I looked each up and I have an herb book, several, but they give the same directions mostly accept a few, there are 5 on the list I understand in every way they couldn't have sprouted. I cold treated the hops, as was noted on the package. I really liked the smell of them too, almost like anise. I would have tried them sooner if I had known what they smelled like. The milk thistle ones say it's easy to grow them, but you describe them as picky as they seemed to be. I direct sowed them in the ground, maybe too early, but I really got nothing accept poppies, fennel, castor bean, mullein, and borage from everything I planted herb wise. The borage got top heavy and died. The poppies didn't make many seeds, and I let them drop. I was really hoping to get mint plants growing, I know spearmint sprouted in a planter, but died due to neglect of it sprouting way too late once most of everything else had been taken out of the planter, not knowing anything would still grow. I'm looking for hints like maifleur gave, that is going to help. Direct sunlight is what most of them needed because they all said the same thing on the package. I'm afraid to plant anything in fall, my garden is under leaves right now, about 67 of them I counted now, but then there were more. I still have about 30 to dump and have to clear some areas of old stalks and the privot that keeps growing wild every where. Between privot and the onslaught of walnut seedlings I'm finding, I'm getting scared. Fall planting may make the onions rot, so I'll have to start them out in flats. The lavender sounds tricky, so they sent a big package of those, I'll try again under lamp just to get some sprouted. I'll do the same for the milk thistle under lamp then put in a cool damp, but warm enough spot to get them growing. The hops and cilantro, I've read to score the seed after soaking them 24 hours, then plant, the seed is a hull of 2 seeds, so it makes sense. I'll be looking each plant and reading blogs on each until I can see proven 100 percent method. I appreciate this and I hope next year I'll be in check, have a few of each plant at least.

" Is it nuts to hold onto an old car?" Not no but He@@ NO! Whats nuts is buying a new car. First off, the only time you ever get a chance to drive a "New Car" is that brief period at the dealership when they allow you a test drive. During the test drive the car is still registered under the dealers "In Transit Title" and it is legally a new car. The moment the title is put in your name and you sign the document it becomes a "Used Car" and the value instantly drops from the MSRP window sticker to the "Blue Book Price" even before you attach your license plates or start the motor the first time. What is really nuts is taking a cash rebate instead of demanding they take that number off the selling price. Consider the facts. They artificially inflate the price by $2,000 and offer you a $2k rebate which you are to receive after the sale. You negotiate your best price (which still contains that artificially inflated $2,000) and you sign the contract. You now have two choices, you can write them a check for the full amount or you have to finance the transaction. If you have to finance it, you are now paying interest for the full term of the note on that rebate, even though you will get the money back at closing. Not a bad deal for them, they hold your money for perhaps one day and you pay interest on it for 5 years. Now, when you get insurance you are also paying insurance on that $2,000 rebate that you took back immediately and went shopping for other stuff you probably didn't need. Oh yes, Did I mention that you also payed sales tax on the rebate money tooo. But then it is not all bad, hopefully you don't live in my state where you have to pay an excise tax on the value of your vehicle every year, including that $2,000 artificial markup. Personally, I wouldn't buy a new car if I won the lottery.

What a beautiful place you have. I have a couple of suggestions. One; don't say small bedrooms, just say bedrooms. You have the sizes listed, people can judge for themselves. Really, only one of them seems small to me. Two; your pictures are in no order. You should regroup them. Start with the front of the house and the porch. Then show the inside rooms. Put all of the bedroom pictures together and all of the kitchen together. I didn't see a picture of the bathroom, can you put a picture of it? You don't need all the pictures you have. Next do the putside areas. Cut some of them, like the pictures of the dogs. Put all the barn and horse pictures together. Put all of the backyard/deck pictures togeather. Some of your pictures are too dark and many of them look cluttered. For example clear all the small stuff off your kitchen countertops before the picture is taken. You could get an estimate for converting the smallest bedroom into a bathroom. Even if you don't plan on doing it you could have it to show a buyer. I think a lot of people would perfer a 3 bedroom 2 bath house to a 4 bedroom 1 bath house. Good luck, I hope you get another buyer soon!

About 25% of the book. Though there have been occasions when I have enjoyed the book up to the halfway point and something then happens that totally POOFS! the magic feel, and I will fasforward to the ending. This is mainly for closure. If the ending is just horrible I then toss the book, but if it is intriguing, I will go back and skim to the finish. Woodnymph, I have both Hilary Mantel's novels and am having the same problem as you. These are books I should enjoy but somehow I'm missing the bus. I havent given up yet though. Re: Garcia Marquez - I really x3 tried with One Hundred Years of Solitude, but was just baffled. I hated it. It was for book club so I did manage to get through the whole thing but decided that this type of magic realism is not for me. :)