer. He came bounding across the lawn, asked to be picked up, and I carried him indoors in state. After his dinner he promptly curled up and went to sleep for the night. They had a big day yesterday, supervising the electrician and investigating his van thoroughly. "Homeland security"!

The flourescent lights for the garage are ordered, as are the exterior fixtures. The cost is appalling. We are now waiting for the rough wiring inspection, a visit from the furnace man, and the insulation guy. The gutters should go up the end of this week, weather permitting. Next up is scheduling the drywallers, and then, FINALLY the installation of the garage doors. The helpmeet has begun whistling the theme for "Ghostbusters" when I'm ready to make telephone calls... only he substitutes "ballbusters". Nice. Sure you don't want me to have a chitty-chat with the mooch, Cindy?

Woody has the cleanest cellar I've ever seen.

Meant to mention to Brenda that I know well about very large "curtains". We have made several as "doors" for the sheds at marinas and it generally takes at least two of us to manoeuver them in the shop. We also pay particular attention to fastening them securely as the wind can wreak havoc on them if they come loose. And repairing them is no fat lady's dream. Usually, we have the pieces heat welded together, but there is still a fair amount of stitching to do to add reinforcements, zippers, etc..

Definitely no walk today... I have to stop by the polls and perform my civic duty. Just remembered that.

Good rainy morning! Can't complain though, we need the rain. I've packed up most of the tender stuff and ferried it to the basement. The chopped fuchsia are in the cold frame, they'll probably come in later this week. The canna are still out, the foliage hasn't been frosted yet. The variegated brugs is still going, I think it is in a sheltered spot. No more flower buds though, probably too cold. I took cuttings and I'm going to let the larger brugs go - I'm reluctant to invest in the size pot they need. I did keep one Charles Grimaldi that was a cutting from last year - I plan to grow that one like a biennial since it is so much better in year two.

DH and I planted 300 bulbs (he is really getting into the helping lately, I think the little boy in him likes the digging in the dirt). He doesn't offer design advice for the most part though, which is probably a good thing.

We had the two large oak trees which flanked out driveway removed. According to the rings on the stump they were over 60 years old; I was a little sad to see them go. The roots from the one closest to the house have been buckling the driveway, and the landscaper that put in the new path and the wall told us the roots would disturb those as well. The crane operator pointed out that the other tree was leaning towards the house slightly. That whole area looks empty now, I did't really realize how much the trees sheltered that side of the house until they were gone.

I've started getting up a half-hour earlier in the AM to exercise. I found a cable channel with exercise shows "on-demand", you can start them whenever you want. DS has appointed himself my cheerleader/coach; although he means well he is driving me crazy. He has finally realized that I won't carry on a conversation while I huff-and-puff, so he has decided to coach me instead. He reads the helpful comments on the screen (like "take break when needed") or echoes the TV instructors direction to "Watch your form" and "March it out". If he runs out of things to say, he simply breathes with me - very loudly. He had done parts of the routine with me, but he can't resist the talking. I suppose he thinks he's helping, but I had to chase him from the room today because he said my butt looked funny (it probably does, but I don't need to hear it from him!). I can really see the value in a gym membership, but I'd have to go there at 4am in order to be back here by the time the kids wake up.

I have to learn how to post pictures to my online space again, our internet provider changed the format on me. I'm sure it is improved somehow, but I don't like it when the tech stuff I do understand changes (does that mean I'm getting old?!). I guess I'll have to spend some quality time with the helpful directions, someday.

Deanne, I still want to have lunch soon, maybe one afternoon next week?

Have to run and get ready for work now - late start this AM.

Waving hello to all!

-Wendy

Helloooooo......Where is everyone????

Chelone, it is so good to see you posting in a more 'Cheloney' tone. I hope this means you are accepting your loss with less anger and sorrow.
Speaking of cats....Nolon said Tommy came out to his shop meowing loudly, then headed back to the house. Apparently it was his way of getting let back into the house, since I was not home to let him in ! :-) He is not too happy with the cold snap that hit here last night.
I see the 31F nipped the Elephants Ear.The 20s tonight will finish the job. I am ready for it.
Good to hear that you and Wendy are getting rain. We sure need it again.

Our fall colors may have reached their peak. Still not outstanding, but better than last month.

I hope the silence here is due to busyness, and not illness or worse.

Marian

There is nothing quite like Chelones descriptions of goings on around the compound. How apt that the cats supervised the electricians.. It gave me my first afterwork giggle of day envisioning them viewing the activities imperiously ..

Martie, if you are looking for Ramblers you might try Ashdown Roses which is in NC and has a good follwing amongst Rosarians. Also Antique Rose Emporium in Texas and Heirloom in St Paul Oregon. I just love spinach, always have. Like it raw and cooked with a tad of lemon juice. I could grow it here almost all winter but have not done so in several years. Hope that cold has run its course. I havent had one in a couple of years so I am probably due this winter. Who asked about the flu shots ? Babs maybe ? I dont get one, I dont know that Ive ever had the flu . I know lots of folks at work (our company offers free flu shots to the employees) who get the shots religiously every year and get it anyway. Im sure it must have something to do with cheap red wine.

Wendy, sounds like your DH has decided to become your personal trainer ! Do you suppose the highly paid pros in the field dare to comment on their clients butts ?? Ive had numerous trees removed either by me or neighbors in the last few years, its always such a shock at first to see how different everything looks

Hellooo Marian !

Hey where has Eden got off to ? Seems like we havent heard from her in several days.

Thats all for me tonightPeace out..

Kathy in Napa

There is a lot of attendant work that follows a death, as 'bug can attest. As my late aunt succinctly stated, "it's not easy getting out off this planet". Marian, I'm nothing if not a realist. Mum is better off now; for a woman whose life was about books, literacy, and learning it was tough to watch her evaporate in a few years. Humans are innately selfish creatures and I'm no different; the bulk of my sorrow is wrapped up in my own inability to permit her to die here. Regret is part and parcel of the "grieving process" (I hate that phrase, too trite) and it will pass, it always does.

Wendy, losing trees is hard! It takes awhile to get used to the "new" vistas, but their removal really can open up new possibilities. Did the tree guys give you a break in return for the cordwood? I think you made a good choice, it would be fun to see pictures of the before and after. I laughed about your husband coaching you... apparently, he is unaware such an action is fraught with danger. :)

The fall take-downs are in full swing now. Greeaat... I spent a thoroughly dull day yesterday cleaning and mending the curtains for one of our accounts. I managed to get about 1/2 of the 15 done (they're big) and hope to despatch the remainder before the next account (even larger load)arrives on Thursday. "Wax on, wax off".

Rough electrical inspection today, and also a visit from the drywall contractor. Then the insulation guy can come back and reassess the cost to insulate the ceiling of the second floor space (recessed flourescent fixtures have him rethinking the original quote), and maybe, JUST MAYBE the grainless garage doors can be installed?

