Brandy--(my sisters name is Brandy btw!) I haven't yet heard back from the previous owner but I checked my aol email and it shows she hasn't yet read the email. I very well may have an old email that she does't check anymore. I could go to her new ranch, its just a ways up from me towards the next town but I didn't want to just show up on her porch uninvited :) I'll be able to get a hold of her eventually, and will make sure I do so before my husband needs to start moving things for the renovation/remodel of our farmhouse. Jeri (from this board) has been in touch with me and she is wanting to come out sometime in the next few months to check some of the rose bushes we have here. I sent her a TON of pictures on email, poor thing! She's been very friendly and helpful. I haven't been able to answer this post because I've been camping at the beach with my kiddos and although I had access to internet I tried very hard to just sit back and enjoy the quiet time with my kids :) Yes, I'm familiar with the Mojave desert, we camp there all the time during the cooler months (desert camping is usually from about Oct-April for us!) We take the dirtbikes out to California City in the winter and we spend the summers at the lakes or the beach. I'll keep everyone updated as I find out information. Jeri gave me some possible names of the other roses we have, I have no idea if they are anything special (my gut says they aren't but I dont know a THING about roses LOL) but she says she saw enough that she still thinks its worth a trip out to our ranch to check them out. So I'll be in contact with her about that. Thanks for everyones interest! Sammy--I wll have to check out the Dainty Bess, the Natalie Bloxham, Arcola Gardens and Seil roses to see their resemblance to mine. I'm still not sure anyone (or even Jeri?) is convinced its a Kathleen but she sent me a picture of the Rancho Camulous Kathleen out here near where I live and it does look eerily similar. So...we'll see! Tam

Well, I haven't yet been able to find the name of the book. But I did take notes from that book and a health newsletter I get, the Blaylock Wellness Report. I followed the plan for a couple of months last fall, and felt so much better. But I really fell off the wagon from about Thanksgiving until recently. And during that time, the acid reflux returned, as did most of my other aches and pains. I started back with the plan about a week or two ago and feel better already. A couple of the most important points is to avoid omega-6 fats and get lots of omega-3's, and to consume low-glycemic foods rather than high. Here is what I eat: Wild salmon (absolutely no farmed salmon. All the fish I eat is wild) Fish - but none of the larger fish like grouper or swordfish. Raw nuts - almonds, walnuts, pecans and pistachios, mostly. LOTS of organic vegetables, and I eat about half of them raw. 5-10 servings a day. Healthy fats, like extra virgin olive oil and organic virgin coconut oil. I take Carlson's liquid fish oil everyday. If I need a spread, I will occasionally use butter, never margarine. Plenty of tea. White and Rooibos are the ones that Dr. Blaylock recommends. I also occasionally have a cup of green or oolong tea. I drink 3-4 cups of tea a day. Purified water - We invested in a water distiller. It takes about 4 hours to make a gallon. We love it and wouldn't be without it now. Moderate amounts of: Whole grains (limited; definitely not the 7-9 servings advocated in the food pyramid) such as oats, whole wheat, brown rice. I like a bread from Wild Oats that is made with organic whole wheat, filtered water, honey, yeast and salt. That's the entire ingredient list, no additives, chemicals or preservatives. Fruits - Berries are especially good, and I eat oranges and apples, too. I seldom have a banana, as it is higher on the glycemic index. Avocados are great, full of healthy fat (are they a fruit or a vegetable??) Shell fish - I try to avoid that which comes from China or Thailand, which is most of it, especially shrimp. Dried beans/legumes - I eat black or red beans mostly, and just an average size serving, not a huge plateful. Eggs high in omega-3's (Christopher eggs have the highest omega-3, 600 per egg and can be purchased at Kroger or Walmart) Chicken, pork, or beef - just one of these once a week and always organic. Things I avoid: The aforementioned omega-6 fats, found in corn, safflower, sunflower, peanut, soybean and canola oils. This means no packaged snacks, which are full of this. Even if the label touts, "No saturated fat!", it's still a bad fat. High-glycemic foods. This means no white potatoes (darn!), white rice, white bread and sugar. All prepared and processed foods and soups. They are loaded with many things that cause inflammation. Limited or very little dairy. No soft drinks or diet soft drinks. These and omega-6's are the worst things you can put into your body. Regular soft drinks are full of the worst type of sugar, high-fructose corn syrup. And diet drinks have aspartame, another bad guy. No MSG, and it's everywhere in processed foods. Did you know that there are at least a dozen other names that MSG goes by? Manufacturers slip it by us disguised by another name. So basically, it's a whole food diet, with the majority of it being vegetables, fruits, and nuts, with some high quality proteins, dried beans, whole grains and healthy fats thrown in. It is quite restrictive, but the longer I stick with it, the less I miss the junk food and artery-clogging stuff I was consuming. And boy, I can tell a difference in how I feel, so it is worth it. Of course, I will from time to time treat myself to a slice of birthday cake, or some favorite thing that I miss, like sushi. I really do enjoy the foods that are allowed. Today's lunch was a Wild Oats whole wheat pita filled with veggies, lettuce, avocado. Last night's dinner was wild salmon, roasted asparagus spears and a salad of romaine and cherry tomatoes with a dressing made of olive oil, vinegar, and garlic. Then my evening snack was an apple and a few almonds. Tried not to think of the box of Cheese Nips in the pantry!

Well, I met with a few installers, and asked for pictures of their work, and have not found anyone to trust with my beloved glass tile! If you have had a good experience with someone in the Detroit area, please let me know. Or if you know someone that knows someone with a good reputation, please pass along. My tile should be arriving next week, and I'm ready to get it installed as soon as possible. Thanks! d.

Thanks, newchapter, I saw those pendants and had to have them (and I had to figure out to cut the budget somewhere else to get them, too! But you gotta splurge once in awhile.) If you want focal points, then my opinion is you also have to consider color in addition to size. A brilliant blue pendant against white cabinets probably does not need to be as large as a stainless pendant. So you might want to blow up a colored balloon to your selected size and hang that.... I didn't try that - I just asked my KD if I could use the pendants I wanted and she said "fine" (her services came as part of the cost of the cabinets, so I used her until my free time ran out!) Good luck - and post pictures when you are done!