Thanks, Sandy. It's true. Teachers are the WORST audience EVER! (eyes rolling...BIG time) Think of the worst kids ever and the teachers are those kids x ten. The books you mentioned are some of my faves to read to my kids, particularly for the errors! It's funny to have little Kindergartners point out the 'mistakes' as I read now (interrupting, no less) and how "it's okay because everyone makes mistakes" but then again, how sad that SO many people learn from these mistakes and don't realize that these errors exist. Think of how many people assume that all butterflies make a cocoon...or that caterpillars have millions of legs...or that all caterpillars form a J when they pupate...the number of body parts a butterfly has...the number of legs as butterfly has...etc. It truly is horrific to me all the inconsistencies that exist. I just recently purchased the Dr. Seuss (well, one of the Beginner Books series) butterfly book and almost keeled over from the errors in the illustrations alone. I ended up NOT reading it to my students but just shared the pictures and discussed them. The kids were able to spot the 'mistakes' pretty quickly. Then again, I guess my expectations are such that I EXPECT that teachers will attempt to have accurate information. I EXPECT authors and illustrators to do their best to show information that is true to form. In my little Pollyanna world this would all be... But it isn't that way, is it? Oh well. We do our best and by sharing our knowledge, limited as it is, we can provide a service. YOU provided a great service today and are to be commended. What you did will spread. The enthusiasm with which you shared your experiences and knowledge will spread. That's what counts. :) Keep it up. I truly believe we need to share this type of information. It is why I returned to teaching in the classroom and why I chose to go to Kindergarten instead of back to middle school mathematics. Let's spread the news, like the fluff from a Milkweed seed pod flies through the sky...

Hi All, It is not that people spend more money on gardening, though some do. It is that there are way more people gardening than any other hobby(it is not a regional thing, people do it all over the US, rich and poor), so take that money collectively and more money is spent. Yesterday, I spent most of my time at the hospitals again. My grandmother is getting better. She had another chest x-ray to make sure the pneumonia is gone. If she is well, she will be transfered to a nursing home to get more rehab so she is stronger to go home. My mother-in-law is still not well. I went last night and she was sleeping again. So I have not had a real conversation with her about what is going on. MMTina, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Hope it is a good one, maybe spent wintersowing, lol! I have to go get some potting mix myself today. Shirley, Congrats on winning!! Did you make that cake? : ) Annie, Sorry to hear you are having to do hospital stuff with your family too. Deb, The groundhog sure was off! It is snowing here again. Maryanne, I'm so glad to hear you had a great time! I wish I was going to the flower show with you! Well, I will be going to the Rochester show which is very nice next week, but it is not the same as Philadelphia. Talk to you all later, Remy

good morning everyone. dizz, thos colored chickens are too cute. strange, but... remy, the show sounds wonderful. i by-passed the philadelphia show this year, it's getting too big and too vendorized and not enough for the home gardener anymore. i like the smaller venues. sad about the batteries, but i know that feeling. i love delph's - i don't grow enough of them, need to add more. we are having sleet/snow/hail today. for the last two days, you didn't need a jacket and short sleeves were had by most! i did a little clean up and got some areas ready for plants that i have and now today - just nuts! we do a easter egg hunt at church, but use those plastic guys filled with jelly beans. (every year the same sour sap protests the jelly beans because they can become lodged in a kid's throat - every year no one has a problem and every year sh'e shot down). we must stuff a few thousand eggs. we have a little party and always a clown or a magician. it's so much fun for the kids. never fails too, the weather is always iffy. only once in the last 10 years we had to do it inside. dizz, i looked up a few of them, but not sure what you are looking for. tough contests! off to do some baking. my mom's birthday celebration this weekend. be well maryanne

Well, a photo will follow later. I am having trouble uploading so here is the rundown on this super duper butterfly prize. First a Little Butterflies stained glass coloring book. When you color these transparent pages with whatever medium you choose they appear like stained glass when hung where sunlight reaches them. So pretty! Glitter Butterflies stickers, really special ones. Two very sophisticated coloring books: Butterfly Alphabet and Exotic Butterflies and Moths. These are wonderful. A few years ago I bought the first one for my mother and she loved it. There are so many things you could do with these. One of them I will share with Allie and Sophie. We will work on it together when they come for a visit. Thanks Shirley. It was a fantastic prize. I don't often win "stuff" but in March I won a FBS gift certificate and then this cool prize. If I had known it was my month I would have bought a lottery ticket. ;>)