There will be no racino/casino in Washington county, mercifully, but the bond issues all seem to have passed.

Mum always got a flu shot. I'm in Kathy's camp, I never bother to, either. Maybe this year will be the one I get walloped for my insolence.

Well, time to think about getting to work. Can't wait!

A stunning good morning! It is so bright outside, and so nice to wake up with light. I can take the dark at night, but getting up in the dark just ain't natural.

Thanks, Kathy, for the rambler leads. Will pursue.

Good, Chelone, that your garage is making progress. Doors before snow, doors before snow, doors before snow.....Mantras do work :-)

My cold is leaving and I am grateful.

It's slowed to a crawl at work and it's really strange. This particular type of sales slows waaaaaaaaaaay down for 4th quarter and Q1 of 08 isn't on the books, yet. Heading to New York on Friday and am hopeful to to get to the Met Museum of Art (MOMA if you're a native, I've learned) to wander and breathe. Feel very lucky to have just one meeting but a whole day.

Kyle is having the time of his life to date in England. He's fallen in love with northern Scotland, and chose to spend his 21st birthday at Inverness visiting Fort William. He met some folks with which to party, and called the next morning no worse for the wear. "Oh, Mom, classes are going well, too." It's all in the experience :-)

Rich is indefinitely not working. The economy for housing in general is bad, and contractors are lowballing prices right and left. He's already gotten a few calls to come fix things others have done in haste. "Perhaps you should've been willing to spend the extra $____ in the first place." We'll be okay, and I'm looking forward to No House Cleaning (since it is the season of wayward vacumns) for a bit.

Does anyone know anyone who plays the French Horn? I've been reintroduced to this wonderful instrument and am looking for something upbeat to add to the travel CD collection.

Hoping all is well with everyone.

Martie

Yesterday was another trial at work, and I think I was suffering from too much "CO2 failure" fun of the other nite -- I crawled home and retired to my boudoir -- I dont have to worry about the houseguest being talky these days -- she barely says a word (we're sharing the commute these days to D.C.) & closes herself & Biscuit up as soon as she's given her a 15 minute walk -- I suspect she's drinking privately -- since I made some comment to her that she drank too much, all overt signs have disappeared. Well, at least she's not raucous. Chelone, much as I admire your forthrightness & championing, I confess I just dont have the heart to be ruthless with her -- I am trying to boost my optimism that soon, soon, she'll get the perm job and be able to find her own place -- altho reality tells me it's unlikely to be before the first of the year now. Perhaps this is to be a lesson to me in forebearance and tolerance....

I share in the process w/ you Chelone re the grieving biz - i guess most everyone here at the idylls has had the experience in one fashion or another -- it is a long, slow and individual one for each person -- like you my Mom lost most of what she enjoyed most in life w/ the stroke too (reading, conversation, cooking, wonderful communicator-wicked humor talents)and so it was hard to see the changes. But one misses that smile or special expression ...

Re flu shots, I in fact do get one now and am a believer in them - since suffering a horrible horrible case of it about 2 years ago from a visit to the nursing home where Mom & Dad both caught a horrible version of it. After suffering a debilitating week off, I vowed to start getting the shot & havent had a bout since. Cross my fingers - I'll be getting one in a couple weeks.

Well, just got a emergency call of some work I have to do for an attorney even though Im not supposed to be working yet. Gotta go.

Back later if I can. P.S. -=- Wendy -- you go, girl!!

--Cindy

Good ( but frosty ) morning.

Chelone, I do understand, but wonder if you would prefer that I (we) go on, and do not comment any more on your state of mind pretaining to your loss????

The weather man was right on about the freeze. My landscape is white with frost this morning, and ice on my rain water containers. The elephants ear has collapsed. The Ginkgo is rapidly losing it's leaves. I have very little to cut back since I had already done most of it....or brought it in.

I picked a cold day to get my fall perm. I will be nursing a cold neck for a while. My hair is longer than I normally let it grow. I'm hoping this perm will last until spring.

Our county health dept. is supposed to have the flu shots this friday. I plan on getting us both there for ours.

Cindy, I am sorry the plan to have your home back to yourself didn't pan out. I hope your patience can hold out a while longer...but not until the first of the year !

Martie, the name 'Inverness' brings to mind the movie "The Quiet Man". We rewatched it for the umpteenth time a few days ago.It is one of my favorite John Wayne movies.
How wonderful for your son. I think I would love that country too. I may have roots there.
Sorry about your DH's job situation. Been there, done that.

I paid $3.08 for gasoline yesterday. Probably be higher today ! I hope Kathy and Denise are not having to pay around $4 ! I am espacially sorry for commuters and those who want to take long vacation trips.
Three trips to town this week will take a bite out of my pocketbook. :-(

I hope Marie is soon getting her home computer back. I would be having major withdrawal if mine was defunct. It would definitely put me in the mood to work on jig saw puzzles. Besides the 2 Marie sent me, I have 4 more "new' ones waiting to be put together.

Woody, I hope yor MIL is improving. I can see that the B 12 shots are helping me. I am not nearly as tired when I get up in the morning. I hope she can be tested to see if the shots would help her. I regret that it took over 30 years to get the local Drs to recognize my need for it. So many years lost! If I understand right, once diagnosed and started on shots, they need to continue for life, And that the damage done from the deficiency will never be totally repaired. :-(

Marian

Hey guys -

Just had to set the record straight - my 10 year old SON has become my trainer, not my husband. DH knows better than to make comments about my butt - he definitely would not get away with it!

Chelone, I got a good chuckle from your helpmeet's version of "Ghostbusters" - good for you though, you have to know when to stroke 'em and know when to bust 'em. Re: the tree, I got two wildly different prices - my regular tree guy was charging almost double what the landscaper's tree people wanted. I went with the less expensive one, maybe he was giving us a break for the wood. DH said the oak is probably worth something, and those trees were probably around 3' in diameter.

Another magazine hoarder here: I have 'Fine Gardening', 'Horticulture' and 'People, Places and Plants' going back at least 5 years. I just offloaded all of my 'Garden Gate' at a plant swap recently. I actually do refer back to them for specific articles, and I will pull out a stack to thumb through during the winter doldrums.

Martie, glad you are feeling better. It sounds like Kyle is having a wonderful time - what a great experience! Will he spend the rest of the school year there?

I don't get a flu shot, though I probably should. DD got one this year, she was in for a physical last month and the Dr advised she should. She had to get a tetanus booster before school started, and we also started the series of vaccines for the human papilloma virus (something new - the vaccine prevents the virus that can cause cervical cancer) DD will be 13 next month - give me strength!!

Duty calls!

-Wendy

Hi Everyone:

I thought I would take a minute to check in. I haven't been able to read as much as I would like, let alone respond. But that is all going to change soon.

First, I would like to tell Chelone how sorry I am to hear about your mom. You were a very nice daughter to her, and if I won't be treading on your toes, I think you were exactly the daughter she wanted you to be, after all, she had a lot of input into your nurturing, and it seems to me that you and she were alike in some ways.

