I have cable and they just upgraded to 6mb download and 376 upload. You can test your computer speed on Speakeasy.net I recently switched to Spy Sweeper and Trend Micro Antivirus and just the Firewall that came with XP. I turned off the SID broadcast since I am wireless, so people using a wireless computer near my router can't even see my signal to select it. I also put in our computer IPs so only ours are recognized and allowed in through (or out) of the modem. My email is Outlook. I used to use Norton Antivirus which I liked but Trend Micro works well. I don't like McAfee at all. I don't give out my regular email but other than about 15 people. I use Yahoo mail for everything else. Other freebies are Spybot Search and Destroy and AdAware by Lava Soft. I have a Verizon towwer about a mile as the crow flies but we still don't have it, but my cable modem is much faster so I would not get DSL even it does come now. DLS is cheaper, but it would seem like dial up to me now. Getting rid of dial up is like letting a kid go crazy in a candy shop. I turn my computer off when not using it, every time. I also pull out the electric plug during electrical storms. The battery works for about 3 hours. I no longer use a desktop PC, replaced all of those with laptops and use one router for the computers and we share one wireless printer. No wires is great. Jean - I have satellite TV and you are right - heavy clouds and hard rain and it loses the signal. I would hate to have the computers go out too! I sometimes watch missed episodes of various CBS shows on my computer which is nice to be able to do with faster speeds. I'll tell you I also hate all those little cutsey things some used to send to me, or hitting reply all when they don't even know the folks in your email, or those smiley thingys, or anthing AOL! Earthlink emails perturb me too - with having to tell someone to add to their safe list. Geez - let people pick their own list if they want to do that. Rules are not hard to do. You can set up a worm catcher on your email. Make a 'fake' email address !10001! that sits at the top of your address book, with no @XXX behind it (and you can do a 'z' one at the bottom as well) that does not send to any 'real' email if a email worm gets in. It won't stop the worm, but it won't send to everyone in your email address book either, because the top and bottom email address is not real and you get a window that tells you the email can't go out. CT

Kathy, I noticed your heart and soul ;) Yep, Pagan, that's the way my pain has been since I stopped work, and it causes one to feel a tad lazy, no? Infuriating, although some days it's nice. I'd much rather be able to do what I like rather than be run by a body part [dunno, let's ask the boss if she'll let me do that...Mme Back, please, just this once?] On an odd note, I stumbled and cut my hand, 4 hrs later it was still bleeding so went and got stitches at Doc In The Box. Had a nice day with a pal... got home and kicked a hidden glass bottle in the ditch and said "Ick, lots more blood but NO WAY am I going to get stitches twice in one day." Course I ended up going the next day, when I couldn't get stitches [surgistrips are fine] because I cut a nerve [hurt a nerve? nerves? whatever - cutaneous, pfft]. It's no medical biggie and nothing to be done 'bout it, but 2 toes are numb [totally moveable tho] and on the other side of the wound is a panic button - ie, brush it and see me scream and jump with shooting nerve kajeebies!! That'll stick around several months he said. Now to find shoes that cooperate and teach The Pack the command "Watch the FOOT!" I gave everyone a great laugh with the coincidence, in any case. The next day we were all trying to keep me away from any sharp object that might come try to attack me since it was apparently a Gimme an Open Wound spell ;)

