I am "tickled pink" that Pinkie is still in the hearts & minds of some of us! LOL A special thanks to don_socal for the link, "What happened to the old GP days?" Wow, what a stroll down memory lane! Neat to hear some of the names of folks I still remember, and have a bit of an update on where they are now. I had drifted away from the gang before Dicken passed on to the Eternal Garden...so sad to read that. Spent the better part of a morning going thru the box of old photos I have but found only a few pictures of Pinky. I had taken her to a Civil War re-enactment on our little town in SW PA where she met with the brave nurses that traveled with the troops. Among the photos I had was one of her on a makeshift table with a nurse in costume dressing a "wound" on Pinkie's leg. :-) Had another one of Pinkie being held by a slightly bemused modern-day EMT that was also there, and of course several pics of her among the various pink flowers in my garden. Unfortunately, I found none of these better pictures. Cannot imagine where I put them for "safe-keeping" but someday when I least expect it I imagine they will surface! Anyway, thanks to those of you who responded, and for the pleasant nostalgia trip! Best wishes to all GPers for a terrific gardening year. CK

Jan, since I can't have the tipple anymore :-( I put a tiny little driblet of rum flavoring in my cuppa nog (if it's not my breakfast drink), and plenty of fresh nutmeg. We have this awesome hand-cranked nutmeg grinder so there's no grating your fingernails into your eggnog. LOL Promised Land must be a regional brand. I haven't been really jazzed by anything from Walkers the last few years - it's all seemed just the littlest bit stale-tasting. The mincemeat in jars is, for the most part, very good (Crosse & Blackwell's is too sweet IMO, but Nonesuch and Grandmother's are quite good) and I admit that I quit making my own piecrust several years ago in favor of the Pillsbury - basically when they started rolling the dough instead of folding it, so you couldn't tell it was premade! I don't want to "spend my spoons" on making piecrust! Usually if someone in the family's bagged a deer for winter food my grandmother will make venison mincemeat, which makes awfully good tarts/pies. I have these adorable little 4" tart pans (the sort with the loose bottoms); I cover the bottom with a circle of parchment so I can slide the tart off, pop the whole pan into the fridge to cool off for a few minutes, and make the next batch. But yes, usually I just use the jar stuff rather than a premade tart. Their shortbread is usually stale IMO but it is so absurdly easy to make - flour, salt, sugar, and the best butter you can get your hands on - I just can't imagine buying it. I never roll it out and cut shapes, I am far too lazy! I like to mash it into those tart pans for individual cookes, or for a gift I like to use my big removable-bottom 10" tart pan and mooch small pizza boxes from our favorite pizza joint, dividing the shortbread into wedges with fork perforations before baking.) Fruitcake Day is on the schedule for next weekend, but we haven't decided whether to go rum or brandy... I'm pondering Drambuie for a change but wondering if it'd be too sweet. I think I need to get a "nip" bottle to taste. ttodd - I wouldn't waste eggnog on the unappreciative. Put it in a pretty pitcher and have cups available for those who wish to partake, but if no one is going to drink it there's no point in putting a cup at every place setting. Natal - Yeah, the HFCS is a drag. I know there are a couple of brands that don't have it (and are probably local/regional anyway) but I admit that I pretend I don't see it on the labels of the ones we get (Hood and Oakhurst). There's always Silk Nog, which I hear is pretty good, but I haven't tried it.

Some nonfiction books that I enjoyed: All the Way Home: Building a Family in a Falling-Down House by David Giffels --really liked this book. About a young couple who bought an old and very dilapidated fixer upper in Ohio. Aside from the obvious appeal to anyone who reads this board :), it was a tender and thoughtful look at becoming a family. The Motion of the Ocean: 1 Small Boat, 2 Average Lovers, and a Woman's Search for the Meaning of Wife by Janna Cawrse Esarey -- for anyone who has ever dreamed of or dreaded the idea of setting sail on the high seas, another good book on several levels. The author dishes about lots of the real details of doing that kind of adventure but there is, as with my first recommendation, a very heartfelt look at finding one's true love, getting married and discovering what marriage means. About Alice by Calvin Trillin -- one of the sweetest, most loving books I've ever read by a fabulous writer, about the love of his life, his late wife Alice. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls -- this was a bestseller and deservedly so. A portrait of an almost mythically dysfunctional set of parents by one of the kids who grew up in the direst poverty, but survived to become a journalist and now author. Wonderful book. When Skateboards Will Be Free: A Memoir of a Political Childhood by Sa Sayrafiezadeh -- another growing up memoir. The author's parents, though divorced, were both staunch socialists/communists and his tale of growing up in America through that filter is engrossing. Girlbomb: A Halfway Homeless Memoir and Have You Found Her both by Janice Erlbaum -- I advise reading these in order; the first is the true story of a girl growing up in NYC who ends up in a homeless shelter, the second is a follow up from the same woman, now grown, who befriends a runaway while volunteering at the same shelter. Great writing style, excellent books. Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant: Confessions of Cooking for One and Dining Alone by Jenni Ferrari-Adler --a set of essays on just what the title says! Very enjoyable light reading. Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon-And the Journey of a Generation by Sheila Weller -- this one resonated with me because all three artists are of my generation, and I grew up listening and loving their music. A very entertaining read; lots of insider tidbits about the 60s-70s-80s music scene. Helping Me Help Myself: One Skeptic, Ten Self-Help Gurus, and a Year on the Brink of the Comfort Zone by Beth Lisick -- very funny book about a series of adventures undertaken by the author. A slimdown cruise with Richard Simmons, now THERE'S a concept! And many more hilarious experiences. Money Changes Everything: Twenty-Two Writers Tackle the Last Taboo with Tales of Sudden Windfalls, Staggering Debts, and Other Surprising Turns of Fortune by Jenny Offill and Elissa Schappell -- pretty much just what the title says! Very easy read too, would be a good airport companion. Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping by Judith Levine -- thought provoking book about a woman who quit buying. Makes you wonder...could YOU go a year without shopping?! OK, enough for now! Happy page-turning, Ann

We just found out that Zoey is crate trained..... her foster mom never mentioned it, and told us that Zoey was used to having free run of the house. Zoey is now accustomed to using a crate as her bed, but we've never actually closed her in there. My wild imagination worried that Zoey would rattle around in the crate and scream like a banshee, but we were pleasantly surprised when we decided to close the crate door behind her. We had my folks and one of my sisters over last night for New Year's, and decided we'd put her in her crate while we were eating dinner (we don't have a dining table yet, so we balanced plates on our knees). So, I tossed a Twist 'n' Treat filled with her fav cookies into her crate, and she followed it in and didn't even know I'd closed the crate door behind her. Turned out we left her in there for 2 hours during the 3 hours my family was there, and she was as quiet as a church mouse. I even popped into the bedroom, where the crate is, a couple times to use the master bath, and she didn't make a peep. When I finally let her out, she was deep asleep, zonked out with the empty treat holder next to her. After the treats were gone, she probably just thought it was time to go to sleep, since that's what she's used to doing in her crate. Anyhoo, this is good news! Everybody was right when they said a dog has to have a place of their own to feel safe.