I will give a quick update on me, then from now on will try to check in more often. A lot has been going on around my neck of the woods. Work: Monday they informed us that all of the Administrative staff at work have been reorganized. Which means as of Jan 3, I will be a free agent to do as I wish. So you know you will be seeing me on the idylls alot more:) No more 1 1/2 hour commute, no more getting up at 5, leaving my house at 6 and getting home at 6:15 or later:))I have no idea what I am going to do, but I would like to work for myself, I think. Lately I have been trying to truly focus on trying to enjoy each day, and bring as much fun and joy into my life as possible. Good thing, since I am going to need that attitude. Anyway, I bought a new car because my old one was not reliable enough for the drive to the train station anymore. Have been having to be rescued too many times lately. It is a 4 door 4 wheel drive Jeep Wrangler. I have an old 1993 Wrangler that I have always loved, and thought I would need something to plow through the roads this winter driving to the train station. Last year it was very scary driving in the Taurus. Sunday was Mary's baby shower. Very nice, pics to follow at some point. More news, my daughter Jen, whom you met at the idyllunion in July is going to have a baby in May... so I will have them all over the place. I am going to be very busy holding little ones soon. The other thing I did was sign up for a program at the gym that gives me personal training for 8 weeks, a nutritional consultant, and they are going to measure my resting metabolism. This will be interesting. My garden sort of got put to the side this fall because Skip is starting up a new business, and I have been helping him with that. Which is also why I haven't had a free minute.

Hopefully after the holidays, or sooner I will become a regular again, because you have all been a big bright spot in my day.

D.

O, great to hear from you Drema - I have been wondering how you were doing since you last checked in -- it sounds to me as though you are taking the change in job status in a wonderful positive light and I hope it all works out for you - you will get some quality of life back and hopefully figure out a job you want & enjoy.

Even more exciting are all those grandbabies you're now in line for - wow!

Wendy -- now that I have more time, I'll finish what I meant - which was that's great re the workout program; I so would like to find some time in my life to do that - that's just terrific. I sympathize about 2 trees coming down - I bet that was an "oucher" in price - I continue to be flabbergasted on prices for cutting down trees.

Martie - Im sorry there's such a downturn in biz for you; I have this pessimistic feeling that there's lots more trouble out there for our economy than we're being told and I wouldnt be surprised if your work is affected by it -- I think we will see that $4.00 gallon of gas too - I hope Rich finds some alternatives to help you guys during the drought re home improvements.\

Got my latest issue of Horticulture last nite -- another article on the trendiness of Agaves in there -- we are so good at sleuthing out those new hot plants, LOL. Im still enjoying mine altho Im starting to worry that I need to move to a warmer part of the house as it goes get chilly where they are at present.

It's definitely gotten cold here; tonite we're supposed to get 20s; Im still wondering where summer went myself.

-Cindy

agaves? did someone mention agaves???

Well, I'm delighted to finally catch up with Drema! it's been hit or miss for me, too, and mostly I've managed to "miss" you. Remember me to Jen., such happy news from her.

Marian, c'mon now. You know me well enough by now to know that commenting on my state of mind about Mum's death ISN'T going to offend me, hurt me, or "tread on my toes". I've said it time and again, if anyone pisses me off they'll be second person to know it, lol. ;) As Cindy sagely pointed out, enough of us have been through this to understand that the ups and downs are varied and appear at maddenly inopportune times. Of all things, it is my hope that some of what we've shared here will strike a chord with one of the legion of lurkers and provide some comfort at a low point.

The forestry program at the local universtity has a yearly pool on when the Ginko will drop its leaves; as they generally all drop within 24 hrs.. I love Ginkos, too. I wanted to plant one here, but the helpmeet lobbied hard for a "rescue" Mt. Ash ( read: FREE, but blech!) and that's what was planted.

The last overhead wire to the house is GONE! and the electric company is now on board to remove the offending pole. I can't wait to see the redirection of the driveway completed. Already, the feedback from neighbors and visitors has been uniformly positive.

Wendy, makes a lot more sense to hear it's your SON doing the coaching (I need to read for "comprehension", huh?). I can just picture it now, lol (he cracked me right up), if Rex could speak he'd probably have some choice comments for me, too. Good move on the HPV vaccination; availing yourself of something so useful is a smart thing. Yeah, she's 13 now, but sooner or later she'll be 16, 17, 18, and every thing you've done all through her life is only going to be helpful in the big picture. A smart, practical, honest approach to things is what teaches "common sense" to kids. My brother and I have spoken about Mum and Dad a lot recently, and their "no nonsense" approach to subjects that obviously made them uncomfortable make a huge impact on both of us. You and Saucy will survive. I know it. :)

Cindy, I think you are a brick! your poor houseguest is really "up against it", isn't she? Should you change your mind, feel free to enlist me. ;) I share your feelings about what's to come in the economy. Much of what comes into the shop is repair work, and the "new" things are scaled down from past years. In my own workroom, I'm seeing more repairs (new zippers, etc.) and restyling. I like that kind of work; it requires skill, imagination, and good training. Fuel prices have me nervous (I hate to be cold), but I've been good about "brown baggin' it" for years and "makin' every trip count", so while it will cost more it won't be as debilitating for me as it will be for others.

Martie, we're seeing the same thing in the building sphere, here, as well. Things are going up, but not at the "mushroom" pace of a few years ago. That's what made the whole electrical debacle so irritating for me. I could still be whipped into a frenzy over it when I realize all it took to resolve it was one, "straight shootin'" call from me. :) My mantra is ceiling drywall. And then, LIGHTS (flush mounted flourescents), INSULATION, more dry wall, and doors. My heritage is mostly Scottish and I would love to visit the country. I especially enjoyed the Alison Weir book about the murder of Lord Darnley. Fascinating country... never conquered by the Romans or the British. I think we need to rent "Rob Roy" sometime soon.

Chelone, I like your way of spelling Ginko,Ginkgo,Gingko best. I think the botanical spelling is a little weird ( Ginkgo)....actually Gingko sounds more proper than Ginkgo.:-) I like the history on it:

Funnily enough, as soon as I hit "post" I thought about the way I'd spelled it! I had a nagging suspicion there was a "g" somewhere in the spelling, but I just "blew it off" anyway. ;)

There are a few large ones in my area. And I'm pleased to note that several have been planted in the median strip for the access road to the turnpike. I just think they're the coolest things goings... I'm especially partial to the yellow fall foliage.

Hello everyone

Drema - great to hear from you and the news from Jen is wonderful. Please pass on my congratulations too. Sorry to hear about your job coming to an end though I'm sure you will turn it into something even better.