A couple of notes because the rest is going to be rather long and involved: Lynda, I have the Vitex marked for you and in your baggie! And thank you for the marigolds! They will be very interesting with my others! Dessie I would be more than happy to receive your little helper's seed packets! I think it's great! Wendy Try some Chai Spice tea, it works wonders in helping clear up colds and flu. I always add a dollop of honey to help sooth the throat. It's a staple in our house and really does help. Alright, here is my take on this.. I can understand how many were hoping that the two swaps would not coincide, but, we all knew there was a fair chance of that happening. For myself, I know that I continued to update my list, even well after Patty's swap's mailing deadline. I did my updates using the same method we did for Patty's swap- using an updated date. Even had I not, I knew there was a good chance the two swaps would overlap. I joined this one knowing full well- according to the guidelines posted for it- that I may NOT receive as many as I sent in. That I would receive as many as were sent in FOR me, up to five packets of the SAME item. I recall there being some issue with this and a member who became very rude in their comments about this fact. Yes, my package from the What's Left swap is in the second batch to go out. No, I did not keep strict record of what I sent to those who were in the What's Left swap. I did keep better records of what I'm sending for this swap. I also know that a lot of people will be sending in baggies of seeds marked as extras- not dedicated for anyone, but to add in when it's seen those items are on someone's list. No, these may not be some of the rarer or more exclusively wanted items on someone's list. But if someone has some of those rarer or more specific items to share, I'm sure they would have put them into your baggie before they mailed. So, I don't see that anyone would be missing out on anything. The only way I could see having updated one's list further as complicating Patty's swap would be if someone had removed things from their list. Updating and adding items would not have conflicted. Because if there were any extras of what you were wanting, Patty would have included them. So, I guess I'm not really understanding how there is such a need to update the lists just because one is in both swaps. If I receive duplicates, wonderful! Because the things on my list are things I want! If I don't receive something on my list, then no one had it to share. If I receive so many of something that I can't plant it all, then I can bless someone else by offering it up for a trade. So, perhaps I'm being dense here, but how would one not receive something sent in specifically for them (up to FIVE packets of the same item!) that was on their wants list in this swap? Everyone has the chance to see your wants as posted and you have had the option to add to that list, as many including myself have this whole time. The only thing I could really see the two swaps happening almost simultaneously possibly affecting would be one's have's list. I'm sorry, I don't mean to upset or offend anyone. I'm just honestly trying to understand why this is such an issue. So please don't take this as meaning to offend or as pointed to anyone in particular. This is just me trying to understand why so many are upset about this. If you prefer to email me privately and help me understand it, I would be pleased with that and please do! Perhaps there are aspects and issues with this that I'm not readily seeing and should consider. I don't want to keep the thread off track by my question becoming a debate here. Perhaps there can be some adjustments of dates if this swap happens in the late summer or again next winter, but for this year it is as it is and personally, I'm really enjoying it! Nancy, I hope you don't decide to drop out, because I know that I should have at least a couple of things from your list, perhaps more. But I'll respect your choice and be your Garden Buddy either way :) Fran, you have a real job ahead of you and I don't know how those like you and Patty do it! Leave me hosting my "pair em up and let em go" or true RR type swaps! I think those of you that host this kind of swap are awesome! Angela, you have been a wonderful help to Fran and all of us in this swap! I know the time it can take to code pages like that, though updates are easier once the initial work is done, and I want to say THANK YOU for the time and work you are putting in on this swap for everyone's benefit! Kathy~ heading off to stuff more little baggies and envelopes.

OFFERS TODAY: Tuesday Feb 10, 09 1 offer Bi-color Mixed varieties? 1 offer Watermelon Sugar Baby 1 offer Melon: Honey Dew 4 offers Maltese Cross 1 offer Watermelon Jubilee 1 offer Large Pear Shaped Tomato 1 offer Passion Flower Passiflora caerulea yr unknown Comm. pk 1 offer Lavatera Mont Blanc Annual yr unknown Comm. pk Full Sun 1 offer Euphorbe Summer Icicle Annual yr unknown Comm. Pk Sun to Part Shade 1 offer Thyme (Organics Biologique) Comm.pk yr unknown 1 offer Lettuce Mesclun Bon Vivant yr hand written on it 2008 1 offer Dill Chia Brand Herbs Comm year unknown 1 offer Morning Glory Heavenly Blue Comm yr unknown 1 offer Tomato Brandywine (Oragnic Biologique) yr marked out 1 offer Castor Bean feels like 4 seeds comm. pk unknown yr 1 offer Tomato could be black no other info 1 offer Heirloom Tomato Basinga 2006 1 offer Isis Yellow Flag 2 offer Asclepias Soulmate Pink zone 3-9 Please note I have NO clue what the first one might even remotely be, your guess is as good as mine! Also remember anything you are requesting could be on your list and if I have put one pack in your bag already and you request these extras too, then you have 2 I will not pull the first pack or the requested. It would be too confusing to try to keep up wiith I think so you will just have 2 lol. :) Fran