Oh sorry I forgot to answer that about the other plant...It is this huge shrub that is covered with these little trumpet like flowers. It is 20 years or older and I have NO idea what the name is. Kylie ...hicks...where were you...hicks...I had to drink it all by myself...hicks Lucy

It just seems odd to me that these mugs that had no degradation in the design for at least 10 years of washing in my old dishwasher have now faded away to almost nothing. It has to either be the different detergent or the dishwasher. Interestingly I have the old dishwasher at my weekend lake place - use the same old liquid detergent - mugs there are showing no sign of designs wearing/fading off. I only use the normal cycle (nothing hotter due to the etching problem) so it's not that the water is so hot. It's also apparently not due to super cleaning power of the DW or the detergent because there's no way my Miele would get a black crusted lasagna pan clean because of the small amount of detergent and low temps I have to use due to the etching problem. It doesn't even get coffee cups clean half the time under those conditions. Baver - the way I deal with etching is to throw out my glassware when it's ruined and replace it. I have quite an eclectic mix of mismatched stuff now.

I started out in kitchens and found my way over here. If I have a general question I definitely post here first. I feel I "know" the posters and always get great advice. For cooking questions I head to the cooking forum here at GW. Those people really know about cooking! Plus, it is an active forum. Now that my DD is a senior and preparing for college, I participate in one specialized small forum and lurk at College Confidential. I only lurk at CC because I have always ben able to find answers by searching previous posts. It is a very busy forum! Back when DH was traveling a lot I used a travel-related forum that was so helpful with maximizing loyalty points, and managing the whole loyalty concept all together. Oh! And the DIS!! For planning a trip to a Disney Resort worldwide, there is no better resource. I've been "hanging out" there for YEARS, learned loads of "insider" tips, and planned many hassle-free vacations. It is a *very* busy forum, with about 40 different boards - like resorts, dining, restaurant reviews, Disney for teens... or singles... or babies... or with disabilities... etc! It is an excellent resource. And I think that is about it for the forums I frequent. But again, for personal quandaries, I only come here. Nicole

Snickerdoodle - "This whimsical name originated in New England; it's simply a nineteenth century nonsense word for a quickly made confection." Apple Slump - "Louisa May Alcott loved this dessert so much that she named her home in Concord, Mass., "Apple Slump." It was a steamed apple dessert. How about OREO Villa? Dark brown home with white trim. Salisbury Steak - "Dr. James Henry Salisbury might have been the first of the protein-diet doctors, proclaiming in 1888 than humankind's maladies were caused by too much starchy food. His solution? Chopped lean meat, or hamburger steak. To hide the "liver-y" taste of hamburger, he recommended adding horseradish, mustard or Worcestershire sauce. By the 1900s, Salisbury steak was a staple menu item, often served with mushroom gravy or smothered onions". -Was Devil's Food Cake invented as the nemesis to Angel Food Cake? -Red Flannel Hash - so called because of the crimson color beets gave to the dish. -Grainlady