Hi everyone...wow I got a special pal when Summer was picked for me. I came home tonight to a box that had garden gloves, a journal, garden themed desk calendar and appt. book (very handy with my new job), lilac scented sachet, a rose stamper kit (gotta luv roses), a chocolate bass fish for DH ( I think it's gone already), Snickers candy for me and chocolate flavored tennis balls for the dogs. I dare anyone to try to take them away from them... they're crazy about em. LOL Thank you Summer soooo much! Everything is so appreciated. DH and the doggies say thanks too!
Julie ( can't talk now my mouth is full of snickers)

Hello everyone and Happy New Year! My box came and what a pleasant surprise. I've been having cabin fever and the cure was in the box. A garden journal, bath & body set, a book, chocolate candy and some other nice items. Thank you very much to my special pal. Sorry this response was rather late but I've been having posting problems as well. Steph keep your eyes open as your box is in the mail. Have a great weekend everybody.

Julie,

Just so you know, "Free Julie" t-shirts will be made and distributed to everyone if they arrest you! LOL. ;)

So glad you got your box, I really enjoyed putting it together. :))

~Summer

Hello everyone :)

Karen,
No snow or rain here. We have a 30% chance of rain here Monday.

FaintHeart,
Thanks for the rain dance, I thik it's helping.

Giverny,
What a lovely chant. Thanks.

My box will be going out tomorrow to my pal.
Diane, the potpourri is just great! The smell has permeated throughout the house. I love it! It's really hard to choose a favorite, the Laundry Line is more subtle, but what a lovely smell. I am going to make smaller little bags, maybe netting, to split up some of the contents to put in drawers, linen closet and hang some bags in the closets. You have such nice things in your town! Thanks again, Doris

Not to worry...Darlin' I just gotta make sure you get one of each for your monthly boxes~~~~ NOT A PROBLEM! Hey, I have about 10 packs sitting by my desk....tell me my room doesn't smell good! lol Glad you're enjoying them!

Just a reminder that if you have not sent something to your pal for January, the deadline is approaching. We said by the 15th and that's Sunday. Of course, if you don't send by Saturday, you will run into a delay - Sunday and then the holiday on Monday. Please, at least get a card in the mail to your pal ASAP. Sure would hate to have to drop anyone!

I got home to doubly good stuff on my porch: a long awaited book as well as a box from my pal!!

My husband got home just as I was about to open the box and got to hear me squeek with delight as I opened it. Firstly, the items were nicely placed and wrapped in the cheeriest bag. There were too magazines: Fine gardening and Gardening and deck design. Can you say "eye candy"?! I LOVE the ladybug stationary and have already put it to use. I loved the soaps and hand creams!! Very cool that they were made at a nearby shop/farm. One of my New Years resolutions is to buy more things made from countries that pay decent wages and have good working conditions for their workers. So those soaps were doubly awesome!!

Thanks!!!
-Stephanie

LOL...told my DH about the "Free Julie" shirts...he says the heck with freeing me, just keep the boxes coming. LOL
When I explained that he would have to shop, order, send, write, email and post here...he volunteered to break me out if needed. LOL
But, I'm sure the mail-sub is safe and sound somewhere... besides I'll use all of you as alibi's...I was right here when "it" happened. LOL
I'm glad everyone's enjoying their items and hope everyone stays safe, gets rain and has a great weekend.
Julie

Hi, Y'all--

And, OMG!!!! I sat bolt-upright in bed last night at about 2:15....Somehow, while I was sleeping, I realized that I never posted something VERY important!!!

Marie, I am SO SORRY!!! I received your wonderful package on Tuesday, and TOTALLY spaced out posting as such.

My, oh my!!! Did I say "wonderful"? Well, that's the best description I can come up with without completely embarassing her. Marie included in the package: a lovely hand-crocheted doily (looks fabulous on top of the new jewelry etagere my daughter gave me for Christmas), two equally as lovely sachets (one hand-embroidered with a little bird and one with his little birdhouse), and--speaking of birdhouses--a cute little wooden birdhouse to add to my collection, and an "eggling" (how neat!!! I've never seen one before!), which I've already cracked open and started (It looks like an eggshell, and you crack open the top and water the contents and a flower will bloom from it...so cool!).

Marie, as a fellow "hand-crafter", I can appreciate beautiful work, and I must say you do beautiful work!!! The time and thought you put into my first package is obvious. Thank you SO MUCH!!!

And, once again, PLEASE accept my sincere apologies for "zoning out" on an acknowledgement.

