Well hey, what great encouragement, Strawbs. Mind, there is a world of difference between stream of consciousness waffling on my favourite plant forum and actually having the discipline (a very unfamiliar word) to maintain interest and consistency. I suspect writing is a vocation rather than a passing whim - those who do it (and do it well) could no more NOT write than not breathe. Even so, I do agree that a challenge, even if only a tiny personal daily chore, is always worth taking on. So, I dipped a tentative toe into the world of self-publishing and possible blogging (or at least looked at various websites). Although I haven't been terrified out of making an attempt (so far), I have been entertained by the legions of literary editors, wannabe authors and the cut-throat (and ever-so faintly delusional) nature of that whole bookish domain - considerably more predatory than the genteel world of horticulture - although I think the giant vegetable brigade are a tad more excitable (homicidal) than mere dilettantes such as most of us. At any rate, I have found it both comforting and enlightening, sharing experiences here - not just regarding plants and planting,but as a way of crossing cultural and social barriers which may well have proved insurmountable in real life. Since I find I can ramble on interminably despite a totally humdrum existence - having something interesting, or at least different, to deal with could produce a tsunami of creativity - at the very least, I am not expecting to die of boredom any time soon. Plus, I have a camera...and vaguely know how to use it....so I expect I will carry on as usual (with pics). So, to rise to the challenge of seeing this as an adventure and not a disaster, please forgive if I slip into occasional venting mode. And, to keep me company in uncharted waters, who else is intending to step off the everyday path, however daintily (maybe an experimental garden plan, a diet, a renunciation or a promise - something which takes you a tiny bit out of your comfort zone)?

Cena, that sounds awful, but it is good you take precautions. I never knew there were black widows in New Jersey until my brother moved into a house in the pines that was infested with them. I also live in a heavily wooded piney area with lots of spiders, but no widows that I know of. Exterminators say that they sometimes get transported with lumber from the south. It doesn't matter, because all spiders are venomous. My mother was gardening last week and while weeding something bit her on the back of the hand, her whole hand swelled up and she said the pain was like the ache of a bruise...she went to the doctor, who said it was most likely a spider bite, and they took it very seriously and put her on an antibiotic, and told her to go to the ER if it got any worse that night or the next day. You don't want to mess around with spider bites. They can hang out in my yard all they want, but if I see them indoors, they are dead. I had heard of spiders carrying their babies around, but always thought it was big exotic spiders in the jungle or in Australia or somewhere. At least somewhere OUTDOORS!! I didn't know our spiders around here did that, and not liking to know more than is necessary, I have not done too much spider research. Denise, your spider was inside too - It was bad enough dealing with that mama spider on the back porch, it it had been right inside the house, I probably would have moved out by now!! And, believe it or not, we just had the exterminator out last week, and he sprayed both indoors and out. I really should give him a call.

Tinkyada is a staple here. I also eat the Quinoa based pasta(higher in protein but it doesn't cook as easily). My DH got me some G/F Kinninnick foods for my birthday. I got donuts,a cake,a pizza(Amy's),hotdog buns and bread! I ate like a normal person for a week. Unfortunaly, I also packed on an extra 6 pounds. Had to curb that habit! I can bake normal tasting food with a potatoe,rice,and starch flour mix with Xanthum gum as a binder. Having celiac has forced this person to learn how to cook! You garden in the Pacific Northwest! Seattle? I'm origionally from So. Cal( high desert) and now I'm trying my hand at TX native gardening. A LOT more water but serious hot/dry spells as well. It tends to be drought or drown here. I'm not sure if I could garden in overcast/wet! Acid soil? Only in bags from the store! LOL! The PNW is beautiful no doubt tho. We're in the same hardiness zone(7b).When I'm done taking care of my dad(sandwich gen) I'll be back on that side of the country too. I love TX but my family (except dad) is all back there. There is so much conflicting advice about minerals. I just take it slow and see how I react. Playing it by ear has always been the best way. People are so unique in their bodies it's nearly impossible to judge how anyone is going to do. Gardening is HARD work! I envy your acreage. I half a half acre here. If I don't use the tractor thingie mowing takes all darn day! I use the cart for a mulch bin. The constant exercise helps with gardening. If it weren't for the yoga I'd definatly have hurt myself by now. Gardening isn't for whimps. Trees are akward and heavy; soil in a bag is dead weight with no support;hoses snag on stuff and suddenly you're practically being thrown backward;bricks and rocks are heavy and "surprises" live them; and your "helpers"(animals/kids) tend to run under your feet at the worst possible moment! I'm resting today. Tommorrow is weight training. Saturday is how far I can run/walk. Four miles was pretty easy(especially the walk parts). I need to see what I can do. PJ