Cindy - your compassion and patience are remarkable - I wonder if your friend realizes how lucky she is to have you. I'll be hoping against hope that she soon gets herself together and can move on. You would be very welcome here if you ever needed a little time away, although I'm sure what you want more than anything is your own house to yourself (and Chloe) again. (((((hugs)))))

Wendy - I'm taking part in a fitness challenge at work recording steps per day and fruit and veggies eaten. I'm doing less well than I expected on the walking front - perhaps you could send your DS here once he's done coaching you. So far the bus transportation department are in the lead which was quite a surprise (those drivers never looked all that fit.) I've come to the conclusion that early mornings are the only time left in the day to exercise but when I am up early it's my precious violin time and I hate to give that up.

Martie - how fabulous that your son is discovering so much of Great Britain. Scotland is my DH's favorite place in the world. I haven't forgotten your seeds - I have a few more drying before sending the package off. Don't buy any new ones yet!!

We had snow today - yuk! I enjoy winter but am simply not ready yet. Fortunately it melted immediately. I've been trying to remember what temp we usually set our furnace to - I've had ours at 60F but Annie told me that despite having 3 quilts she thought she might sleep in her coat tongiht. Perhpas I'm being a bit scroogish and might bump it up a little. We now have the option of buying entirly green gas and electricity and I'm looking into the cost difference. If we are able to swing it I'll be feeling a lot better every time the furnace cycles on.

Need to run for karate - a warming ham and split pea soup is on the stove for our return and perhaps our first fire of the season.

Mary

A pic taken before sunrise this morning:

{{gwi:183999}}

And one taken at sunset this evening:

{{gwi:184001}}

Do you reckon it will be totally naked by morning?

Evening all,

Well the class this weekend went really well and the ladies all went home with mostly completed projects. That is a very good thing. Six of the girls got together on Friday evening and had a jewelry making session and they completed these beautiful sterling silver bracelets with semi-precious stone clasps. The bracelets are made with silver jump rings and are assembled into a very intricate design. Youd love them. The lady who taught the class gave me the class sample! How wonderful! Its really quite lovely. I want to have her make me a necklace to match.

The sad news is that my friend who hosts my seminars in her studio is just not doing well. That ankle break she suffered two months ago has never healed right and they had to go and do more surgery on her leg a few weeks ago so she is looking at another eight weeks in bed. She cant use crutches because she is so very heavy and she is alone at home all day and doesnt want to get in a wheelchair all day so stays in her hospital bed. Her insurance wont pay for any more rehab or in home nursing so shes really in a lousy situation. Ive been getting up there to visit once a week but shes way out in the boondocks and its quite a hike. I dont know how she is ever going to get back on her feet at this point.

Today I potted up another forty coleus cuttings and have almost gotten most of the rooted cuttings in soil. Im looking at the hundred or so coleus plants I have going now and really have to cut that number in half. For some reason I just cant seem to toss a good looking piece of plant material in the compost. Ive got about fifty or so fuchsias rooting in water now and am wondering where Im going to put them! LOL

Ive also been in a fall cleaning mode and have finally give the second floor a really thorough cleaning. I love it when everything is all clean all at the same time! Doesnt happen too often. LOL

Wendy, yes, Id love to see you for lunch next week some day. What day works best for you? I hope you want to take a bunch of cuttings home with you! LOL ~~ You go girl! Good for you with the exercise program. Ive been trying to get back into the habit of getting to the gym every day again and that kind of self-discipline is difficult.

Cindy, my heart goes out to you with your difficult house guest. Sounds a bit like what Im going through with my DD. She is still here and I dont know when Ill be able to get her to move. It was only supposed to be a couple weeks and she moved here in April.

Hi Drema, congratulations on the grandbabies. Give Jen my best. ~~ Sorry about the job but youll find something that works out much better for you instead of that horrible commute.

Chelone, sounds like you are going to have that garage completed before the snow flies. I just have to get my plants out of the garage so we can get the cars back in! LOL

Mary, Doug told me about the snow today. Good grief! Its way too early for that. Ive only been turning on the heat for short periods of time to take the chill off. I did today to take my shower and also turned it on a bit when I got up. The downstairs was down to 58 this morning and I had to turn it on for a half hour or so. Brrrr. Other than that Ive just been adding another sweater to my layers.

Marian, interesting about the ginkgo. I didnt know they lost their leaves all on the same day. Neat. Youll have to let us know if its done shedding its leaves in the morning.

OK Ive got to go and put a load of laundry in the dryer and get ready for bed. I did my hour on the Stairmaster this morning and Im running out of steam.

Nite all
Deanne

Cynthia, I certainly hope Katies surgery will be a success.

Well Cindy to bad things didn't work out for your friends apt. I hope the situation will be resolved soon.
What a pain to have to get out in the middle of the night. But better safe than sorry.

Hi Babs

Mary how nice that you and David can play music together. I would love to hear you both, and Annie too.
Perhaps you should do something on You Tube. I really enjoyed the link that Bug posted of the boy and his father singing The Boxer.

V, what fun your harvest dinner must have been.

Martie , Hope you are feeling better. Do you have to yank the Black and Blue before the frost hits it?
Good to hear about Kyles adventures. Sorry to hear things are slow for Rich.

Chelone, Even though the dogs are free to exercise themselves here, they still practically beg me to walk with them. I love this time of the year for walking the trails and they get so excited.

Woody, I like the idea of a roofing that would provide solar energy.

Wendy, I will take some of that rain. I was trying to plant some hostas the other day. It is so dry here I don't know how anything is alive.
You made me smile with the bit about your son coaching your exercise. I always hated for DH to be in the room while I exercised. For me it is a solo sport. LOL

Marian, our cat, who gets banned to the backporch in summer , has decided its time to come in again. Our nights have been in the 20s for a couple of nights.

Kathy, I was wondering about Eden too. I hope her mom is doing ok.
Eden if you are just taking a break come back soon.

I bet Sue is getting those evening walks in. Hope the Lyme thing is not causing to much trouble.

Hi T, are you still finding time to read Idylls? I imagine you are busy with all those grandsons.

Hi Drema, big changes huh? I'm happy to hear you will be getting away from that commute. That eats up a lot of your time doesn't it? Grandbabies, how exciting.

If your name is not mentioned above, doesn't mean I don't miss hearing from you. Its a senior memory lapse. Hope all is well. Norma

Hiya all,

I had to drive upvalley today and was noticing how beautiful the vineyards look this time of year with their fall finery. Some vines are still totally green, others are yellow, orange, red or combinations there-of. I really will have to get a pic or two and post them for you. I have to go back up to St Helena on Friday and Saturday so Ill try to remember to take my camera with me. The vineyards around the corner from me are still green. This will be my last fall here so I am sentimental ! I will however be in close proximity to many prime Oregon wine growing regions.

Martie, the business I work for is a contractor supply among other things, and we are certainly seeing a downturn here, especially in our tract business . The custom home builders here in Napa County seem to be holding their own, and this is likely because the custom home buyer here is unaffected by the mortgage situation.

