Another avenue to Italian cultivar fruit trees is to graft your own. All types of fruit scion wood from Italian cultivars are available in USDA repositories available to the public. I was going through scions that I got in trade from California. One of the varieties I have for grafting this spring is called Pera Spadona di Solerno. Here is a link that might be useful: Pera Spadona di Solerno.

Good morning! :-) Thank you for all your well wishes. I seem to be on the mend, just not quite there and trying to be careful not to try to get back to normal activities too fast. I ended up getting over the worst of it with one night of muscle relaxers and one pain pill, but just like you Kathy, I am very sensitive to these types of meds too. The muscle relaxers really didn't help much at all, just made me feel spacey and the one pain pill had my stomach reacting. So that was the end of the meds. Makes me wonder how anyone gets hooked on pain meds. [g] Gardenbug....so sorry to hear you have had yet more bad news in your family. I can't imagine how any of you could handle more stress. It does seem like when it rains it pours sometimes. We have had that happen more times than I can count and I usually end up feeling like what choice do I have, but to do the best I can with it and not expect too much from myself. From the little you have posted, you seem to be doing just that. Eden....it is great to see you posting. I always enjoy hearing about what is going on at your house. Yes, long car rides are really hard on my muscles now. I used to really love a good long car ride so I find that really annoying. [g] A 'Julie Job'....I like the latest Idyll-ism. :-) I like the way you organize yourself Julie. My mother liked to have everything spic and span, especially the kitchen and baths, but clutter, was always something she struggled with. Company coming would always spur us on to get everything just so. She used to tell me stories of how her Mom used to be a very fussy house cleaner. They would do Spring and Fall cleaning every year and everyone helped. They had feather mattresses, that would be taken apart, the fabric washed, dried on the line and then sewn back up, all the curtains and throw rugs would get washed and everything was ironed. The kitchen would get pulled apart and put back together again. It was another world, wasn't it? Our son made cookies this week. Just what I need while I am lying around doing nothing. :-) Oatmeal, coconut, walnut, chocolate chip. Very hard to resist with the fragrance floating through the whole house. I think I have done well to have had two out of the whole batch. Still, I was already putting on weight before my back. Really need to start moving again. DH has helped out and made a pot of Minestrone Soup, which was delicious and nutritious. We have started adding chopped up leafy greens...Kale...for the added calcium. Makes a wonderful lunch with a Tablespoon of Grated cheese. Very fall like too. Soon we will have to make a Pot Roast. I can't catch up, I'm too far behind, but I have done some reading and enjoy very much, hearing about everything going on with all of you. Friday again...amazing how fast the time is going by. October! Three more months left of 2008, anyone have any 2008 goals they are trying to finish before the end of the year? Hope to be up and out early tomorrow to 'watch' DH and son play musical plants for me. It is supposed to be gorgeous weather. Enjoy the day! pm2

Lovely pictures of an adorable little girl, Michelle! So many keepers I bet you're having a hard time deciding which ones to frame...or are you going to frame them all? :-) Honestly, I thought..."I think I'd frame the 1st one...love the way you captured the wind in her hair", and then I think "I love that smile in the one of her picking the apple" and then,"eating the apple" and then the one where she is framed in the apple tree....LOL! Well, maybe you can do just a wall of sweet Kenzie! :-) All of the pics are winners. Looks like she had a ball too. You are building wonderful memories for her...lucky girl and lucky grandma too! :-) Thanks Michelle! Ei

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