No problem, maybee. If you don't want to read it - no one said that you had to. The reference to the high living related to students in Univ. that go to sleep at the beginning of the class that they paid expensive tuition to attend ... because they celebrated a bit too loud and long on the previous evening ... was that I would feel it necessary to help them get their money's worth! It was made substantially tongue-in-cheek, with regard to your situation. Anyway - what responsibility do I have to waken you ... you didn't pay any fees, here! Sorry if I offended you ... I do instigate some levity around here, at times. However - would you like to deal with the issue? Rather than shooting the messenger. I was checking my old copies of the financial magazine that I respect, this evening. I found a saying that I like. "Financial freedom is ... priceless! Pass it on!". Learning how money works is useful, and pays. And I've been offering my viewpoint regarding using money more effectiely for some time. To help people achieve financial freedom. Free ... here. Anyone who wishes to check it out is welcome, and if many choose not to, that's fine ... I wouldn't twist arms, even if I could. I don't appreciate others trying to live my life for me, though I take heed of their comments regarding it. I have felt for years as a counsellor that my task with others is to help them examine and deal with various aspects of their life that they invite me to do, in ways that will enable them to cope with living more effectively, on their own. It's not up to me to make others' decisions for them - they need to become increasingly capable to manage their own lives more effectively. I want individuals and families to learn how to run their own money. A local man who makes presentations about money management laments that there isn't more of it taught in schools, and I agree. Is it possible to buy a dollar's worth of value for 60 cents, as that mutual funds' manager said? Who knows. But I still think that it makes sense to do some buying, as time goes along. As many say ... trying to time the market is a fool's game. "What's the greatest risk in the investment market", asked one writer in the mag, "being in the market when it's going down?". "No - not being in it when it's going up!" was his advice. Good wishes for managing your income and assets with increasing skill. ole joyful P.S. I want to be able to fund what part of my future medical services which are not covered by the Canadian medical and hospital care system, for which I am mightily thankful, though I've made minimal use of it, thus far. Plus cover residential and nursing home care, as may be required. Plus pay for funeral and final income tax. I want to leave some assets for my offspring, for I feel that there may well be some troubled years ahead for our economy - and I'd like to leave as much extra cushion to enable them to cope with it as I can. And I want to support some charities at the end of my life, as I have during it. I lived for years where people had to scrounge what they could to build themselves a shack and wondered where the next meal was coming from. That has an effect. No way could I justify owning one home for year-round use, plus a second for a short stay in summer: millions have been able to (so far) ... I can't. Also - it takes a great deal of energy, which reduces the remaining supply, plus adds to both global warming and pollutants flying around the air and water, to build an automobile. It cost me more a few months ago to fix my 20 year old car than I paid for it less than a year previously, but I think that there's a good possibility that it will run for quite a few miles yet, so felt that it was the responsible thing to do to repair it. We should get on the backs of the builders of our appliances, requiring them to build appliances that will last for 40 years rather than 10, as it takes a lot of resources plus much heating and polluting energy to build a fridge. Soon after they began building fridges, 70 years ago, they were building ones that would last for 40 years. They won't do it now, for they want us to buy new, again ... soon. We can no longer afford such foolishness. They say that it'll take the resources of four planets like ours to serve the needs of our world with its present population, if most of them get to live higher on the hog, anywhere similar to what we've been used to. Further ... I grew up a few years after the Dirty Thirties, the Great Depression ... and during the six years of scarcity during World War II. o j