Marian, love that pic you posted of the Gingko ! I must say that Its been a couple of weeks since I had to buy gas and I dont remember what I paid at the time (sometimes I dont notice , especially if its before 6 am !) but I am really fortunate to only live a mile from my office so it takes me awhile to go through a tank. And if I have to drive on business I get mileage $$. The Quiet Man is also one of my fave Duke movies, along with The Searchers and believe it or not "Hatari..I think it is the cool Henry Mancini score ! I wore out that record in my youth, listening to it over and over.

Wendy , lol, the confusion on the personal trainer ! Reading the back issues of gardening mags in winter is exactly my m.o. Got the fire, got the wine, and if I pace myself I can make the piles last all winter ! I have to keep reminding myself that movers charge by weight.

Drema, I think your attitude toward your future is great. I would imagine this re-structure was not a total surprise ? I cant imagine that kind of commute on a daily basis , although I suppose one gets used to it after a bit. I thonk the longest Ive ever had was in the 30 minute range, and rarely in high traffic situations. There are certainly plenty of people here in Napa who dive into San Francisco every day-an hour if there is absolutely no traffic, and that is certainly not the case. Unless you go to work at 3am .

Chelone, we all await the detailed photo thread that will be forthcoming on this garage project !

Mary, one of my male co-workers had a bet with a female co-worker to see who would loose the most weight in a month. If the guy lost he would have had to wear in pink dress to work, and if she lost she would have to wash his car. She lost, but made home-made tamales in lieu of the car wash . I am still disappointed that we didnt get to see him in the pink dress !

Deanne, Glad your class went well and Im sure you are fixin to post a pic of the bracelet !
All those cuttings ..maybe you need a roadside stand , 2 dollars a pop-Christmas gift money !

Ok , time to go, Had my tooth stitches out today and Im celebrating with a baked potato! Squished up of course. My chewing function is not up to speed !

Later all !

Kathy in Napa

Remember me? I think my computer was just repaired this evening. We shall see!

My routine has definitely changed without the computer at my finger tips. You folks do not know how I've missed you. Just because I don't mention you by name is no indication of what you mean to me! So Chelone, Cynthia, Norma, Woody, Mary, V, Eden, Cindy, Deanne, Drema, Marian, ...so good to read your updates- no matter the news within them.

Yes, I'm knitting. I completed Skyler's Christmas sweater, a "Baby Surprise Jacket", and am now working on another blanket for my friend Lynn's new grandson.

Charlotte still lurks in our hearts..but it may be spring before we get a new puppy.

We are hoping to see Reed in Alberta for his first Christmas, and hope that Skyler will be there at that time as well. Time to start some family traditions!

No time this evening to chat, but be it known that SNOW was lingering on the lawn today. :(

Soon!
'bug

{{gwi:184003}}

Its a chilly good morning here with the temps going down to 28 degrees last night. The heat is on to get the house temp up to 65. I can tell the cold weather is here because the kitties go out in the morning to do their business but then want to immediately come back in and curl up on my lap. Im currently typing at the table with Luke sitting in my lap and marching on my chest. I cant type with him on my lap when Im sitting in my favorite chair because he sits on the keyboard. The things we do for the kitties. I wonder what makes me sit still for the cats to march and essentially poke holes in me with their claws. Is their purring a sedative that allows them to do whatever they want with their humans when it is engaged??? LOL

Ive still got ten or so containers to finish cleaning up and have to get those dahlias dug up, washed and put away. Im hoping to have that all done by the end of the weekend. Well see. ~~ Ive got some great compost cooking away in my large bins on the hill. This time of the year is great because we still need to mow the lawn and can add lots of shredded leaves to the bin every time we mow. The grass and shredded leaves combination makes great compost that cooks really quickly. I should have a nice supply come spring.

Bug, your copper wreath is marvelous. Where did you get that beauty? Glad your computer has been fixed. You must be happy to be back on line from home.

Kathy, LOL about a roadside stand for the coleus. My neighbors always ask when Im going to start selling in the springtime when I get all the plants outside in the driveway to harden off. It does have a bit of that overabundant nursery look. ~~ Some year Id love to get out to Napa to see the vineyards in the fall. Ive seen pics and it looks beautiful. Hope you can post a few photographs for us. ~~ Glad to hear your mouth is healing up.

Norma, I agree with you that Id love to hear Mary doing a duet with David. How wonderful to be able to do music together. ~~ I sure hope you get some rain soon.

Eden, hope you can check in soon.

OK Ive got to get motivated and get myself to the gym. Have a great day everyone.
Deanne

I don't want to hear any more about snow! Winter is my least favorite season, and I prefer that it snow only on weekends, preferably Saturday night into Sunday so that cleanup is finished for the Monday commute, and I don't have to drive in it! They had a snowflake on our five-day weather forecast, but it seems to be gone now.

Drema, nice to hear from you. Glad you are seeing the loss of your job in such a positive light. Congratulations to Jen - that is wonderful news!

Deanne, that is so lousy about your friend. I remember you talking about her difficulties when she was first injured. I can't imagine spending that much time being immobile. Yes, I think I can give a home to some of your cuttings. A lot of my coleus cuttings are rotting, I think I may have waited until it got too cold to take them. A few are doing well though, and they were all on the same windowsill. Go figure.

Marian, is the ginkgo bare yet?

Wish me luck, I'm taking DD to a Fall Out Boy concert Friday night; also playing are the Plain White T's and Gym Class Heroes (where do they get these names?). It is general admission seating, which I'm not crazy about - I like to know where my funny-looking butt will be seated. DD is bringing her best friend, so I invited the friend's mother too so that there would be 1 adult per child. We are also arriving AFTER the doors open, I'm too old to be trampled by a bunch of teenagers. No pit either - we can watch the action from above in the balcony. Word is that the pretty-boy bass player broke his foot jumping off part of the stage a few weeks ago (video available on YouTube) and is wearing a boot. Should be interesting to see how he modifies his usual energetic performance style.

Well, back to work I suppose.

-Wendy

O, no, -- that SSSS word, Mary???? tell me it was a nightmare? yucko Im so not ready for dealing with that stuff. . . . Thanks for the offer of space one of these summers, Im going to just come see your garden if nothing else! I will say that going to PA lately has taken on a new charm Chloe gets to be top dog and solo again; and I get some space too.

You know, I missed the reference to Scotland another error w/ those turbo skims Martie, I LOVE Scotland one of my favorite places took my child there (her request) years ago and we still have fond memories the people are so so friendly, and so many towns/cities are very walkable wonderfully charming. Edinburgh was indeed a favorite and as Chelone mentions, aah, the history I really savored those Mary Q of S spots gives me chills to think of standing in those places that History really took place. You can see, Im a frustrated historian and closet archeologist (true confession I have followed Egyptology for years; many books, articles, etc. now Thats History it was my penultimate dream come true when I spent 3 weeks touring Egypt on a study tour (too many years ago now to think of) anyone ever hear how the Great Pyramid of Cheops is actually extremely Stinky inside? Too many homeless or tourists made pit stops there, I tell ya. Can you tell Im in a weird mood, LOL?