I plan to have a package out to my other pal today. I'll post for sure later...

Best to all,
Cheryl

I had a suggestion that was an excellent idea! You may want to post what garden related magazines you already subscribe to or tend to buy each month... that way if your pal is thinking about buying a magazine for you, recycling an issue by sending it to you, or would like to give you a subscription to a gardening magazine she will know what you already receive.
I have subscriptions to Backyard Living and Garden Gate.
Anyone else?

I love reading about the packages that are arriving. I think all of us enjoy each member's package along with her! Some great ideas. And thanks to everyone who has been mailing - sure will make my job easy if our whole group keeps up the good work!

Has anyone heard anything from Shannon/garden_witch lately? Haven't heard anything from her for days. I hope she is doing okay!

Oh, and about the gardening magazines, I subscribe to Country Gardens, and the National Home Gardening Club magazine. I believe that's it right now.

Hope everyone's day is blessed!

~Summer

I got a wonderful package from giverny4me/Susan today.

She sent me a notepad with a cute little fairy on it. A garden journal that is the perfect size to carry in my purse. That will come in handy when nursery shopping. Windchimes with a pretty dragonfly decoration. Several packs of seeds that I plan to winter sow. Cosmos, godetia, salvia & 2 kinds of zinnias.
The neatest card that is hand drawn & colored. Susan, did you make that yourself? I'm impressed, I can barely draw stick people myself.

Thank you so much for your gifts. You helped get my new year off to a great start. Will email you later.

About the gardening magazines, I don't subscribe to any but love most of them. Part of my budget revamping was to let them all go so I don't buy any either. I usually read them at the library or hand me downs shared by friends.

okay 26 days of rain here, please stop the rain dance. watching tulips float down street, help, sent my box to pal yesterday. heads up pal.

Dear sweet pal,

Thank you sooooo much for the goodies I received today. Hubby said when he brought in the mail...either it's Christmas again or you are sending things to yourself so you can open them! *giggles*

I love the lavendar bath fizzies and bath oil baubles! They smell sooooo good!!! Anything to pamper is deeply appreciated as I am usually such a hurry to get to work and exhausted at the end of the day. :)

The windsock is perfect! I love the rainbow colors and it will be so pretty in my new gardens.

Don't worry about the difference in zones...I know I can push my zone at least one as I am in a bit of a micro-climate here. Kinda like being in my own little world...which DH says is definitely true...he sometimes wonders what planet! *giggles* As for my wishlist, I am just beginning gardening again now that the kids are grown so I don't know what I want!!! Anything you choose will be deeply appreciated.

As for gardening mags, I just subscribed to Garden Gate. That is the only one I have.

Hugssssss,

Dee

Summer, I'm here =) I'm putting the finishing touches on your package so it can go out first thing in the morning!

I got your email and should have time to answer (finally!) tomorrow =)
Shannon

Hey Beth, you don't need to e-mail me your address after all. I got it from a package that I received from you in today's mail. WooHoo!!! You are my pal!!!! :))))) That just makes me ever so happy. Almost as happy as when I got the name of my pal--you know the lady of the NW--the young gal we all know and love from WA WA.

Beth, what you sent was just perfect. Seeds of lavender, dill, and basil along with two perfect sized seed trays containing Jiffy pellets to sow them in. I have done just a few milk jugs of wintersowing so far. On Dec. 21 Jim and I went to Tina's(hummingbirdaisys) for supper with her family and to celebrate the winter solstice by wintersowing some seeds. We had a wonderful evening together. I haven't done any since then so I think I may do some more this week-end. I will plant some of the seeds that you sent soon. Thanks much for the wonderful gift. Mary Ellen/Mellen

I subscribe to the following magazines:

Garden Gate--Hubby gave this to me for Christmas-What a GUY!
Backyard Living-I give this to myself-What a GAL!
Birds and Blooms-Yearly Christmas gift from my dad. What a GUY, too!

Mellen

Magazines? Well I get Birds and Blooms hand me downs from my neighbor MizBeth, I get Martha Stewart Living...new subscription, got to support ex-cons trying to make it in this world (ATTN JULIE);P ........personally I also welcome any clippings of articles regarding butterfly gardening or just anything that could be useful in zone 8. .....POSTAL HORROR STORY OF THE DAY. O.k., so my daughter has recently started her first job EVER, working just 2 months so far, got her W2 form delivered today and my husband says, well the kid made $7,000 dollars working as a cashier at Michael's? And I said no way, and if so I demand a better Christmas present (not really)!!! Turns out postman delivered to our house 'cause the name is spelled VAGUELY similar to our daughters'name,however the address is across town. Now that we have opened it I will probably drive it over to avoid being arrested by the postal inspector...they have probably already connected us all to Julie via this forum :O ...........signed, Concerned Citizens For Accurate Delivery

Carol...I have stopped the raindance for a bit and am workin on a dingy for you! I'll make it big enough for the critters and your own personal rower! :)

*sighhhhhh* I placed my order for a t-shirt today. *sniff* I am gonna miss that girl!

