Thanks very much, Mike's Mom! Mike is more than welcome to email me about dogs. I hope you're feeling better... it's definitely no fun to be cooped up indoors with an illness, in winter. I'm more than happy to share my gardens and flowers with everyone... isn't that what it's all about, anyway? Don't worry at all about misspellings or typing errors... not everyone is tech savvy. I wouldn't be, myself, if it weren't for my husband... he's a self-taught computer geek from way back when! We used to have old Commodores in the garage, though I have no idea what he was saving them for! We began getting a little snow early this morning, and now, it's really coming down! I don't know how many inches are predicted, but I can tell we're heading for a White Christmas! I just hope the roads are cleared by the 23rd... we'll be packing everyone up and heading north to see the kids and grandkids, and to drop off a load of pups to their new owners. That should be a fun trip! Four hours in an Escort wagon with a crate full of yipping puppies! Thanks very much for all the compliments, everyone! What began 5 years ago as a blank yard with nothing but a few trees, has become a wonderful conglomeration of bulb and perennial beds, English Style rose gardens, raised vegetable beds, sun and shade gardens, and a small but growing own-root hardy rose nursery! My partner and I hope to have a small to medium sized greenhouse erected next spring... although, we've been planning that for 3 years, now... and we'll use it to start our rose cuttings. We're specializing in truly hardy, own-root roses... mainly old fashioned and hard to find varieties, although we'll have Canadian, Iowa Buck, some English, German, and other rose types, too. There are so few rose sellers in our area, and it seems that the majority of rose plants are grown in Texas, or are grafted varieties that just don't do well in northern gardens. Roses and perennials are my outdoor passions, but indoors, I'm addicted to Amaryllids, and trying to grow orchids! No... I haven't had the pleasure of seeing JoJo's dogs yet... I do hope she posts some pictures! Don't get me started on dog rescues and shelters... I'll never get off THAT soap box! There's no reason for our nation to have such an overwhelming dog and cat population problem... and if more breeders and owners took real responsibility, we wouldn't have a need for pet rescues and shelters! We live in such a capitalistic, disposable, consumer driven society... it seems that everything is created to be used and discarded. This mentality seems to carry over into the area of our pets, too, because so many people get pups or kittens or other baby animals, never realizing that these are living, breathing, feeling animals, completely at our mercy. They require a lifelong commitment, and yet, so many people dump them once they find out a little work is necessary, or some training is involved, or they get bored... it's so sad. I can't even watch the Humane Society commercial on tv without weeping like a baby... just thinking about all those innocent, defenseless animals that are abused, or dumped, or unwanted. Owning a pet is a lifetime responsibility, and breeding is an even bigger responsibility. We owe it to our animals to do it right. Ok... I'm climbing off my soap box now... it's a subject that irks me no end... Mike, take care of yourself... pneumonia is not something to mess around with! If you get too sick, who will take care of YOU? And now... since everyone is having such a good time... here are a few more pictures from earlier this season... And that concludes our garden tour for this evening! :-) Thank you for joining me... it's nice to look back at the gardens of summer... especially since it's still snowing out there! Yikes! My photo album online contains over 2 thousand and forty something images of flowers, family and pets... in no particular order, other than as they were taken and uploaded. I'm happy to share my garden accomplishments... and I'm glad they have the power to make you all smile! Happy Holidays!

Waiting for the kettle to boil. I'm whimping out again today, as the humidity is overwhelming out there. So, I'll drink my tea while watching "Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince" for the 10th. time(!). Your welcome,lass. Hope to see your pics soon,too. Becky, that cup of tea looks delicious. I can just smell the aroma. Come on kettle. Taking it's good ole' time this afternoon - oops there it goes! See you on the other side of the cup.

Thanks so much everyone! I lost Voila Francois (super sad about that one because I was in love) and a lot of my plants had buds that literally dried to a crisp before opening, so in addition to these being pretty, they are survivors! O cool! Thanks, Nate, for the heads up on photo option :) ANd yes..I guess the ones peeking through green are not sad and yellow - they're angry and tan Lol ;) *waves* Hi, Nancy :) Glad your computer is up and running.

There appears to be kind of a taupe brown color in the large center medalliion areas of the rug. I think that might be a very sophisticated color for the DR. Brushed nickel accents in the room, a chandy in the brushed nickel with shades in the red. Of course, your furniture will play into the color choice, as will the flooring color. As for the entry, you say it isn't really much of an entry space, and part of it will be closed in when the doors to the home schooling space are closed. I think I would be inclined to do a soft cream color, perhaps like the one in the rug, for the entry. But that may also be dependent on the trim in the entry area, the flooring, etc. More specific details about the space would help.