A better view,... I have the two trees ( 6 & 18 ft tall), situated close to front of my 10' x 20 ' lanai. From early March thru June is my favorite time out there. The weather is coolish, - with 76 - 83 deg highs, little humidity and with a 7 - 9 mph breeze that ebbes and flows, - gently providing the faint scent of the large white flowers,..magic ! Why I moved to Florida, hard to experience this in an apt building in Manhattan ! lol This post was edited by jofus on Sat, Oct 26, 13 at 12:20

Does anyone have insider information on whether Sequoia Nursery will still be in business next year? I already ordered but am tempted to order again just to be sure I will get some I was going to get next year.

Brutuses, I like your counter and agree with your reason for choosing it. I still have the Formica "butcher block" counters that my kitchen has had since 1978. They are in very good condition and blend well with my kitchen. They certainly aren't up-to-date, and eventually we will change them out....but not until there is truly a need. And, the photos below show just where my practical (stubbornly so? ;) streak began. This is the house where I grew up, and my father still lives there. These photos were taken just a few Christmases ago. Yes, those are the *original* coppertone appliances, Formica counters, and a faux brick backsplash in their kitchen. In that second photo of their living room, the wool carpet and drapes are also original to the house (1965), and still look nice and timeless. Can you tell that they loved and were influenced by their visits to Williamsburg? :) My parents have always taken good care of their things (that carpet is spotless), and remembered the lessons from the Great Depression. They didn't see a need to replace something until it was required (and neither did most of their friends)...my mother said that those coppertone appliances would outlive her, and sadly they have. They didn't criticize if others liked to keep up with the "latest and greatest", they just didn't feel that need themselves. She and my father enjoyed their "antiquing" trips and found lots of goodies (almost always at a bargain price) on their jaunts, went out a lot with family and friends, and my mother enjoyed hosting events for her various ladies' clubs, so they did have some fun with a little of their money. They just didn't replace things just to replace them. That house may be full of older (working) appliances and some out-of-date finishes, but somehow it still "works". It is a warm home full of laughter and fun, and everyone always feels welcome there. I hope that my kids will remember my home the same way, regardless of the finish. :)

Figured I owe a follow-up. I made char siu last week, recipe below, with intentions of making bau over the weekend with the leftovers. Well life got in the way and it never seemed a great time to start playing with the yeast dough and my new steamer. So last night I simply diced up the pork and used the ingredients list from the LA Times recipe to make a sauce and served it over rice. The pork was really good, both meals. Of course I definitely want to try making bao though. Maybe I'll make it with the "Golly Gee" chicken recipe from LA Times just to mix it up a bit. Either way, I'll post again, with pictures, when I get around to it. Char Siu Cooks Illustrated Serves 6 To facilitate cleanup, spray the rack and pan with vegetable oil spray. The pork will release liquid and fat during the cooking process, so be careful when removing the pan from the oven. If you don't have a wire rack that fits in a rimmed baking sheet, substitute a broiler pan, although the meat may not darken as much. Pay close attention to the meat when broiling-you are looking for it to darken and caramelize, not blacken. Do not use a drawer broiler--the heat source will be too close to the meat. Instead, increase the oven temperature in step 5 to 500 degrees and cook for 8 to 12 minutes before glazing and 6 to 8 minutes once the glaze has been applied; flip meat and repeat on second side. This recipe can be made with boneless country-style ribs, but the meat will be slightly drier and less flavorful. To use ribs, reduce the uncovered cooking time in step 4 to 20 minutes and increase the broiling and glazing times in step 5 by 2 to 3 minutes per side. This dish is best served with rice and a vegetable side dish. Leftover pork makes an excellent addition to fried rice or an Asian noodle soup. Ingredients 4 pound boneless pork butt (Boston butt) , cut into 8 strips and excess fat removed 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup soy sauce 6 tablespoons hoisin sauce 1/4 cup dry sherry 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (from 4- to 6-inch piece) 2 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons) 1/4 cup ketchup 1/3 cup honey Instructions 1. Using fork, prick pork 10 to 12 times on each side. Place pork in large plastic zipper-lock bag. Combine sugar, soy, hoisin, sherry, pepper, five-spice powder, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic in medium bowl. Measure out 1/2 cup marinade and set aside. Pour remaining marinade into bag with pork. Press out as much air as possible; seal bag. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. 2. While meat marinates, combine ketchup and honey with reserved marinade in small saucepan. Cook glaze over medium heat until syrupy and reduced to 1 cup, 4 to 6 minutes. 3. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set wire rack on sheet. 4. Remove pork from marinade, letting any excess drip off, and place on wire rack. Pour 1/4 cup water into bottom of pan. Cover pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil, crimping edges tightly to seal. Cook pork for 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue to cook until edges of pork begin to brown, 40 to 45 minutes. 5. Turn on broiler. Broil pork until evenly caramelized, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove pan from oven and brush pork with half of glaze; broil until deep mahogany color, 3 to 5 minutes. Using tongs, flip meat and broil until other side caramelizes, 7 to 9 minutes. Brush meat with remaining glaze and continue to broil until second side is deep mahogany, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes, then cut into thin strips and serve.