Anita thank you for the information on Coulterville Red. I guess I must keep waiting and hoping:) That sure is a little beauty. I had to chuckle when you said there were quite a few people in line last year. Is that what you call that polite, smiling, orderly mob that hovered near the rose tables waiting for the sale to begin?:) Can you say seriously focused on a goal? I was at the back waiting to see just how determined those folks were about getting the roses they wanted and now I know. Those people were NOT messing around! Like I said all very polite though. I have to look at the catalog again and see what I must have now. I had a couple of fatalities during our cold snap of 4-ish degrees in December which will open up valuable real estate in the front bed. Thanks again. Kate

good morning everyone. dizz, thos colored chickens are too cute. strange, but... remy, the show sounds wonderful. i by-passed the philadelphia show this year, it's getting too big and too vendorized and not enough for the home gardener anymore. i like the smaller venues. sad about the batteries, but i know that feeling. i love delph's - i don't grow enough of them, need to add more. we are having sleet/snow/hail today. for the last two days, you didn't need a jacket and short sleeves were had by most! i did a little clean up and got some areas ready for plants that i have and now today - just nuts! we do a easter egg hunt at church, but use those plastic guys filled with jelly beans. (every year the same sour sap protests the jelly beans because they can become lodged in a kid's throat - every year no one has a problem and every year sh'e shot down). we must stuff a few thousand eggs. we have a little party and always a clown or a magician. it's so much fun for the kids. never fails too, the weather is always iffy. only once in the last 10 years we had to do it inside. dizz, i looked up a few of them, but not sure what you are looking for. tough contests! off to do some baking. my mom's birthday celebration this weekend. be well maryanne

After catching up on who has sent and received their packages, we're just about done with this swap, and I must say, you all are a crafty bunch...lol!!! All but two packages have arrived at their new homes, and of those two, one is one its way. I've sent a message to Connie to see how things are going along with her, and hope to hear from her soon. Thank you all for all your hard work and making this a great swap! I won't be playing in the April swap because I've got a busy schedule of roadtrips and tests, but things ARE getting better, slowly! I've begun a couple of new drugs this weekend and they seem to be helping my mental processes, so now I can focus on my lungs and sleep apnea. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

My oldest is a rising junior, and I'll be honest...this type of discussion until literally just a month ago or so would've made me start to "pit out" and get hives. :) Fortunately, I have several close friends with children a couple of years older than mine and they are wonderful about talking me off the ledge. Our fella is your basic "good" kid. He is bright, and tests well. He is taking all honors and AP...but is not making straight As. Lots of Bs liberally sprinkled throughout. He loves sports, and plays several at school...but we will not be worrying about college sports recruiters hounding us. He has no interest in music, drama, or visual arts. He is involved in student government and other clubs but certainly isn't doing anything visionary as far as extracurriculars. Until recently, all I seemed to do was nag him about doing things that would pad his applications. Dh and I both went to highly selective universities and both of our alma maters seem to have become ridiculously difficult to get accepted in the ensuing 25 years. It was driving me bonkers. We are in an area that is *very* snooty academically. As in, no one cares if you drive a 15 year old Saab (or even better, Prius!) but tongues certainly wag about whose kid got in where and why so and so didn't make the cut. My friends told me to breathe, and more importantly, let my ds BE himself. Ds would no more do some volunteer work or summer enrichment that he didn't feel passionate about than fly to the moon (I imagine there are probably some kids working on moon flight for THEIR applications, lol!) They said that ds WILL get in a school that is good FOR HIM, and that if he wants to try a stretch school or two...they think his interview will get him noticed in a good way. He is just a curious, interesting, easy to talk to, friendly person. And that video REALLY makes me glad I am "letting go." For God's sake...sorry my kid hasn't witnessed a drive by in our neighborhood or had to sleep on a thin blanket on a bare floor. Is there anyone actually PAYING for these lovely colleges? In all seriousness, there seems to be a definite bias in favor of applicants in dire financial situations. Do the admissions folk ever, behind closed doors, under threat of death, say, "hmmm, what say we actually pick a few kids whose parents have been saving & investing for the past 18 years to actually PAY our salaries?!" The whole process has frankly become a load of BS and I cannot wait to have it behind me.