Deanne yikes -- I have thought of you often re the probably similar situations and your DD I wondered if shed actually moved; so we are probably having much in the same conflicting feelings ya cant kick them out to be homeless but you sure do want to see them get on their feet. In my houseguests case, we did just learn that another domestic violence charge was levered against this lower specimen of mankind and he apparently got arrrested and overnighted so I try to remind her that she did the right thing escaping and somehow the money problems will get solved at least she has her life, her dog and some of her possessions!

Yes, V - agave, agave, agave.....

Yeah, Gardenbug has a puter again!!!!!! It does feel like youre missing an appendage when youre away from the idylls for more than a week, doesnt it? O I love, love that wreath!

O,k, lunch time over back to dealing w/ finding a new hotel for a new attorney who was told by another attorney that the NYC hotel we Finally had booked after much roundaboutting, the other atty is sure has bedbugs. . . . . this after going round & about over about 5 other choices of hotels. . . . see, the things I get to have fun with making sure there are no bedbugs in a hotel. . . . sheesh. . . . Aint life grand? worrying about bedbugs, LOL.

--Cindy

Hi Wendy...the Ginkgo looks about the same as my last pic. I had heard the theory that it drops all it's leaves in one day, but have noticed that mine does not do that....close, but not entirely right. It is very still out today, and sunny. If a breeze comes up it may denude it.

Deanne, our Trubby does that same thing, but I call it 'kneading'. He loves to sit on Nolon's tummy and knead. He isn't my lap cat, and that is fine with me. Tommy likes to sleep on my chest, but doesn't puncture me too often. I definitely discourage that sort of behavior. I yell "ouch" and move his claws to a more protected area ! Neither of them ever set on my lap at the computer, or set on the keyboard.Such actions are definitely a "No no". It is also rare that Tommy is on me...I am up and down too often to encourage that.
That is so sad about your friend's injury, and her immobility. I hope she has more friends like you.

Kathy, I have 107 differant John Wayne videos ! They include the 3 you mentioned. We rewatched "The Searchers" recently. The video that I bought has a lengthy addition about the filming of it. That is interesting in it'sself.

Yey! Marie is back into the computering at home ! Wonderful!
Interesting wreath. Who made it? That is one way to recycle cans.
I read that my childhood area in Idaho is expecting snow this weekend. I hope you (and the other's who got some already) will not have to put up with it very long...yet.

Marian

Quickly...

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I'm not sure if I've had the pleasure of partipating on a thread with Drema before so will just say it's nice to hear from you amongst the other newsy posts. My monitor once again beams Reed's cherubic face, so hurray that GB's puter is back online. The dusting of snow is beautiful -- sorry if I take the romantic's view of the stuff!

Re Scotland, a great country, no mistake, but my DH & I nearly got into the one and only bar/pub fight in our life in Kircubrie (sp?), mainly because we couldn't understand a thing the locals were saying. Somehow, the language difficulty ended with a feisty local accusing us of stealing his coat. Still can't figure that one out. We were dipping into Scotland to see the Logan Botanic garden just over the border from England. Language difficulties started AT the border. Those who've been know what I'm talking about.

Gosh, Wendy, I've never heard of those bands, which makes me oooold. I've inflicted my Mahler, Radiohead, Elvis Costello and U2 enthusiams on my kids from a young age, but once you share music it goes both ways. I get most of my music from them nowadays. My oldest saw Talking Heads in concert when he was 3 and loved it, which amazes me now but not then, apparently.

Marian, is Trubby his real name? I ask because earlier today I was trying to think of the original name of our male cat as he was harassing me for a third can of food. Couldn't remember his name. It gets embarrassing at vet visits. I basically call him Joseph, but aka Professor Joseph, JoJo, Joe. B. Tiger, Tiger Beebop, Tiger Bee, on and on. Finally remembered in the shower he was named after the cat on Alien, which is the name the vet has him filed under. I go well past the three names from Eliot's poem:

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isnt just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first Im as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.

Gotta run to an afternoon job but just want to tell Cindy that I'll be keeping count on her too. I've told my sainted mother that when she performs her third miracle, I'm nominating her for sainthood. It IS a complex business to help out, I agree.

Hooray - GB's puter is fixed and Reed is back!! I can't get enough of those baby smiles. I love the baby jacket - the site has some very neat patterns.

Wendy - as the mother of a teenage daughter I do know the bands you're going to hear and even like some of the Plain White T's stuff. Hey, the kids have even got me hooked on My Chemical Romance - perhaps I'm not so old after all:0) (But I'd choose Bach in a second.) Annie is very selective about who she wants to go see and I haven't had any requests lately (breathe sigh of relief).

Norma - you planted an idea and David and I just spent the last hour creating an account and making a video for Youtube (just him for the moment). It was fun to do - he is quite a ham when it comes to performing. We're waiting for it to be processed right now to see how it turned out.

Marian - cool tree photos!

Deanne - how sad to hear about your friend who is laid up in bed. When there is little or no progress the outlook must be incredibly bleak. I'm sure your visits mean a lot to her.

The kitchen is calling to me, Annie asked to be quizzed on her spelling words and I've only walked 8,000 steps today. It might be a busy evening.

Mary

Denise, Trubby started out as "Trouble". He was a stray...probably dropped off along with his sister because someone didn't want them. He fought a lot with our previous cats...hence I called him "Trouble"...as: "Here comes trouble". I decided I wanted to keep him, but not the female. She went to the humane society, he went to the vet to be neutered. That was about 7 years ago. His name varies a lot too...like Trubby-dub, Strubby-dub, Trubby-doo, and some really wierd things that Nolon calls him....:-(
Tommy's main 'other name' is Tommycuns.

The naming of cats has been quite a thing around here. We have had Simon and Garfunkle; Casper; Muttonhead; Duke; Mouthy; Squeak; Tadpole; Mugglyother; Dandy; and on and on...I have lost count of how many !

Phew ! It's hot in here! I stoked up the fire this morning, and the sun shining in the bay window has added to the heat. Tomorrow is supposed to be even warmer.... no wonder we ail so much....we never know what to wear. Now that the tender plants are frozen or indoors it will probably turn hot ! That is par for the course here.

Marie, your skift of snow makes very pretty pictures. I would almost welcome it right now!

Marian

Lets see if I can do the read & comment drill here.

I have a ginkgo/ginko/gingko (and I agree that the right spelling looks wrong) that we planted four years ago. Its finally starting to hit its stride in the landscape, and true to form dropped its leaves within 24 hours. DH, who is traveling a lot this fall, came home and commented that the ginkgo really didnt have fall color this year. I showed him the scattering of leaves on the ground and told him he was home on the wrong day!

Drema, all the best to Jen! What great news.

