Back after a long absence, farm here is OK too. Worried about Japanese Beetles after such a mild winter, though. Donkey is good, horses are good and our turkeys are laying, too. I remember you from the Tomato forum, going to be a great summer! Cheri

This may not be hardly on the same theme as annoying comments about your gardening skills, but I just need to vent. For the past several years, job,family and not a very good location kept me from doing much gardening. always in the back of my mind was... someday and somehow I am going to return to a property that I had owned for years, and have a garden. During that time, friends that knew my dreams would give me startings from their gardens and family and friends would give me a plant for special occasions. If I found a plant I liked on clearance I would buy it. Dh had been told many times that instead of a vase of roses, I would much rather have a rose plant. My yard basically became a "holding place" for my dream. A year ago things finally fell into place, for this to happen. But first things,first-- the house had to have major renavations, and my mother had a stroke and was hospitalized for 5 months before passing away. Needless to say my dream had to move down my list of proierities. Since we still own the property, we had just moved from, I thought my "treasures" would be safe until I could get a chance to move them. Imangine how I felt when people would come up to me and ask what I was going to do with all my flowers since I had moved away. One person remarked " you"e got flowers I have never seen before". Well, I am moving them to a new "Holding place", and will eventually get them into the right spot. If I had anything I didn't want to move, I would like the liberty of deciding what to do with it-- trade it-- gift it-- or even compost it. I"m not a selfish person, I love to divide--- but I want to know when I finally find the right spot for a special plant that it will still be there for me and that someone has just not helped themselves to it. Sorry for the rant-- I"ve waited 15 years, and I just don't want to be rushed now! Janet

I'm one that don't normally judge others by their skin color or where they came from. I once made this mistake. I was at a flea market and was bargaining an item with the seller. Once we came in agreement of the price, I noticed the seller was waiting for the payment as I was waiting for her to hand me the item purchased. When asked, the seller said that she did not received the money. I argued that I had given her the money already. I asked her to check in the cash register. She insisted that she didn't received it. I looked in my wallet and purse and didn't see the cash neither. The seller was of Indian (as in India) background. My sister, who had a businees, always warned me of how stingy Indians are. Remembering this, I immediately assumed this seller was conning me. I was getting angrier and didn't know what else to do. Seconds had gone by but felt like eternity. I lifted my purse and handed it to the seller to prove that no money were in there. Then, I spotted what seemed familiar, a $50 and $10 bills, on my lap (I'm in a wheelchair). I was at my utmost embarrassed and could only apologized to her again and again. I was angry, very angry at myself for days. I was angry for letting myself assuming that all Indians are the same and for being so rude at this lady. I would never allow me to be rude to anyone for that matter. On that day and moment, I was everything that I was against: discrimination, judgemental and rude. I hated myself for days and vowed never to be that type of person again.

I'm so glad that things are working out for you, Becky. And I think.. that it's because of your positive attitude. :) Good for you! (Drive safely though!) Your first post about this... and the responses about the web cam brought me to talk with my daughter in TX about it. I hope to get one soon so that my GDaughter and I (she's 10 months old :) can keep in touch. So... thank you for that idea too! Katie