Dag-nabbit!I lost my post from yesterday but that just means I'll abbreviate what I can remember-so it's a good thing from your points of view-I do babble too much lol. Deanne-raggedy ann is great! Chris and I brainstormed and we already have intact vampire outfits so we chose the goulish way before I saw your idea...lol Chris would be so charming as Andy: )!!! funny too-I am growing out the red locks and trying my natural look after 15 yrs. of sassy red(lol). I have less grey than I thought and decided now would be a good time to color closer to my real shade-we'll see how long that lasts. I guess I could have made a red yarn wig though for Annie! Wow Deanne on the pixels! And handheld shots at that!!! Very fun to rediscover your immediate world with macro! I look forward to more! Hey that hydrangea looks so fresh with color-mine are all faded to green and maroon-which one is yours?? Marian I loved your fall pics-thanks for sharing all that color. I especially like that blue spruce with the various fall colors setting off its form & blueness. Sue I'm sending good vibes for whatever your doctor is suggesting. Should we be worrying? ...this probably isn't the same thing I'm sure, but my mom who actually is great about routine check ups has been putting off the dreaded colonoscopy for many years now but is finally taking the plunge(?lol)on Tuesday;sometimes you just have to be ready for tests like that and it just took her time to go for it-she did a bit of research on the risks and it scared her. I think it's great that you are getting a second opinion.(would you do a third too?) Yeona-glad you checked in-sorry it has been so rough. Just remember to take time for yourself so you can pull yourself together. Sounds silly but for me a simple thing as mowing the lawn is something I love to do so I can be alone and think(and hopefully not run over things I'd rather not while I'm being pensive lol) The stuff with Chris' mom at times just overwhelms me so I have to steal moments for just me even if it's during meanial tasks. Taryn how great to see your homestead pics-please teach me how to get so much accompished!! Good luck with the job prospects I hope you find just the right match for all your skills. Oh so that check I was supposed to get? It came on Saturday! It was bigger than 95 bucks : ) Now I have that arduous task of deciding which places the mullah should go. I'm not used to having leeway when the end of the month rolls around so this should be a nice change of pace. We celebrated the windfall by ordering sushi: )yum! Mary-playdate? Wait-that means you would have a whole SEVERAL hours to tidy up before we got there ; ) Yes, Chris' mom is still in the hospital.While it's been a long time, at least she is being well cared for. My worry is when she's released and we need to coordinate helping her-Chris' sister is up to her old disappearing trick again. Michelle-you really did score on your trip into the city-I hope we get to see your dress-I know you will look stunning. I'm very impressed that you are onto Christmas shopping already-I always tackle AJ's Nov. bday first then worry about Christmas but maybe you will motivate me to get a move on. Aj and Ryan have been sick all weekend...I thanked them profusely for waiting for the weekend so I won't miss work! Actually one year AJ was only sick on weekends and only missed one full day...I wonder if he can pull that off again, let alone Ryan. Don't mean to skip out but I've got prep for tomorrow to do. Hi to all I missed! ~Babs

