Hi everyone. I've been wondering the same thing too. I don't always have time to write anything but I do sneak a peak here at the forum everyday and read some of the posts. I have not seen Toni's posts at all lately. But I'm glad to see she's okay. Thanks for letting us know GH. Toni, we hope to see you around here soon. We miss your kind and wonderful advice!

Hey Mike, Would you believe I'm still hauling plants indoors? lol 4 are big..big big as in, an 8' yucca in a 24" pot. That's going to be fun carrrying inside..plus we've had rain, again, so the soil is wet! Planned on bringing the yucca, screw pine, gardenia tree and kalanchoe prolifera in before the rain hit.. That 40F day w/30-50 mph winds must have been freezing. Did you have plants out that day? If so did they go flying? There were times we had such strong gusts, my plants rolled down the street. Here I am, running outside in pouring rain, trying to catch a run-away plant..lol. talk about embarrassed. lol Lights..hmm, are the citrus kept under lights in windows, too? On sunny days, they're getting more than enough light. Are you asking if too much light when temps are cold, may harm a citrus? I don't think it matters. Think about Fl. They have some cold periods, even below freezing, but the days are usually sunny..At least those I've talked to who live in Fl mentioned the cold, yet the days were bright. Are you concerned if citrus get too much light it might force them out of semi-dormancy? Citrus go dormant, (in cold climates) by growing much slower than they do in summer. But never totally dormant. Fruit ripens in winter. Because I don't use a soil-less mix, I won't fertilize..I believe your citrus are in soil-less mixes, right? I don't know the do's and don'ts about fertilizing in winter. That's one thing you need to find out, Mike. I've read threads from people why say, because they're not using soil, they have to fertiilze year round. For nutrients sake. You probably should talk to the person who gave you their recepie, inquire about fertlizing during winter months. Anyway, yeah, I'm still alive..lol. Don't know how long after temps dip in the teens..or -3F. Sheesh. See how your citrus do in cooler temps..I've had better luck keeping the room cooler. Especially with Gardenias. Oh speaking of Gardenias, it's normal to lose a few leaves once they're brought indoors..They yellow and die. Pluck off yellow or brown leaves. Although gardenias and a few other plants like old temps, it seems the longer we keep plants outside, the harder it if for them to adapt, once indoors. When I first grew citrus, I noticed when they were kept out till late Sept, they dropped a good number of leaves, the following year they were brought in around the end of August, and only a few leaves yellowed and dropped. I vowed citrus would never stay out longer than Aug, but after learning about soils and insecticides, changed my mind. Is your Olive in the same room as citrus? Olive is another plant that prefers cooler temps. They're also scale magnets, so inspect periodically. My Olive is planted in Alfala..lol..A woman in Fl grows olives. She's the one who got me started using it. I bought a bag at the pet store..it's pretty inexpensive. I did add a little soil though. When it's watered, water runs through. That IS well-draning..lol..Water less in winter, and stop ferilizing. They like sun year round. Olives are slow-growing..it takes forever to grow a few inches. It's 51.1F, 86% humidity outside. Not bad considering it's the end of Oct..Hope Halloween is nice so the kiddies can trick-or-treat wearing their cute little costumes w/o having to cover up wearing a coat.. Well, back to plants and cleaning..sigh..it's been a long day.. Take care Mike..it's great talking to you. Toni

I have a similar cookbook by Giuliano Bugialli and use it quite frequently as a reference. I think I actually cook Italian food more often than any other cuisine. Will love to hear how the wine tastes - I got some NY wine also, but a cab instead of a white. The pasta will be very enjoyable too. Was it dried? I've never done that with homemade pasta, but it seems like a good idea. Let us know what sauce you make for it! Lars

LOL Jayne! You had to notice that didn't you. I had some more after lunch and shared a couple with the office staff. My plan is to save at least four from each box for my New Years Eve Party.....that's the plan anyway. LOL! I forgot to mention that these were a Pistachio Flavored Cookie. One of my favorite nuts and the color is perfect for Chistmas. David