We've had Spring & Autumn Swaps in Ft Worth for a number of years now, & they've evolved over time from simply getting together & trading to our latest one, an absolute extravaganza of trading, visiting, prizes, & a rose-propagation demonstration. The first element you need is the facility; Since yours will be a Master Gardeners event, you may be able to use their meeting room/picnic area/whatever. The Belton Swap last summer was held on the grounds of the facility (can't remember exactly what it was!) where the MGs had their greenhouses. That was wonderful: we got to tour the greenhouses with a MG who told us about all the plants & their needs & habits. Gardenweb member xtal organized that one; you might email her for tips particular to setting up a swap sponsored by MGs rather than just a group of us gardeners from gardenweb. Some facilitating tips I've learned are: post often enough to keep the threads on page 1 of the appropriate gardenweb forum so more people see the info. Post photos of "photogenic" plants that you'll bring (or whose seeds you'll bring). On Discussions & Conversations, refer to the Exchanges post; ask people not to reply on Discussions or Conversations, & keep everything on the Exchanges page. Post the date, time, & place. Give simple, clear driving directions & maybe link to a map. mention & encourage others to mention what plants they plan to bring. encourage pre-trades: people will be more committed to attending if they know someone else is counting on them, & they'll be more excited about coming if they know that they'll come home with something they really want. Post a *minimum number* of simple, loose, clear "rules" & foster the spirit of sharing. Rules like: don't take anything unless the person who brought it says you can (seriously) no selling (or some selling, or whatever, as long as the rule is the same every time for every attendee) no rules as to what can be traded for what: a fair trade is what the traders agree on. if I want to trade an 30" tall shrub for a package of tomato seeds, that's fine. no alcohol, no glass bottles clean up your own mess In addition to "rules", there are "hints" or "suggestions". like Put pre-trades in cardboard boxes clearly labeled with the recipient's name. You might also put on the label the names of the plants that that trader is bringing for you. Put things that are available in one place, & things that are committed to a pre-trade or that are to go home with ou in another place. Folding tables & chairs & garden carts are extremely handy! (You can put "unavailable" things under the table.) Take along a notebook, pen, & camera; these really help you remember what you're supposed to do with that plant! Encourage newcomers to attend, even if they don't have plants or seeds; growing gardeners is an excellent way to grow gardens! We've always shared potluck, but it isn't mandatory for every person to bring something, & we don't ask for money to subsidize the potluck; asking for money at a swap sort of contradicts the basic premise of sharing. But...at the Spring 2007 swap, one clever gardener, whose garden is too new to have enough to share, brought her husband (got a nice rose for him, too-snork!-I'm kidding!), & they made lunch for the group in exchange for plants. It worked out beautifully! I've tried to keep things as simple & loose as possible, to make the swaps undemanding & easy for anyone to enjoy. At first, we didn't go in for games & prizes, since our swaps are "come & go" affairs: People often bring their children, & you can't wait around a plant swap for a game or prize if it conflicts with, say, a soccer game. At the Spring 2007 Swap, we did have prizes, brought by anyone who felt moved to do so, & we drew tickets for them; We put all the prizes on a table, put our names on tickets, & when your ticket was drawn, you picked the prize you wanted. It worked out great, & it was loads of fun. Other than that, the swap takes care of itself as the traders get into the groove & visit & share experiences & tips, so be sure to follow the prime rule of hostessing: enjoy your own party!

Well, I can't say the best singer has always won. Can never forget Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken. You're right, people say they like her, she did well, and such as that. But no one has said she is their favorite to win. It's hard to imagine luke warm responses if Celine were a contestant. I like the guys better too, but I can't say it is because they are better singers than Carly. They are more appealing is more like the reason. I'm trying to say she doesn't impact me much. She doesn't excite me when I hear her. Brooke, for example, is very middle of the road - no antics, no soaring, nothing to write home about - but I get the warm fuzzies when she sings. I smile when she's on stage and in her element. She has an affect. David Cook makes me have a ball right along with him. He takes me on his ride. David A. makes me want to hug him and mess up his hair LOL. I could say similar of all the other contestants, whereas Carly has no affect at all. It is undeniable that she's good, but she doesn't impact the listener like the others do.

The bright side is hard to find without some good visuals. Do you want a beautiful 5star range although petite or a giant large open fire to cook your food on the cowboy way???? My next question is vital to the answer, Which would you rather have for dessert? Or maybe this.... So back to the size of your range and what it can do. The size and functionality questions. Beautiful gorgoeus tiny but makes great cakes FiveStar ????? Or the Cowboy way??????? Open giant fire pit is not a great way to make a cake. Hands down, I vote for the Tiny but beautiful 5star range you have in your kitchen. You made an excellent choice. ~boxerpups who suddenly finds herself craving cake.

Um, yes. You aren't alone. DH has been making trim for over a week, except everything but that has happened; oil changed, guns cleaned, beer drank, fishing tried, DS guns cleaned, antlers from deer strapped to yard scooter, beer drank, changed water pump, looked up cures for some kind of man itch with friend while drinking beer, blah de blah de blah. Yesterday, I got two test pieces of trim and the explanation that "making trim takes time, you can't just get it all done in a day". Oh and he bought some calcium carbonite rocks because if you drip water on them you can light the acetylene gas it gives off like in the old miners' helmets. Gift for DS for Christmas, at least. Alternate between wanting to smooch him and strangle him.