Outsmarting the tree rats (squirrels) around my house is a full time job. This past spring I hit on a new idea. When I plant a container I invert an empty wire hanging basket over the container and the plant gets sun and can be watered but the squirrels can't dig in it. Another idea: I bring in a lot of plants to "over winter" under lights in my garage. I have so many that it is hard to reach my hand under the lights (4 shop lights) to the middle for watering. So I bought a pump sprayer with a long wand and it works great! In late winter I add a little liquid Dawn detergent, few drops, to each gallon of water and not only does the soil get wet easier but the worms that are waiting to hatch into distructive pets just don't hatch. Don't know what it costs me to run those four shop lights all winter but I don't care. It is a small price to pay to be able to "garden" every weekend in the garage. Many people have mentioned that they mark their outdoor plants with a "permanent Sharpie". In my experience there isn't a "permanent Sharpie", they all fade and quickly too. A grease pencil/china marker or expensive "no fade" garden center marker are the only markers I have found that won't disappoint you by fading. Eight years ago I decided to learn about gardening so I tapped into my local library. I checked out nearly every book they had on gardening and learned so much. The Gardenweb forums are also a wealth of information and entertainment. There is always something new to learn and I appreciate all of you who take the time to write in your ideas. One last idea from me...I keep a small notebook on my computer table and jot down any idea I find that's new and I will want to try. Little pieces of paper get lost but I always know where my notebook is and also use it when I order "on line" so I will remember the name of the company and the order date. Tina or Trowelgal

Wow! I am soooooo thrilled for you guys!!!! Woo Hoo! They are laughing at me here thinking I am a nut because I am so incredibly happy for all of you that have received your envies! Patty really knows how to put it together doesn't she? I know I have said this before,but I have spoke to Patty quite a few times throughout the swap via the phone,and I know how hard she worked to put it together so well for us,she really puts ALOT of thought into putting our envies together!:) Thank you Patty for bringing so much happiness to this great bunch of people,you really rock girl! :D Nikki,you are so welcome! I received all my seeds via seed trading and gifts from the awesome traders we have here at GW,I have bought a few,but the majority is just from the awesome traders we have here! Many of my seeds I am proud to announce are freshly harvested,all grown from the generosity of others! I am so happy I have an opportunity to pay it forward!:) You can email me anytime with any questions,if I don't have an answer,I will help you find one! You are always welcome here!;) Nancy,you get a special "your welcome"! ;) It was my pleasure really,looking at all these smiling faces(well,I imagine your smiles!;),sure does do a person good! Enjoy your seeds,we will have to trade in the future,we have alot in common!:) Cindy girl,you are a sweetie,that is for sure! It was such a pleasure for me to be able to send you seeds you really wanted! Here's to many more in the future! :) Melinda,hold on tight it is a coming!...lol... Cheryl,I was so happy I had some to send to you! I don't know if you remember,but you were one of the first SASBE offers I received as a newbie. You sent me awesome seeds and were really super nice to me,so it is my pleasure to send little bundles of joy your way! Enjoy them,as others have enjoyed the seeds you were so generous to share with us! :) Carol! You go girl! Sow away! I can see myself in a seed sowing frenzy by the weekend too!...lol...;) Tina you are so funny! I just picture you there packing soil into containers,anticipating what goodies are on their way to you! Oh I cant wait!!!!....lol... I have to say that this swap has been loads of fun,and I really hope there will be a thread started on the Conv. side for us all to get together ,chit chat and have some fun with 21 questions,this is an awesome group of people and I hate to see it end! I haven't received my envy yet,but I know I am going to be just as thrilled as those of you that have received! :) Again thank you Patty!:)

I do think that libraries should cater to a wide variety of tastes. The problem comes with one person deciding what the other people should read.Exactly -- one person, or the committees (boards) that are interested only in the bottom line. The problem is many public libraries in the US are catering to very narrow taste, and I think that's what most of us are really complaining about. Now, whether this is because the preponderance of the clientele only want certain types of books, or the space and budget restraints are inhibiting the purchase of a broad collection...I'm not sure, but I suspect it's both. It's very disheartening to me, though, to see choice shrinking rather than expanding in public libraries. I have nothing against sci-fi/fantasy being well represented for readers who love it. I do object to mediocre and poorly written sci-fi/fantasy crowding out other genres, though. (I certainly can't tell, though, what is good and what is bad in the genre because I don't read enough of it, but I've been told very frequently by several family members who love the genre that about 70% of it is crap. I'll take their word for it because among them they have almost 150 years of reading experience, a lot of it in sf/fantasy, and even they see their beloved genre is over-represented -- and debased because of it.) There comes a point when a significant portion of the clientele is not being served well because the most popular genres are hogging everything, and those people will get discouraged and turn away; perhaps some potential readers will be lost because the library doesn't have much of anything they need or have an interest in. The libraries have already lost me, but I don't count because I have other resources -- it's those who don't have alternatives I feel the saddest for.

I got a cassette player just prior to heading off to college, from my parents. My parents didn't even own a stereo - they simply weren't much interested in music at all. But I think they wanted me to fit in. So they told my grandmother that I'd be getting one, and so please give our daughter some cassettes because she might like that... Apparently, my grandmother went to the music shop and bought me 3 cassettes based on what the guy helping her out figured might be nice for a grand daughter of my age... and amazingly, all THREE selections are ones I loved, and still love. (They eventually got replaced with CD's way down the road...) Cat Stevens, Tea for the Tillerman Carole King, Tapestry Gordon Lightfoot - not sure which album but one of his late 60's one. I am quite certain that Grandmother said, yeah, she loves cats, let's get the Cat Stevens one, and there's a cat on the cover of Tapestry, so yes, let's get that! Not sure how Gordon Lightfoot ended up in there, too, but hey, I ended up loving ALL THREE albums!