Jeannie, How about one of the Ayrshire ramblers? I have been rather falling in love with 'Venusta Pendula', which is a very vigorous once-bloomer with pink-edged white semi-double blooms and dark pretty foliage. We have summer heat, which you folks do not, I know, but I hear VP does well in Germany, another place with cool summers. The Ayrshire ramblers, bred from Rosa arvensis, one of the few European members of the Synstylae group, have a reputation for doing well in poor conditions. I don't know if they would have disease problems in your area: mine are healthy until late autumn, when the older leaves get black spot. I can handle that. 'Venusta Pendula' is generally considered to be not fragrant, but mine is decidedly myrrh-scented: either other gardeners can't smell this fragrance, or they're listening to each other rather than going out and smelling the rose. Or I have the wrong rose, but I don't think so. Another Ayrshire rose, I believe similar, 'Ayrshire Splendens', is definitely myrrh-scented. I have this variety too, but am still getting to know it. The myrrh fragrance is thought to have entered the English roses through an Ayrshire ancestor of one of David Austin's founding roses, 'Constance Spry' I believe. If you can get cuttings, by the way, the Ayrshire roses root very easily, though this is true of ramblers in general. The chief item on my wish list is that the 78 or so roses that make up our definitive order from Petrovic in Serbia arrive reasonably promptly and in good order, and in a period when it's not raining hard or snowing. That's a fair amount of wishing, but not totally unreasonable. Mr. Petrovic told me he'd be sending the order out around the end of November, but I haven't heard anything from him (I need to get in touch), but it's been raining here for the last week, and perhaps they've had weather equally unsuitable for digging over there. It's been raining abundantly here this fall--and we have so far no slides and no signs of slumping on our land--and temperatures are forecast to begin dropping next week after a very mild fall. So, so far, so good. I've done most of my planting and taking cuttings, so my main task after the Petrovic roses are planted is pruning and maintenance. There are a lot of roses, but I have three months. I am looking forward to the sun coming out, as it's been raining for the last week. Melissa

Hi Mary, I haven't heard too much holiday music here yet, which is odd. Gotta love Joni! She's my go to for Hoyas and it's always neat to find one Hoya that you've been eyeing and she lists it on her monthly sale :D. I don't think I'll be ordering anymore Hoyas until spring, but time will tell. I enjoy trading with the folks here on the forum and they've all been wonderful. Hopefully, I'll be striking up some trades towards spring. Brad AKA Moonwolf

maggie -- I saw a FoodTaxi in person last week and had a very hard time not buying it for myself! Oh, the pain of the Christmas shopping season. Must keep good gifting items available for my MIL to buy so that I don't get a giant copper cow again this year. True story. kbuzbee -- Wow, those look like some nice pieces of equipment. My 3 and 4 year olds take turns making the coffee in the morning -- the 4 year old would love the vaccuum system! Kimba00 -- I'm sure you've been very good indeed. Have you checked for Le Creuset Outlets near you? I went to one last Friday, and if it weren't for my newly acquired 6 3/4 oven and 2 3/4 soup pots ($139 total from Amazon), I'd have bought a lot more! Hey Cindyb -- You know...that's a good question. I used to use a tiny little French Press when we lived on a boat, but conditions in general weren't great for a great cup of coffee. I've never compared side by side with a ChemEx. Come to think of it, I don't know what happened to my little French Press. I have been tempted to get a new, regular sized one...then I could compare the two. I'm sure there are other connosieurs here who've done it. Opinions? Susan P.S. Cindyb -- Where are you in VA? I'm on the Northern Neck...

My list: +My daughter's armoire doors (finished, just need to be grouted) +My little, black triangle table from Ikea (finished, just needs to be grouted) +Baby gift picture frame (finished, just needs to be grouted) +Big Sister of Baby hanging heart gift (finished, just needs to be grouted) +Little wedding cake for newlywed niece (finished, just needs to be grouted) Do you all notice a theme here?