Hi Ya'll, I have finally returned to the land of the living! I have spent the last three weeks in the hospital getting poked and jabbed, etc. due to pneumonia caused by that pesky blood clot! They have regulated my blood thinner med's, gave me an inhaler machine to keep my Bronchials open, put me on a strict diet, and restricted my travel, and outdoor activities... Yaaay me! Unfortunately, I returned home to fine my banana trees next to dead! One of them I started from seed last year. On the bright side, My Brug babies look like a small forest in red plastic cups! I guess I lost only two of them. I want to thank everyone who sent E-cards, cards, and best wishes for the holidays. It was very nice to come home to find all of them waiting for me. I just hope nobody thought I was being rude, and ignoring them by not responding earlier. My trip to the hospital was very sudden, and unexpected. I awoke three weeks ago having trouble breathing, and in great pain around my chest, so it was off to doctor land I went! Hahahaha... Anyway, as of today I am home munching on anti-biotic horse pills, and back to planning my tropical back yard. I missed chatting with Ya'll a lot and hope to make up for lost time :) Brugs & Hugs, Bruce

Everyone, you're welcome!! Glad you like the selection! Happy you are all happy with your cuttings. Good luck with all of them this winter. Many had a good start to rooting. Aboout the break-in- Our alarm was not on in our office! Duh!! Mostly the robbery just made everyone paranoid. My husband is still locking all our doors at home- a first for us, living out in the country with six noisy dogs to scare off strangers. Not too much lost but always brings a feeling of violation. This is a first for us in 12 years there and we are not in a good neighborhood, so we have been fortunate. BTW, the alarm is always on now when we leave! We have not caught the bums but that is probably what they are, bums, excuse me, not being PC here, homeless people, in the area. Thanks for all your support and concern. Well, I just dug a bunch of my brugs, with the help of my grandson, Nathan. I'm leaving Adeline to bloom, since I only had two so far, and she had 12 buds on her- getting some color today. I dug up Lucero- he is scalped!! I will post a photo later. Back to work! Brenda

Debbie, I am so sorry for your loss, you loved your Al so much and you had done so much to make his life bearable with all his health problems, you are a wonderful person and a perfect wife to Al, he must have loved you so much too. I think it is absolutely disgusting that people would say that you are young enough to get another man, that is such a cruel thing to say to someone who just lost the love of their life. Yes, we are happy that our loved one isn't suffering any more but we still wish that they hadn't had to die for them to lose their pain. I hold onto the faith that I will see my darling husband in Heaven when I get there. I am glad that you have your children, they are a great source of comfort but the pain of the loss is excrutiating.There are a lot of things you have to take care of after a death and it can take months to get it all done but take your time. The best piece of advice I got from everyone was don't rush into anything, take you time and make sure the decision is right for you before you go ahead. My husband died three months ago and I still haven't taken his shirts out of the closet, I will soon, but when the time is right for me. The memorial by his apple tree sounds like the perfect thing and he will be smiling and saying "this is beautiful Debbie". God Bless you and your family, I wish you well. Mav. PS>If you can, find a bereavement group in you area, maybe the church or the hospital, I did and it has been a great source of comfort.

I'm late to the party but this is one recipe that I've had many times. The list of ingredients is long but OMG it's just *the* best spinache/artichoke dip I've ever had. California Pizza Kitchen's Spinach/Artichoke Dip 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 3/4 cup diced white or yellow onion, cut into 1/8-inch dice 1 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cup chicken stock (preferable homemade) 1 1/2 cup heavy cream 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons dehydrated chicken stock base or crumbled bouillon cubes 1 1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 teaspoon sugar 3/4 cup sour cream 12 ounces frozen spinach, defrosted, drained, wrung out by hand, and coarsely chopped 6 ounces canned artichoke bottoms, drained and cut into 1/8-inch slices 1 cup finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese 3/4 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce Blue and white corn tortilla chips Directions: In a large saucepan, warm the olive oil and butter together over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring frequently and stopping before the onion and garlic brown. Sprinkle the flour and continue cooking, stirring continuously, until the mixture turns a golden-blond color, 10 to 15 minutes. Then, whisking continuously, slowly pour in the stock until it is smoothly incorporated. When the mixture begins to simmer, stir in the cream. Let it return to the simmer. Remove from the heat, add the Parmesan, chicken base or bouillon cubes, lemon juice, and sugar, and stir until thoroughly blended. Add the sour cream, spinach, artichoke bottoms, Monterey Jack cheese and Tabasco sauce, and stir until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and the cheese has melted. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve immediately, accompanied by blue and white corn tortilla chips.