I totally get your excitement. I have a few citrus trees started from seeds years ago - lemon, key lime, grapefruit, and satsuma orange - some of which are pushing 4 feet tall but none have flowered... yet. I'm sure when they do I'll be gushing on here just like you. Congrats! Make sure squirrels stay the hell away from them - they will pull every little fruit off they can when they are small. It seems like once they are golf-ball sized squirrels then leave them alone. I have lost entire treefulls of lemons, oranges and grapefruit to the stinkin' squirrels.

Both my prior engagements were cancelled...I pretended to be disappointed, but I was actually THRILLED to have more time to do things outside. So: Picked up 6 garbage cans full of free mulch from the township yard waste grounds and plopped in the driveway; Picked up 20 bags of compost and tilled them into veggie garden; Sowed lettuce, spinach, leeks, carrots and Swiss chard; Realized after much scolding that the dog (acquired in September) was not going to respect neatly sown beds; Ran to HD and picked up 2.5foot fence/post system; Installed fence; Went inside until sweating ceased; ate cold dinner standing at the counter; Dug up 100+ dandylions whoring themselves in the lawn (that snaketongue-shaped tool works great) Watched Terminator 3 & went to bed. Sunday: Dug out hose from the garage and attempted to fix broken sprayer thingie; Changed soaked clothes; Watered newly fenced-in veggie seeds while trying *not* to water neighbor's newly aquired kitchen cabinets which were on the other side of the fence; Assembled and installed garbage can screen ; Back to HD to get lattice to make into rose trellis for side of house (Spectra) Got DH to hold lattice while I climbed ladder to mark cutlines; Cleaned out gutters while I was up there; Amended soil and planted Spectra rose; Convinced DH to mow lawn; Put together lattice and mitered end caps. It came out great! I'll install that on Tuesday. Found excuse to lay on grass near hyacinths (weeding) It's amazing how one chore leads to another, isn't it?

I do care what you are working on. In fact, I am helping my husband with his first book. I can't say I have had the privilege of doing my own book. Books are hard work. I wish to God his was done. Unfortunately or fortunately he has a book deal for book two and three. So please, please tell me what your book is about, what is your deadline, and is this your first? Do you still see your family or are you pulling your hair out at every deadline? Most of my writing has been about myself and to promote my sculpting. Just recently I realized how much I love it and have been writing for monthly paper for a year now. I write about anything I want, so that is quite fun. Some assignments. But truly I would say I am a beginner. Can you give me your web site so I can take a look a your other stuff? Bridgette

Allison, I love your laundry room! I wish I had a bigger laundry room but just having one across from my bedroom and not in a tiny little closet and not having to go to the laundry mat is one of the nice features that sold me on the townhouse I bought a little less than 11 years ago. Where are your hampers? I just love your taste of knowing where everything should be in a room to create rooms with both class and beauty. I just bought two white wicker hampers with two compartments at Fran's Wicker & Rattan Furniture Store and were amazed at the just about no smell. They have velcro cotton drawstring bags inside and are very well sealed. I aired them out for a week so they will have no smell at all. I am glad I went with such pretty hampers that were reasonably priced for the quality. Now I have to take the suggestions I got from others on making the rest of the room nice when I have time.