Chelone, somehow I also thought it was Wendys DH who was doing the coaching, and I couldnt quite picture him doing that. Thanks for having my error pointed out to me!

I predict a large migration of coleus to Massachusetts sometime next week

So happy to see bug functioning again! Your voice was missed. And your darling grandbebe. But youve got a bad case of "powdery mildew" going on there!

Cindy, there has been an unfortunate rash of cases in the Chicago area of women turning up missing as they were trying to leave bad relationships. One womans body has been found but two others are missing. So although the path is rocky at times, your friend definitely has her life and that part is priceless. Go to chicagotribune.com and read some of the articles on the Stacey Peterson case. Very sad.

As for band names, I personally like Death Cab for Cutie. And their musics not bad either.

Mystic/Mystie-Moo/The Moo Man has no idea why there is all this fuss over cat names.

I stopped quickly at Trader Joes yesterday and was rewarded with a potted amaryllis with two buds for only $8.99.

Off to bed early tonight. I have to leave at 5:00 am for a trek to our state capital. A day of meetings there, then I will head over to DDs school and spend the night there. She has a concert Saturday evening and it makes no sense for me to drive all the way home Friday and then back to her school on Saturday. So I will enjoy a hotel evening, a leisurely breakfast with her on Saturday, and a little time shopping and otherwise dinking around the college town during the day. Sunday, it will not be allowed to rain as I need to dig up the tender bulbs and plant the hardy ones.

Can you believe I have to pick up my Thanksgiving turkey next week?

The local paper came out with the article about our geothermal project. It was a very flattering article (I mean, Al Gore just called and offered to split his Nobel Prize with me) and the contractor has already gotten responses from it. They dont have the article on line; otherwise I would provide you all with a link. It might turn up on the authors website, but I noticed that she has not posted her columns since August so Im not sure how soon that will be.

Okay, must get ready for the road. Back on Sunday!

V.

Cats names! Teaser, Stinky, Itty Kitty, Big Fat Kitty, Boo-boo Kitty, Zelda, Phoebe, Bob, Ceasar, and currently Ted and Doobie.
One the climate front, our lovely warm temps came to an abrupt end today- no sight of the sun all day , and cold ( in a California type way) and when I came home for lunch today I grabbed my food and took it back to the office;the house was too cold. I dont turn the heat on at all over night or in the morning- I just get up, get ready and go to work so there really is no need to heat the house up for an hour. Tonight the thermostat clicked on at 62 and I put it up to about 65, which is what I try to do most of the winter unless I have guests in which case I do the 68 thing. We are not having particularly cold nights yet.
Marie your snow dusted pics are really beautiful-count me in with Denise on the romantic view. The rare occasions when we have snow here are events .

Deanne, You are indeed industrious- I can put off many chores because of the lack of killing frost here. Now that it basically getting dark when I get home from work I hope I dont get caught short ! Ive moved a few things into more protected areas , but thats
about it.

Cindy have you read "The Egyptologist" by Arthur Phillips ? Its in my pile for this winter.

Wendy, my winter preference is for it to rain overnight only on Mon, Tue, and Wed and then dry out by the weekend. Ive never heard of any of those bands you mentioned either ! My DD and DS are in their 20s now and had a few bands they liked in their teens that I liked too such as Sublime and Green Day, but they also listened to my music, and I started them on show tunes, standards and jazz when they were very young. They didnt seem to get into that teeny bopper band thing (DD did like Boyz 2 Men) so I was never called on to take them off to a concert- thank god !
I remember when I was 12 and me and two of my friends went to a Beach Boys concert (this would be about 1964) that was my first rock concert . As I recall one of our parents dropped us off and then picked us up when it was over. A Beach Boys concert in 1964 was pretty tame. ! The ultimate though was seeing the Beatles

Wow Marian , Im impressed at the John Wayne collection ! You must have some pretty obscure stuff .. another one I thought of that I really liked was The High and The Mighty" but I havent seen it in years and there is no way I could tell you what the plot was ! Have you ever been to Monument Valley ? (thinking of the Searchers here and maybe Angel and the Badman)

Okay, time to sign off

Kathy in Napa

Kathy, The High and the Mighty isn't easy to come by. A friend taped it for me from TV. It is interupted with ads, but is better than not having it.
Yes, I do have many obscure ones, and no, I have never been to Monument Valley. Producer John Ford espacially liked that area for filming.

I always liked the music from The High and the Mighty.

Oh yes...Kathy, Henry Mancini is one of my favorites. I have several of his albums.

Marian

This morning I heard proof that Reed is ticklish! He also "talks". Seems he stares at the phone while I speak to mama.

CATS:
Samantha (Sammie) was actually Sambo at birth. She produced Dick Tiger (who became Tiger Lily and went to Harvard!) and Stokely (all black of course, also called Doozie). Then there was Chatouille (means tickle in French, a pun because chat means cat.) She was also called "2E" which rhymes with "touille". Then there was Grace who was a clutz so became Grey or Greypo. Next came Bailey, whose name was changed to Sweet William. He was a perfect uncle for our rescue cat MeToo, who still lives with us along with others deposited here: NouNou (Minou) and Vita (Vita Sackville-Pest).

MY FIRST and ONLY DOG (so far):
Then of course there is/was Charlotte, named for the Queen Charlotte Islands as well as my Dad Charles and my cousin's daughter in France. She is remembered as Charlotte, though she also was called "Puppy" in a sing-song voice and "Goofus" too at times.

Deanne, this week I've been a saint on the treadmill and at meals. I am nervous that my feet won't last though and that the problems will return. I DO want to lose some pounds before arriving in Edmonton for Christmas. We scheduled our trip this evening. YEAH! Thinking lots about you and DD. Bon Courage!

Time for sleep! Tomorrow evening we go to a concert (I don't even know which one!) and on Saturday DH's voice teacher performs in Beethoven's 9th.
'bug

Mercy me, lots to read this morning. And that's a treat because I have to go into work late this morning :( ! and this will amuse me until I departure time (7 AM).

Count me as another admirer of that nifty wreath. Please tell me about the plant with the amazingly colorful buds/seed heads... is that color for real or a trick of the monitor? The baby jacket is wonderful; I am not a knitter but perhaps I'll give it a whirl as Mum was very accomplished and there are scads of pattern books (dating from the late '30s-early '90s) as well as countless sets of "knatting noodles".

Cat names: Sir Thurston Bottomly, Sam, Fred (slept in the basinette with me), Thomasina, Tosca, Millicent Friendly (Millie), Oliver Orange (all over orange, Ollie), Nicolette, Salvatore, Floey (Florence Griffith Joyner), Robert E. Lee (Bobby Lee), Mr. Sleek (Junie, short for Junior), Polly, Spencer, Vera, and Minnie Pearl. Nick names are too numerous to recount without putting you all to sleep. Hey YOU asked! Smitten with kittens we are indeed.

