Ms Kathy: I see you !!! & Jesus Sees You !!! and He is very very proud of you.... He is the One who makes ALL our Hearts Share... Because He Cares For US ! ! ! ~~~ We Care For * O * T * H * E * R * S !!!!!!!!!!!! You are the perfect example of His LOVE !!!!!!!!!! Every single person N E E D S ~~~ Someone to ***BELIVE **** in them... and Not be Judgemental !!! Like I said I am very glad that you set your boundries !!! That Had to be done.... and I am sure that Truly.... He NEEDS THEM SET !!!!!!!!!!!! It feels better to have some RULES & GUIDELINES TO FOLLOW ! ! ! I Just am so truly Blessed for having getting to Know YOU ((((((((((((YOU))))))))))))))) Ms Kathy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANKS FOR BEING THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE FOR THIS YOUNG MAN >............. who must feel in his heart that you care for him. *** Shared Stories build a relational BRIDGE... tht Jesus can walk across..... from your heart... from The Purpose Driven Life... by Pastor Rick Warren !!!! You are doing that Ms Kathy.... Building that Bridge with your L \* O \* V \* E !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You just might be the ONLY true LOVE this Young Man experiences !!!! BUT HE MUST FOLLOW THE RULES !!!!!!!!!!!!! God Bless ! SusieSunshine \*\*\*\* Your in my Thoughts & Prayers !!!!!!!!!!!!

You all have been so great and such a comfort. Thanks for all your good thoughts and sunflowers. Since I haven't been at work and don't have a 'puter at home, I have been posting from the Hope Lodge when I'm here. Have the pre-op exam tomorrow and will (hopefully) get the surgery date then. I'll try to go to work a few hours next week and will check back then. Have the tree up and some decorating done. Radiation went very well until the last two days of it, then the side-effects really settled in. After having 51 years of a VERY VERY full head of hair, I can now wash it with a washcloth! Wasn't prepared for that since even with brain radiation, you don't always lose your hair. But I was given a nice wig and it has an upside - the clerk at the store I usually shop at didn't know who I was, the manager at Hope Lodge didn't know who I was, and one of the guests here thought I was my daughter! Should have shaved my head and gotten a wig years ago. To all the "old-timers" and the newcomers, happy holidays!!!

Raised beds are great but not in hot dry climates (they dry out even faster). Below is a link to a website that you may get ideas from, the farm is in Fresno, hot and dry. A good book I might recommend is Steve Solomon's Gardening When It Counts. Also Tony Kienitz' The Year I Ate My Yard (his yard is in Pasadena). If it were my yard, tomorrow I would go to a local stable and ask for manure (LA Equestrian Center will even load it in your pickup truck bed for $20, manure is free) and distribute that evenly over the backyard (and front if you have time). Then harvest neighbors' bagged up leaves they are disposing of. Ask the gardeners to leave lawn clippings for you in your front yard, leave 5 gal. buckets at Starbucks to collect the coffee grounds etc. No need to spend much if any money on any of this. The worms and microorganisms will till for you, if you break the ground you lose nitrogen and carbon to the atmosphere so don't bother. Mulch composts in contact with soil, no need for a compost pile. In the valley you can overhead water without fear, the water evaporates fast and there's no danger of fungal disease (I only overhead water, early in the morning). Read up on cover crops, they will break up the hard soil with deep roots, bring humus and nitrogen to the soil and feed microorganisms as they rot (when you cut them down) - things like legumes, favas, buckwheat (cover crops for horticulture and hand-farming, not machine farming as some cover crops require heavy machinery to cut down). Here is a link that might be useful: Whole Systems Agriculture

That looks great Brandy. That is something like what I would like to do on the porch. We have a tiny little overhang on a 20 x 15 slab that would make a nice greenhouse/porch if the entire thing was covered and had some nice panels for plenty of sunlight but still protect us from rain. Still working on hubby, lol. That is a very cool sunlflower. No wonder you wanted to save seeds so bad. I would try it anyway. You never know I guess until you do.