Hello Everybody.... THANKS for your kind comments, everyone! There is always a warm feeling when your rosey friends appreciate your efforts...thank you. lindama....I order pretty much all of my roses (now over 200 bushes and counting!) from assorted vendors for spring planting, but since you especially liked Charlotte Brownell and Helen Hayes I will let you in on a secret....I got my Brownell (sub-zero) roses from the Christmas Tree Shoppes. (Since you live in the Boston area I know you have probably heard of the Christmas Tree Shoppes and there should be one within driving distance....I have to drive an hour & a half to get to ours, but its worth it...LOL). Now normally I would never recommend buying roses this way....because you are getting inferior grade roses that may be virused & I have heard that most of the Brownell roses are virused....but it is so hard to find these roses that I took the plunge and bought a bunch of them. So far I am extremely surprised and pleased because the Brownell roses have been very prolific with their blooms and healthy. The trick is to get to the store in March when they jump the gun and get these bareroots in way too early; otherwise they will be brown and dead by April just sitting in the hot store. I start them in pots inside, then plant them out in the spring. Not easy, but it was worth it. For brandyray....Pink Queen is one of these Brownell sub-zero roses I got at Xmas Tree Shoppes and I can't find any info. on it anywhere, but it was one of those great finds that make you grin from ear to ear. It is an amazingly gorgeous rose, perfect in form, long-lasting, and with glossy green leaves. It is a climber, but where I live it will never be huge due to winter but it blooms abundantly all summer. I LOVE it! The fragrance, alas, is slight but its beauty astounds me. Helen Hayes and Maria Stern are both Brownell roses and their colors are like sunsets...very striking. Now about Yolande....she is perhaps the most fragrant & beautiful rose in my garden and does well here in zone 4, but I'm not sure about warmer zones. Carla....I ordered my "Grace" from Pickering in Canada. Thank you....Tiffany is my "baby" and the only child left at home...My son got married last month and Grace has been out of the house for 3 years, so even though at 14 she hates that I love her to death and am proud of her she'll have to deal with it...LOL. devon...the princess was a surprise...Thank you! Leslie....I agree...the summer went too fast. I spent the first half of it helping plan my son's wedding. I am posting another picture of Charlotte Brownell for you. She looks a lot like "Peace" but so far has been a lot healthier and blooms better. hoovb....the beetles are slowly winding down so I am hoping the new buds will have a chance of opening before the killing frosts come. It is so discouraging to grow all these beautiful roses for the beetles! That's why I take oodles of photos in June, to remind me why I put up with the beetles and the cold winters! msjam2....I am sorry to say that I don't have a full bush shot of Yolande. I will tell you that she grows upright for me, not real wide, but tall. Her fragrance is to die for....perhaps one of the most fragrant roses I have ever encountered. I waited for 2 years to get my Yolande (was put on a waiting list for propagation) and she was worth it. I marvel at her blooms, each one pure perfection. Below is a shot of a cluster of her blooms, for you. redsox....(by the way, up here in NH anyone who likes the redsox is a friend indeed!)...I am glad you enjoyed the pic of Mrs. John Laing. She is one of my favorites, and is fragrant too. Florence....I am delighted about our "PomPom" rose. It is so wonderful that you love her the way that we love her. I feel happy everytime you post that she is growing for you. That is one special rose, and you are one special lady! Celeste MORE PICTURES FOR MY FRIENDS........ YOLANDE D'ARAGON..... PINK QUEEN CHARLOTTE BROWNELL MARIA STERN

Writersblock, I like the angled cabinets. I suppose that if I had more space, I would have opted for non-angled cabinets, but these worked better in my space. In the top one in the corner by the sink, I store some of the larger appliances, like the slow cooker, etc., on the lower shelves, and some of the bigger serving dishes that I don't use often on the higher shelves. In one of the angled lower cabinets near the range, I store smaller appliances, like the toaster, the vacuum sealer, etc. In the other, I store vases. The two upper angled cabinets in this area are very small and glass-fronted. I could probably use them for things like wine glasses, but I use them purely for decorative items. Colorfast, the built-in next to the table is where there used to be a closet. Thanks again everyone for your comments.

Years ago I made dress up clothes for my niece and it was so much fun. She was about 6 and I bought a simple dress pattern in a size 10 or 12 so she could wear them for a long time. I made two dresses so she and a friend could play, varying the colors, sleeves and necklines, but made both with full, twirly skirts. Then I made simple stoles and scarves, bought some cheap bead necklaces and jewelry. I used swishy, taffeta type fabric that was not expensive, one dress was aqua blue and the other burgundy. Maybe you could find some hats at Goodwill or a thrift store - hats are such fun.

Several of my African violets produce flowers in the 2.5 inch range, which I think is pretty big. But I admit that I don't think I've had them this big before. Especially not on an immature plant on it's first bloom cycle.