Wow, Drema, I had forgotten about your daily commute. I'd hasten a bet you won't miss that too much. I have between 15 and 25 minutes, depending on which route I take, but it's early in the morning and is unfettered by clogged roadways. Gas is just over $3/gallon and my usual route takes me by all the places I need to visit routinely, so I accomplish much "on the way home". I don't joyride much these days. I hope the impending "vacation" doesn't add too much stress to you life. Any thoughts on what you might do as a "second" career?

Mary, have you ever heard of LAGQ, Los Angeles Guitar Quartet (or quintet, never can remember)? I occasionally hear something by them when I'm allowed to listen to the classical program on NPR (workers generally veto that selection, sadly). Anyway, they're terrific, Deanne would probably like them, too.

Bedbugs! uck... who would ever have thought we'd be revisiting those detestable creatures? Shudder. I'm not particularly squeamish, but they give me the creeps (ticks, leeches, included). OTOH, I have to confess to a certain grudging respect for their adapability... . Sounds like an intersting research project for you, Cindy. :) There have been a rash of grisly domestic violence incidents in our area over the past couple of years... the weirdest was the guy who killed his wife and entombed her fibreglass at a marina. What's up with THAT? I sympathize with the worries about friends/children and the loss of one's "space". Having had one dreadful room-mate some years ago, I know how it feels to come home and see their car in the driveway when you were hoping for some ALONE time. The best I can say for that idiot was that he paid off our mortgage for us! haven't seen him since and don't care if I ever lay eyes on him again. Hang in there, you guys.

The seamless gutters were in place when I returned from work yesterday. The estimate for the drywall came in yesterday, too. I still don't understand how anyone can do that sort of work for that price. Sheetrocking and insulation rate as the most odious of home improvement tasks, at least to me. Rich will understand, huh, Martie?

Rex has become quite a pest when I get home. He follows me everywhere, sitting directly in front of me and staring at me with imploring eyes... are we going out for a walkie, Mummy? WHEN, pleeeaaase? Jeez, I can even use the bathroom without him. He apparently missed the memo that I hate dogs.

Time for the "rain locker" and raiment selection and then off to an interminable day at work. I'll probably be alone (mercifully) but will be faced with the final round of huge curtains for the largest of our commercial accounts. Greeaat.

Hope your day is a fine one, everyone.

Good morning all,

Its a chilly 28 here again this AM and is not supposed to go over 42 today, with clouds. I told Doug (he got home from Rochester last night around 8:00PM) We MUST get that kerosene heater for the garage up and running tonight or we will be ferrying hundreds of plants into the basement before we sleep. The garage is getting too cold for my plants out there and will be colder yet tonight with no sun to warm things up during the day today. Yesterday I finished attaching the privacy reed fencing to the chain link on the left side of the back yard. The neighbor rented the house next door. The house was vacant for years and prior to that the woman who lived there NEVER ever went out in her back yard so weve never had to worry about privacy on that side of the back yard before. Anyway, Im not unhappy with the results and actually like the look of the reed fencing. It makes it quite cozy looking back there. Ive also been getting the bird feeders cleaned out and hung in the back in prep for my winter bird photography. Im getting the itch to get my blind out and start snapping pictures. Ive had a lovely pair of Red-breasted nuthatches in the feeders for a month now and am looking forward to getting some nice photos of them as Ive not gotten any of that species yet.

Ah yes, kitty names. ROTFLOL! Rahjii, Rahjiikins, Rahjii-doodle-bug, Buggy, Buggy-buggy-doodle-boy, Bug-manNext cat, Luke, Lukie, Buddha, Fat-boy. I wonder if Luke is jealous because Rahjii has more names?

Bug, good for you with the exercise and diet! Its so darned hard to maintain the self-discipline to stay healthy. Be careful of your feet! Ive been getting back to the gym every day again and yesterday I did my ab workout for the first time in a while. Ouch! Im a hurting puppy this morning!~~ Lovely photos!

Kathy, I really prefer to keep the thermostat at 62 in the winter. Anything warmer and Im too warm in my winter layers of clothing and I like to bundle up in the cold weather. Like you though, if I have company I have to turn the heat up to 68 so I dont freeze people out. LOL

V. enjoy the time in the city and the concert! Great to hear from you with a nice chatty post.

Cindy, yes indeed Im still here with my live in who Id prefer would move out. Its a very fine line to be walking between helping out and enabling and I think Doug and I are teetering over onto the enabling side but he wont hear of it so Im just enduring until he comes on board.

Wendy, how many plants can you take?

OK Ive got to get ready and get to the gym. Time to put in my hour on the Stairmaster. Then hopefully Ill finish the pots today and get those dahlias dug up.

Have a great day everyone!
Deanne

Oooops, I almost forgot...

TGIF!

Unfortunately that's all I have time for this morning. I'm trying to get the financials issued under the watchful eye of the new CFO boss. So far, so good.

Later,

Sue

Hello everyone!

I have the twins here today so fast reading and writing will have to be done. They are both playing with push toys (the one that has the colored balls that 'pop' when the wheels turn).

Interesting that cats have been talked about. We had to say the final good-bye to our big white cat on Wednesday afternoon. He was 17.5 years old and we believe it was renal failure that took his health so quickly. He came to live with us in October 1991 when he was 18 months old. His owner had died in a car accident and her DH did not wish to keep her cats.

It was one of those truly awful decisions to have to make, but I know it was the right decision at the right time. His quality of life had decreased greatly in the preceeding few days.

So......this morning before the twins arrived, I was emptying the litter box to ready it for storage. I burnt his bed (there was so much hair embedded into the fleece that it wasn't feasible to consider donating it to anyone. I washed his food and water dish one last time and vacuumed the carpets thoroughly----not that I don't expect to be finding his long hair every where I clean for a very long time.

Honey's stories of Bullet reminded me of our guy. He had tons of personality (not quite as much as Bullet did though in his interacting with us). He loved to be vacuumed (to have his ears, paws or tail sucked up into the wand of the vacuum). Loved attention, loved baths and having the water from the tub spigot pound on his head.....he was a great companion for 16 years.

Anyway......he's going to be greatly missed.

I'm glad to put this at the end of an Idyll....I wouldn't have shared it at the top of one where I would run across the post for days.

While typing this the twins went down for a nap...so now is my time to do some fast (and quiet) cleaning.

Hope everyone is well.....

T.

T, Sad to hear you had to say goodbye to your cat.How nice that you could give him a home. Sounds like he was a unique cat. I'm amazed that he liked baths and vacumning.

Good to hear from you too. I've been thinking of you. I imagine the boys are really fun now.

Bug, its so good to have you back too, and pictures of Reed to boot. The snow on the colorful buds and foliage is pretty.

Mary, can't wait to hear David play.

A quick hi to the rest of you. I have some other things I need to finish right now.

Norma

By the way our cat Jasmine has no nicknames other than DH sometimes calls her "That D#&@* Cat". LOL

My MIL had a cat called "DamnCat"....
T, so sorry. I do know how you feel.