~Faint

Dear Faintheart- I love it! How did you draw the "bars"?
Veeja- my inlaws live in Olympia, my kidlets were born in Bremerton, I remember January/Feb there very well!! But when the sun comes out in WA, Wooooooo. Really does look like the Emerald City. That was when the garden bug (prolly a slug...lol) bit me. I had roses and irises there that I can only dream about here in FL!!! I hope you have a break in the weather soon.
Debbie,- well my monitoring of the weather channel has done absolutely nothing for you. Stinkin' weather channel. 10% precip. on Monday. //////// What is that.............. ****grumblesnortmumblestoself******* /////Ladies, I propose a nice cuppa hot tea/coffee all around. And catalog therapy. Susan/giverny4me.

Rofl...I repeat I am innocent until proven guilty and I will not ever ever admit anything. Save yourselves, runnnnn runnnnn or buy a dog that bites mailmen to save you. Besides you guys can't get arrested, they tend to not believe ex-cons on the witness stand and I'm using all of you for an alibi!! We may have to turn this into an underground hideout exchange. Change our identities, etc.
Julie (promoting the federal gardener protection program)

Rofl...I repeat I am innocent until proven guilty and I will not ever ever admit anything. Save yourselves, runnnnn runnnnn or buy a dog that bites mailmen to save you. Besides you guys can't get arrested, they tend to not believe ex-cons on the witness stand and I'm using all of you for an alibi!! We may have to turn this into an underground hideout exchange. Change our identities, etc.
Julie (promoting the federal gardener protection program)

Come to think of it, I don't get any subscriptions now....

O.k. so the garden circle fugitives hide out in Sassyd's garden which by the looks of it is a nudist colony...and Sparkly!!!(somebody take the next line and finish this story)I'm off to work on the Feb. circle gift which involves a nice rock I found...

Ok Arti how come you don't find me a pretty rock? I like pretty rocks. do you grow geodes in your state? a rock for feb would be nice. take a walk Arti.puppies like walks. say hi to son for me, I know you must be calling him daily.

Ok WA WA, geodes aren't just lying around on the ground just any 'ol place. Yes, calling son almost daily. Miss him very, very much. Will say hi from WA WA. He will say who is WA WA. And I will say you know the lady from the NW. And he will say, oh the lady who sometimes sends you nice things. And I will say, yes. Our puppy doesn't like walks. She likes runs. Like run far away. But she comes home on her own now. Don't have to go get her with the truck. Bad puppy! Signed, Arnie/Arti/etc.

I have heard that gw cons hang around in my garden (you see all the sparkles, don't ya!) Nope...no nudist colony here~~~what can I say? I'm a tease! Has anyone heard from Julie..I will get a t-shirt from Faint immediately, but just so you know...Julie has a sparkle in my garden anytime!

Ok I thought they did, just any old hand picked up not puppy peed on rock will do. my new pup is 8 mo old now, having her first season, two at once driving me nuts. I don't see any nudist but the sparkles have sent me into convulsions, do you make your own siggys sassy?Mellen stay outta the sauce. hugs carol:)

Shoot. Forgot to wash the rock first. Don't tell Debbie

i just thought as one of the "old originals" of this swap, i'd pop in and see what's happening and say hello.

HELLO EVERYONE :)

so, if i read it right, you all know who your partner is. and beth is mellen's partner and carol is mellen's? that is just so "homey". i'll be moving to iowa soon to garden with mellen and tina. how beautiful you too have that!

everyone seems to be getting great boxes. i am still loving everything i received in this swap last year and will for years to come!

great job jeanne!

regards,
earthly/maryanne

p.s. carol, you crack me up - the sprakles put you into convulsions! lololol

Hi~
so this is where all my new garden circle friends have been hanging out. I finally found this today. I also now understand the rules a little better. I see that my buddy has been posting on here. I have no clue who has me yet. I better get out shopping and to the post office soon. Looks like my butt is gona be on fire if I don't get it in gear. Just want to say Hello to everyone, and I hope everyone has fun. Nice meeting you all.
Karri

Howdy y'all, for those of you doing rain dances and sending rain to Oklahoma, don't forget me down in Texas - we are sooooo dry! The weather dudes are predicting rain for today, we'll see if it really happens. So far, just clouds.

