Philip- I love the enthusiasm. While it seems quite logical when we start to talk it out--the mixed plantings, so few of us, myself included, know enought about the maturing growth habits of the many varities of maples to pull things together. It is an experiement in learning as we look at online photo galleries and books to learn how the plant might grow for us. I would not spend the money on that CD right now, but use the links from my page, M & M Maples. I have been working on the site and the gallery, but you will find the links will contain much more mature specimens than I grow. Pay special attention to Esveld and Ganshukutei. The French site of Maillot Bonsai is o.k. but does not show many "tree" photos, but pictures of leaves. You will also find that many of the trees on the Maillot and Ganshukutei sites are not available here. You can use the tree finder at MountainMaples.com as well as their descriptions and make sure to search the UBC forums and this site for the trees you are interested in and for details. When going to the library, look for the Vertrees "Japanese Maples," 2nd edition. This edtion has the trees grouped by type or growth habit. It will allow you to see similar varieties grouped together. The 3rd edtion is alphabetical and it is hard to see the similarities. I may poke around some tonight and tomorrow and see if I can add some links to my website, so check in a day or so. There is a great photography site out there that has some outstanding photos of maples that I need to relink. The link I used to have died on me. Anyway, enough for now. If you go to the links page, lick on Iseli Nursery--the display garden is quite spectacular. Another spectacular garden can be seen here: http://www.bloomriver.com/reFrame.asp?page=/root/viewPlants.asp?ID=14 I visited in 2004 and quite enjoyed it. MJH Here is a link that might be useful: M & M Maples

Amy, DH is....opinionated :). He has remarkably strong feelings about decor, which is sometimes a blessing and somtimes just difficult, lol! He has been very involved in every decision made about our home and I suppose I should be grateful that he's interested, but sometimes I just want to pick things and not have to field the commentary, you know? I wonder also if it's just the chair fabric or the mental image of the room it came from in his grandparents' apartment. It was a gorgeous room (gold, gray and black - professionally decorated, very classic), but I learned recently that he REALLY didn't like the decor. I have a few swatches pulled out of my F&B swatch deck, don't remember if String is one of them, but it was one of my original considerations for this room. Have you used it? Sky - hmm, that's unfortunate that RH doesn't have swatches available of the Lava. I don't have an RH store in my city (closest one is a 5 hour drive away) and I'd be hesitant to order drapes sight unseen.... I've been trying to figure out from the pictures on the website if the lava is a warm gray or a cool gray. It seems to tend almost towards a slate-ish colour in some of the pics, almost blueish? Is that true in person? Linen was another consideration for drapes either here or in the dining room - what is the quality of the RH linen drapes? Thanks!

Here are a couple of versions of Twas the night before Christmas. The first one isn't funny but I thought it was nice. The Night before Christmas for Moms It was the night before Christmas, when all thru the abode only one creature was stirring, and she was cleaning the commode. The children were finally sleeping, all snug in their beds, while visions of Nintendo 64 and Barbie, flipped through their heads. The dad was snoring in front of the TV, with a half-constructed bicycle on his knee. So only the mom heard the reindeer hooves clatter, which made her sigh, "Now what's the matter?" With toilet bowl brush still clutched in her hand, she descended the stairs, and saw the old man. He was covered with ashes and soot, which fell with a shrug, "Oh great," muttered the mom, "Now I have to clean the rug." "Ho-ho-ho!" cried Santa, "I'm glad you're awake. Your gift was especially difficult to make." "Thanks, Santa, but all I want is some time alone." "Exactly!", he chuckled, "I've made you a clone." "A clone?" she asked, "What good is that? Run along, Santa, I've no time for chit-chat." The mother's twin; Same hair, same eyes, same double chin. "She'll cook, she'll dust, she'll mop every mess. You'll relax, take it easy, watch The Young & the Restless." "Fantastic!" the mom cheered. "My dream come true! I'll shop. I'll read. I'll sleep a whole night through!" From the room above, the youngest began to fret. "Mommy?! I scared...and wet." The clone replied, "I'm coming, sweetheart." "Hey," the mom smiled, "She knows her part." The clone changed the small one, and hummed a tune, as she bundled the child, in a blanket cocoon. "You the best mommy ever. I really love you." The clone smiled and sighed, "I love you too," The mom frowned and said, "Sorry Santa, no deal. That's my child's love, she's trying to steal." Smiling wisely Santa said, "To me it is clear," Only one loving mother, is needed here." The mom kissed her child, and tucked her into bed. "Thank you Santa, for clearing my head. I sometimes forget, it won't be very long, when they'll be too old, for my cradle-song." The clock on the mantle began to chime. Santa whispered to the clone, "It works every time." With the clone by his side Santa said, "Goodnight. Merry Christmas, Mom, you'll be all right. A Parent's Night Before Christmas Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house I searched for the tools to hand to my spouse Instructions were studied and we were inspired, in hopes we could manage "Some Assembly Required." The children were quiet (not asleep) in their beds, while Dad and I faced the evening with dread: a kitchen, two bikes, Barbie's townhouse to boot! And now, thanks to Grandpa, a train with a toot! We opened the boxes, my heart skipped a beat - let no parts be missing or parts incomplete! "Too late for last-minute returns or replacement; if we can't get it right, it goes...

mgmum, I never heard of stoves having outlets! How awesome! Maybe my induction range has one or two -- it wasn't a feature I knew to look for. (I picked an induction range for my new build -- I simply figured go inexpensive for the stove I'm going to leave behind here!) This house was built in 1968, plus or minus a year -- they didn't really keep great records back then. When the guys came to replace the old stove, they marveled at it -- it was apparent that it dated from the original build. It did still work -- well, three burners and the oven, and if you cooked something meant to cook at 350 F, set the dial at 375... -- but it never had a clock or timer, and there were some parts that were not remotely cleanable any more. The other "feature" was that it was hot wired in, which I am given to understand is a fire hazard waiting to happen and no one has done that for YEARS, so I'm seriously glad it's gone. Fortunately one of the delivery guys was also an electrician on the side, so he was able to take care of this, then and there. (He told me that if the other delivery crew had been sent out, they'd have just left the new stove in the middle of my tiny kitchen floor, and I'd have to call in an electrician -- which would have been very interesting for about a week dodging around it, because I didn't have any other possible time that week to take off from work...)