bring in . . ? winter. . .? sorry - couldn't resist :D I'm with beachplant in that my "winter" clothes won't make an appearance until some time after Turkey day - IF then. - altho we do get a light frost here every once in a while so I do have to keep an eye on the forecast in late january. I AM looking forward to our planting season - which will begin mid-October or so. That's the time I like to get my trees/shrubs/annuals planted and boy oh boy are we going to be digging some holes this year! (hubby doesn't know that yet - it's a surprise!) This is also the time I can start going outside and seriously work in the garden without fear of shriveling up from dehydration. I guess I basically treat our summers like normal people treat winter - time to stay inside and plan for milder weather! (altho it was 104 yesterday. . . and HUUUUUMID!) @tom - I had to laugh at your note that your humidity was pretty low at 43%, anything over 30% around here just flattens me!

Kay. I didn't do nothing in the beds today.I could barely stand up,and move just a little, so I stayed in the recliner almost the entire day.Everytime I moved a little,I was hurting everywhere, but, then about 5 this evening,I decided to go out and just look at the daylilies to see if just possibleI would see a scape making up, but, nope, no such thing, yet, but, I pulled my litthe garden scooter out on the sidewalk and sat on it and pulled weeds out of some of the pots,and jerked dead, brown leaves off them, to make them look better.I should have thought and brought my osmocote out and put a little in each pot, but, never thought about it, till just about 15 minutes ago.only thing I seen new was about a dozen lily bulbs had sprouted and popped up.I even found one where I know I didn't plant one there.My entire body just seemed to be in spasms today, but, mostly in my back.Tomorrow is suppose to be bad storms with a possibility of tornado's.I sure hope no tornados. jean

What good sleuths you are! A Delft vase indeed, Annpan. And Woodnymph, I believe the answer is in the spelling you found - apparently the word is tulipiere rather than tulipier. I wonder if this was a typo in the book, or a spelling variation that no dictionary seems to mention. The pictures on the recommended websites are wild. I don't know how one could miss noticing such an object upon first visit, as the book suggests. From Wikipedia: A tulipiere or tulip-holder is an ornate flower-holder that is usually made of hand-crafted pottery, classically delftware. They are typically constructed to accommodate one single flower stem per spout with a larger common water reservoir base.

Landlord's good at clearing our long lane ... but he, sod farmer on winter holiday, was in Dom. Repub. with wife ... then on trip snowmobiling with pals to N. Quebec, not sure where his son was. No trouble getting in and out for an extended period but after the old guys' coffee hour and shopping and computer stuff, had to back up and go ahead several times in order to get in to house on Thurs. almost two weeks ago, then same story both out and in on Friday while coming to the library to yak to you folks. Stayed home on Sat., some back and forth both ways on Sunday for church, shopping and visit to son. On Monday, after several times back and forth ... got stuck, had quite a lot of shovelling ... to get to church for discussion of topics brought up by our church magazine ... to be told that it had been cancelled, sec. had called me, left a message but I, thinking the machine full, hadn't checked: it's been full for a while. So ... to the library again. On return home ... had enough speed developed at the early part of the lane that I got through O.K. What's that they say ... that guys over 40 aren't supposed to shovel snow|? Snowed overnight ... was really stuck going out on Tuesday ... a pickup truck travelling the road drove back and forth in the lane a few times to break trail for me ... but not in the best spot, and my undercarriage too low, so I was shovelling again ... when the landlord arrived ... so he went home and returned with the snow blower .... I backed quite a long way back the lane and then was able to get out O.K. Later he fired up the (small) bulldozer and cleared a wide path. It's been O.K since ... but snowed last night, snow and ice pellets with freezing rain today, I had to bang the garage door a bit to break a bit of ice, then a bit of shovelling near it and arrived here O.K. ... should be acceptable drive home, despite more snow and freezing rain. I'd thought to go to town ... but thought better of it: too much traffic on busy streets. I may be dumb ... but (claim to be) not stupid. Like in investing: measured risk-taking. And experience helps. Measure of health has a major bearing on the issue, too: as I've said here before, it's seldom that my body says, "Listen, you darned old fool: I can't DO that for you any more!"! Which reminds me: the office assistant at the urologist's called today to tell me my biopsy is to be March 18 ... ... then, 10 min. later, said that Cancer clinic called to say that that was week of March (school) Break ... so my date's to be Mar. 25 ... ... I told her that I'd try to stay alive till then. My P S A test's way high. ole joyfuelled ... thankful to have noted next to no diminution of capability after the pulmonary blood clots almost 4-1/2 years ago