I received a package from my pal on Friday, thanks Susan (hensandchicks)! A lovely card, a bracket for hanging baskets, and some really cool seeds. Where did you find these? They're called Indoor Jungle Exotic Seeds - Cranberry Hibiscus and Zebra Banana. They pictures on the packets look really neat, can't wait to grow these!

Have a great week!
Alicia

Maryanne, good to have you visit. Stop in and say hello and let us know how you are doing this year - the other 2005 members as well.
This group is just too much - now if I get a rock from anyone, I will be sure to wash it...LOL!
Anyway, I have been trying to keep a check list on those who have received something from their pal and those who have not (might not do that every month, but I especially wanted to keep track on our first month.) My count is that there are still 9 people who have not received anything from their pal. Maybe you did and just didn't post to the board? Anyway, senders, if you haven't sent yet, please do that ALMOST IMMEDIATELY! If your pal has not received something by the 25th, you are out. That would be so sad, so don't let us down.

Sneaking up from my underground gardener protection program to say Hi to Maryanne, Alicia, Karri and all the others. Thanks Sassy for letting me sparkle in your garden, it may be needed soon as I think "they" are onto me and they would never think to find me sparkling somewhere. LOL
signed,
Innocent

I am so glad to know that the picture above is not nudie. Then maybe I can walk blissfully through it without anything falling over dead. Can even bend over to pick up a nonpeed on rock for Carol. Would not have been a pretty picture before(bending over, I mean). Earthly, wonderful to have you pop in. Miss you here! This is a work day with no students here at school today. I am in the middle of doing grades on the computer and thought I would take a break and see what was going on over here. Better get back to it. We had almost 60 degrees here yesterday. Broke records all over the state of Iowa. Been a rather strange winter, I think. Have a great Monday everyone, Mellen/Mary Ellen

Welllllllllll Sassyd's Nudielady is very tasteful though. She does not look like she has a terrier-ist peeing on her rocks....(uh. like I do :P) Of course Otis (dog) did lick the freshly washed ex-pee rock for me. Hmmm. How 'bout artsy dog-spit rocks??? I also have a tremendous amount of mole action in my yard this week. Tunnels everywhere. Wonder if the Postal Fugitive Julie has left Sassyd's Sparkly Paradise and is slumming through NW FL???? Snowbirds are here can Snowfugitives be far behind?? Greetings Alicia, will work on the rain dance ....Faintheart are you ready///++++polkamusicplease+++

Peeks up from her mole hole....POLKA MUSIC? LOL
Diving back down to do my underground tour of Florida... hey what can I say...it's warm there.
Julie (former IL above ground dweller)

Faint, No snow here just bloooowwwwwwwwww yesterday. My mom e-mailed that they were getting snow. I looked outside here yesterday. Didn't see snow here. Thought she was maybe nuts. Hey, she could be on the squirrel exchange. She would fit right in. We are getting flurries today. A nice peaceful snow like before Christmas would be nice again. WHAT did I just say? Have a great day! Mellen

Mellen....by all means...please feel free to walk blissfully through my garden anytime, I have a sparkle for you too, just in case you find yourself in Julie's flipflop's! And I have beautiful things for you to wear, (no worries, bend over anytime you wish!) *giggles*
I guess I better try to stop Carol's convulsions soooo....

heres a different one for you.. lol

Ohhh Sassyd, OMG looks like Tuscany to me...Sienna to be exact. O.K. Everyone, EUROPEAN ROAD TRIP AND GARDEN TOUR!!! ATTN: Julie. Is your passport up to date? We can slip the carabinieri a fiver and they'll prolly let the fugitiva thru....ciao ciao

Sassy, How in the world did you get a picture of my house out in the woods? Mellen

Alicia (abcgirltx) Thanks so much for the wonderful box of gifts!!

I recieved and assortment of chocolets ~ aka winter survial kit:), a very nice Flower picture frame, 3 Flower handled garden tools and.....

BURT'S BEE'S ~ HEAD TO TOE STARTER KIT!!!

