Cynthia, SO nice to finally hear from you. I was getting worried about and "that fool dog of your's". I can't even begin to contemplate how hard this must be. At least with Rex he still had 3 legs left to hop around on... and while he may've been sore for some time he could at least move around and shift position without yelping. I really would like to see a picture if you're up to shooting it and then posting it. Hang tough! I love candles in the windows of a home (pictures? look who's talkin'). The only reason I don't do it here is that there are windowboxes under the roadside window and I fill them with greens that would hide the candles. But when I was a kid we used them. And, MARTIE, we added one for every Sunday in Advent! All the decorations were left up until the Epiphany (Twelfth Night) and they came down the next day. I finished the 3 pediments this afternoon and put them up. I like them. But need to add something pale/bright to the lower edge to keeping them from "oozing" visually into the window below... . Shoulda bought more .99 lemons at Wallyworld, damnit. I have the big pediment on the dining room table right now and am about to embark on that. Boxwood is holding up, and I'm a whiz at making white pine swags now. :) (smells really good in here and the cats are having a total blast... in and out, in and out, doing their wonderful kitty routines. (thinking of Cynthia and the candles). Norma, your photographs are lovely (no "blurries" here, either)! I see a lot more color than just green grass in those shots. I love the way Mother Nature changes the palette over the course of the seasons but gives us the shimmer of rain and snow, instead. Martie, Kyle should be excited about his position. He must be having the time of his life. I'm a bit envious, frankly! :) I'm still struggling with how Mum's life ended, Martie. Not that I think I could have done more (aside from the ususal regrets you feel when someone you love dies), but there are several things I would love the opportunity to go back and "fine tune". I've thought about your question repeatedly over the past few days and still don't really have what I want to say completely figured out. It's such a huge thing to face and I still feel the full force of the wave that overtook me and hurled me onto the beach. I'm still shaking my head and trying to "collect myself"; checking again and again to make sure "everything is here". A good, family plan is the perfect place to start and having the doctor know you is KEY. IF you're able, make sure your Mom's doctor "follows" her if she ends up living with her children or enters a nursing home. That's one of the things I most regret... I loved her doctor when she was with me. He was young, hip, and all about minimizing medications and keeping her ACTIVE. I deeply regret the loss of that when Mum entered that awful place. Many, many thoughts and reminiscences today... alone with my thoughts, the animals and my final project (helmeet working AND going out with his buddy tonight). Some tears, a lot of "singing along", and the appreciation that the decorations are really ALL Mum. I learned it somewhere, afterall! Thinking of my friends tonight and still hoping for some basic pointers on how to "light" a basic TECHINICAL shot with my camera. Please? (MY tent would have a perpetually warm hot water bottle, blue cheese and pate. A cat, a good biography... want to know more about Martin Luther and Abraham Lincoln. Sparkling water with lemon, and Pinot Grigio or a nice red wine. Clementines, olives, and almonds. It would smell like evergreens, too).

Hello everyone! You girls out east can just keep the snow there. Cool pics, Dawn! It is cold here but we only had snow flurries yesterday. Most of the old snow is gone. Remember what they say about March...In like a lion...Out like a lamb. We can hope for that, right? Marea: Those are sure pretty little flowers! Anita: I love your Brug. I had to do a double take...I have some pots just like that. Usually have hostas in mine though! Canna: If you have any hellebore seedlings left save me a few too. I think some of them are hardy through zone 4? Maybe in a sheltered spot? Maybe you know? I just hate it when my washing machine breaks down! Cute pic of the little "artists" painting the step stool! ??Like mother like daughter/son??? In our local shopper yesterday one of the stores showed a really cool arbor/bench for the garden "on sale". I went to check it out and they did not have one on display, so I asked a clerk. She must have thought I was crazy asking for that in Feb! Said I should check back in a few weeks!I must have spring fever bad! I got the seeds Shirley! I am anxious to try them!Thanks!What a cutie your Dawson is! Gloria: Sorry about all your computer woes! Well I better get busy here...laundry and cleaning to do. MaryS

GOOD MORNING ALL, Ok I got the BigLots fever....found roses for 2 bucks each, got every color they had, some were climbing, and a bunch of other stuff I didn't need but just had to have.....(grin). Spent waaaay too much money between that and Wally World....seems that Wally World has stepped it up a bit as far as the variety of bulbs, etc. I got a few new Hosta's, DL's, Lily's, Dahlia's, Glad's, etc. Was able to get everything in the ground but the Glad's.... Going back today to finish blowing my budget..... Been without water for the last 2 days (off, then on, then off)....pipes in the neighbors yard burst. With all that heavy equipment, the bulldozer's, etc., can't get in my own drive... they think they've fixed the problem, then they are right back out here again to realize....it's not fixed. Then they have to dig everything up again, so no water for hours, it's been going on for 2 days and they can't seem to get it right....they are out this morning, again! They have made a mess in the yard, it's raining and mudd everywhere....Well, off to make coffee before the water gets turned off again. Everyone have a GREAT DAY! Jaye

Star Lord is impressing me, Debra, love it every time I see it. And clean blooms is a real plus. At the opposite color is Fancy Lace, a beautiful plant. I have only 1 fan left of that one, and it has not bloomed yet for me. Sherry, Dances With Giraffes Primal scream, and Sailor Sky were the same here, all did well. Primal scream did better than it has in several years. Mantis, Freedom to dance and Soli Deo Gloria look wonderful. I really miss my Soli Deo Gloria, but don't know that I will replace it. Nancy, Heavenly Christmas Cactus and Tramps Like Us seem great for you! Boys Night Out bloomed from 6/25 til 8/15 due to instant rebloom scapes, and was loaded with blooms. There were bouquets many days on it. I remember counting buds, but can't remember just how many there were, but several scapes had in the 30s. I know I had better photos of it, this is early in the season. I like this picture of it best but you can see more of the buds here Fried Green Tomatoes bloomed from 6/5-7/13 Hakuna Matata bloomed from 6/29 - 8/2. It did not do as well this year or last year as previous years. I know 2021 it had bud counts on 2 scapes over 50, and 40+ on 3 other. This year bud counts were in the 30s. I just got Let the sea Resound last fall. It bloomed 6/17 til 7/23, and started reblooming 2 weeks ago with with enough blooms to carry at least another week the Ultimate Sacrafice bloomed from 6/7 -7/6, and then had 3 rebloom scapes 7/13-8/15. I took so many pictures of that one I like Sparkling Giants too. This is its 2nd year, not a huge bud count, just 12-14, not as tall as supposed to be either. Tall enough though, about 36" this year. Hopefully its 3rd year will improve more. I always like christmas in Oz, although not a very tall one, or heavy bloomer and of course, Clown Parade. The last 2 years it has had scapes with bud counts around 35. I guess when I finally stopped dividing it every year, it rewarded me. I deleted some of my photos a couple weeks ago, I must have deleted the best ones cause I see this one is a little blurry and I left some slushy ones on. Only problem, if I can call it a problem, is it blooms so fast its blooms only last 3 weeks. But so lovely while it is going. Whale Tales had its 1st bloom season and did really well, blooming right at 4 weeks. and had a good pattern most of the time 3rd year for Tonto's Receding Headband, and 3rd time it bloomed. the 1st 2 years I got no real bloom because the scapes blasted. It tried to make it up to me this year though and bloomed over a month