Hi all . I called my eye clinic and discovered my frame's warranty expired in July ! Bummer ! After fuming and fussing , I decided to run to town and look elsewhere for frames . I found what I needed at the first place ....... WalMart . They are the oldfashioned heavy plastic ones , with red tinted edges , and the fit is going to really bug me , but I have to get new lenses as soon as I can afford to , so I didn't want to spend too much . Came close to having my car ran into while driving through the parking lot . Was thinking a few choice thoughts , until it dawned on me it was my dear friend who teaches the Golden Year's class ! He had very serious surgery about a month ago , that had only a 50% chance of survival ,( an abdominal aneurysm ), and hasn't been back to the class since . I believe he will be there tomorrow for our Thanksgiving dinner . I'll ask him if he knew who he almost hit . Thank God , we didn't collide ! Frequent gusty winds here too , and a brief thunderstorm this morning . Possible severe storms tonight ...wierd ,wierd , but we do not have any unseasonal blooms in our yard . Last spring I dug a gob of overcrowded daffodils , and have kept the bulbs in the utility room . I had hoped to plant them out in our yard , but haven't felt up to that job , so have given a lot away . I still have a bunch ...and still don't feel like planting them . Now , imagine my shock when I get an e-mail from Tim saying his girlfriend is sending me some daffodil bulbs for my birthday !!!! (She and her mother are big on daffodils ! ) Well , at least I now have gasoline for my tiller(s) , and won't have to use a spade to prepare the planting spot ( 'IF' a tiller will start! ) . Tim is wanting to know what 'he' can get me .....I have no idea ! A new range would be nice , but I'm sure he doesn't mean something that expensive ! I wish I could think of something memorable and long lasting . Several sacks of compost and manure would be nice , for my lasagna beds ... but I think that is not what he means , either ! LOL Maybe a new monitor and/or a new keyboard ( mine is filthy ), and a new mouse . Hmmmmm , maybe I can come up with several ideas after all . :-) Or better yet , a gift certificate would be nice . I am wondering , for all of you that are doing so much fall housecleaning , will you do spring cleaning too ? When I was leaving the eyeglass place and walking toward the hot fried chicken case , a voice behind me said " Is that Marian ----- I see ? " I turned , and right behind me was the gal that worked with me at the County Fairs , entering and judging Floriculture .. I hadn't seen her in several years . She is a very likeable person . I won't try catching up . Just know that I am enjoying reading everyone's posts , and enjoying all the pictures . Marian

Afternoon all, Im taking a much needed afternoon break. Well I failed in my mission. Here is it 4:00PM and Ive not touched the baking yet. Im going to be up late tonight it seems and I guess Ill have to beg Doug to do the grocery shopping. I wound up starting a cleanup on the second floor and it hadnt really been cleaned to the nooks and crannies in way too long (you know getting behind and under the washing machine and dryer etc.) The problem with starting something like that is it takes too long and when you are part way through it seems a waste not to finish up the project. Sooo the sitting room upstairs, laundry closet, my closet, and master bathroom are clean, clean clean maybe my allergies will stop bothering me so much since Ive taken about ten layers of debris out of there. I almost got the bedroom done too but I couldnt get the dratted mattress cover on by myself so I decided to leave that until Doug gets home and then ask his help to finish up the bedroom as well. Seems fair to me as he makes half the dirt up there anyway. LOL. Anyway, I realized that I needed a bit of a sit down and made a cup of coffee so here I am. LOL As soon as this is done Im going to get some baking done. I think we are going to have to get take outs for dinner as Ill be too wiped out to cook. Thats my story and Im sticking to it. Im so happy to see so many familiar faces here today. Wonderful to hear from David, Eileen, Honey and Wendy. David, thanks very much! I appreciate your feedback on the Sanderling photos. Coming from such an accomplished bird photographer that is quite a compliment. They really are the neatest birds. Never still for a second following the water in and out with the waves on the beach. I could spend days just watching them. My next trip will be to Plum Island to do some more work with the new camera and lens. Eileen, anytime youd like some birdie photos let me know which ones strike your fancy. I was thinking of you this fall when the Robins were in the Mountain Ash tree eating the berries. So great to hear from you. Wendy, bummer about the cold! Hope you are well soon. I think of you often, in fact every day when I check my coleus under the lights I enjoy that gorgeous ruffled, chartreuse one you gave me cuttings of last time we saw each other. Do you happen to know the name? It looks like it is going to be a large impressive plant. Gorgeous! Honey, so glad to hear from you as well. Kathy, love, love, love the photos of your gardens. They are just beautiful. I was so tickled to see the pics of Nora Leigh! You have great taste in phlox. LOL OK coffee break is over and Ive got to go and heat up my oven and get some pies baked. Have a great evening everyone. Deanne

Oohh, you poor americans! I recieved some nice double orange cuttings from a fellow Cannuck this fall, and I'm so excited to see them growing on now. It really is too bad the customs won't allow us to send anything to the US without phytocertificates or whatever they are called. Then we could really do some nice trades. Unless anyone wants to chance it, come spring....I still don't even have a Charles Grimaldi - and I call myself a brug enthusiast, I hang my head in shame!!- That's seems to be the brug everyone has to start with. I started with a brug x candida - unnamed peach, but gorgeous, and have gone from there. Anything for these beauties!!!