Thank you again Alicia for the wonderful surprises! We are also VERY dry here ~ when/if the rains come I'll be sure to send some south for you.
Marie

Would love to do a EUROPEAN ROAD TRIP AND GARDEN TOUR! LOL
But, running low on funds while trying to stay ahead of the local mail enforcers. These tunnels take a lot of money to buy mole treats to get them to do all the work. Sassy doesn't have my sparkle anymore so can't hide there. So please don't forget to
{{gwi:1238366}}
You think if I cover myself from head to toe with Marie's Burt's Bee kit they'll recognize me?
Julie

You girls crack me up! Mellen you girls sound like you'd all be so much fun to have to have in my garden! Julie, I'll be looking out for ya'll...when I start seeing tunnels I'll turn the sparkles on for ya! *giggles*

Diane
sassyd

OMG! OMG! OMGOD!!!! Faint is my secret pal! YYYYaaaahhhhh!
Girl...you did me soooo wrong! lmaorof! I liked to have scared poor little Sassy half to death screaming "FAINT"! when I read your letter! lol I sware it never crossed my mind, but Sandlapper Rose I'd drive to Lexington just to hug your neck! lol Gotta go check out my goodies, which by the way, if that box had been empty, you couldn't have pleased me better than your letter & seeing your name at the bottom! Now...for my goodies....

I shall return girls!

*gigglessssssssss* now I DO believe in miracles!!!! it took SEVEN days for that package to get from IA to SC PRIORITY mail...*rolling eyes at post office*

sooooooooooooooooo glad it finally arrived...was REALLY hard to not spoil the secret surprise!!!!

hugsssssssssssss,
~FAINT

Finally, Wow, took me forever to get on here. Anyway, Thanks so much to my Pal the loam_ranger.I recieved my package today. In it was some home made Jelly. I'm having that for breakfast tomorrow! MMMMMM! Along with that were some cute figurines, seeds, and a welcome sign, and some other decorations to use throughout the year. Thank you Pal!

I have yet to see my pal reply she has recieved my package which was sent out over 11 days ago. Hope you got it Pal. I'm still waiting on three boxes that were sent out in December to reach me Stamps go up and the service goes down. Makes sense right. No, no sub driving either.

Still no snow here. Expecting some Saturday though. Pleae let it snow!!!! Really need some protection on my plants, before we go below the -0. Although we did have some freezing rain today, that surely can't be good either for em...???

I don't hear the Polka music. Have to wait till Sunday for that here. Turn it up! I want to hear it. *smile

Gardeningmomof3
suzanne

Wow, Shannon/garden_witch, you sure put together a special package!! I was so excited when I saw the mailman pull up and carry my package up to the porch!
Ok, well first of all, there was a card with beautiful flowers on it, and such a pretty envelope, I loved it! And I really enjoyed reading your letter, and learning more about you! I liked seeing the photo of your backyard, looks like you've sure got your work cut out for you, like I do with my yard! But you've got a great, fresh space to work with looks like, and I'd love to see more photos this summer once you've got some areas of that yard filled with all those plants from your winter sowing!
And here's what was in the package:

A great coffee mug with a garden-themed picture on it of a watering can and some other things, I will be using it later for my coffee; and even better, it was filled with mini candy bars! Mmmmmm.... :) I tried one of those Midnight Milky Way bars, which are made with dark chocolate around the outside, (I love dark chocolate, the richer the better,) and oh my goodness was it ever good. I'd never tried those before, and now I'm really wishing there were more than two! I NEED more!! Must... go... buy... more.... see, look what you did to me, Shannon! LOL. Okay, moving right along. A pretty pot with hand-painted flowers on it that I love, (I love pots, and am always wanting more of them, so it was perfect!) And in the pot, was a baggie of several different kinds of seeds that I can winter sow, (woohoo, I love seeds! lol) and a beautiful anklet with jade colored stones in it, which is great because green is my favorite color, and I love jade colored things. Then there was a beautiful little garden ornament, which is right up my alley, I absolutely love those types of things! I have to find a special place to hang it now... Also, some pretty faerie gifts tags and book plates, a wonderful smelling homemade candle, (it is lit as we speak,) and last but certainly not least, a great gift! It was a bag labeled "Seed snatching kit." And in it, was a little notebook, a really cool gel pen that writes in several different colors, some seed envies, and a pair of Singer thread snippers, which I never would've thought to use for this purpose, but it is just perfect for snipping off seed pods! They will go to great use, that's for sure.
And a couple of the gifts were inside these very pretty handcrafted bags, which I just love. And Shannon, where on earth did you find that alien wrapping paper? LOL! I love it. :) Everything is wonderful, and I am very thankful that you are my new pal!

~Summer