Thank you, I love my Northern neighbors, it's the only time I get to say that I live in the South, LOL. Here it was pumpkin pie, cheesecake, chocolate pie, homemade ice cream. Oh yeah, we had turkey too, LOL. Amanda woke up throwing up but came anyway and napped on the couch while the kids watched "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" courtesy of Netflix DVD. Ashley had one of those troublesome gallbladder attacks so she didn't eat much either. Madison played with her cousins, Mom and Elery had a couple of glasses of wine. We had lots of leftovers too, so we made up some plates and sent them to Ashley's co-workers who were stuck working emergency today and Kevin, who is pulling a double shift. CLBlakey, it was 55F and sunny here, a lovely Thanksgiving Day. With a wonderful husband, both my daughters and all my grandkids, I have a lot to be thankful for. Annie

Happy Canada Day! I had a very relaxing day just laying around the pool and puttering about in the back yard. Sat on the deck and watched the fireworks that were being set off around us. We were in Brantford Sat. evening for a celebration of Canada's Birthday so we just chilled today. Hope everyone enjoys their holiday here and south of the border on the 4th.

Thank you for your good wishes, folks. Our thoughts are with the folks of southern Manitoba, where a major storm, including snow and high winds, so serious and widespread that the premier has called a state of emergency, necessitating calling in skilled help from neighbouring provinces and Minnesota to help clear snow and downed trees and power lines: tens of thousands without power, they report. People were advised to avoid travel. ----------------- I'm extra thankful, for I was having trouble with words reduplicating, was dragged back to the head of the thread 3 or 4 times, then to Google offering several links twice, couldn't get back, started the story again, then to be told that I was going incognito. I decided that I must write one sentence, then post and come back to edit. Then I hit the button to show all that I had open, found the latest edition of my story, opened it, came back ... hit "Submit" ... and here I am ... ... editing! ole joyful

Hosta?! You mean DEER LETTUCE! I love Hosta, there are so many beautiful, tropical-looking ones with enormous blue-green leaves. Alas, I can grow NONE of them here among herds of deer. I can't spend my life spraying as I have 0 time. Two years ago, I supposedly "retired", now I teach 13 classes a week and have over 200 students, which is pretty good for an old man, Also have over some 600 plants (tropicals, subtropicals, cold hardies). Peren, Cycads are relatively easy outside but make terrible indoor plants, I never bring mine into the house..., too big, to heavy, too SHARP, and too prone to mealy bugs under indoor conditions. I have at least 6 of these big Cycas revolutas (Japanese sago "palms", they ain't palms), have had them for decades. They pup, so reproduce asexually, also sexually, but have not had gendered cones yet. Cucuzza seeds are readily available online and they do grow FAST, not sure how long a growing season they require. My friend's fruits are from zone 6A/Pa and they are big enough.