I expected more to take up on this awesome trade idea so I was waiting a while but I'm gonna go ahead and claim Katie (kchd) :)

And I'm going to claim Margo!
Shirley!

Signed up:
sandlapper_rose - Claimed by lisam627
micyrey - Claimed by smitties
smitties - Claimed by sjc48
lisa627 - Claimed by sandlapper-rose
sjc48
MoonFire
kchd - Claimed by MoonFire

I'm watching who claims whom so no one is left sending to herself. LOL (Maybe more will sign up by the 10th... waiting to see.)

A really nice temperature outside today, but I've come down with a cold so I'm just taking it easy for the day. I think I got exposed to too many germs while I was traveling!

Jeanne

I'd like to claim Moonfire! I have the perfect items for her.

Katie

Signed up:
sandlapper_rose - Claimed by lisam627
micyrey - Claimed by smitties
smitties - Claimed by sjc48
lisa627 - Claimed by sandlapper-rose
sjc48
MoonFire - Claimed by kchd
kchd - Claimed by MoonFire

If not one else joins, Moonfire will send to sjc48. However, signups are still welcome so we'll see if anyone else steps in and needs to be matched or claimed.

I hope everyone is having a great day.
I'll be posting a game later this week and any FOTESS member is welcome to play even if you are not swapping this month.

Jeanne

I've been doing the "What am I most thankful for" thing for the past couple of days. Seems to be the time of year when thankfulness is uppermost in everyone's mind.

The first thing that comes to mind, for me, is the fact that my daughter and her family are now only 3 hours away by car, not $500-600 away by plane! VERY thankful for that!

The second biggest thing I'm thankful for is my job. I started back to work at my old office about 5-6 weeks ago as a temp, and that has changed to a full time part time (25 hours a week) position after the first of the year! Equal parts of relief and thankfulness here! I've been laid off for 2 1/2 years.

My kids are all well and doing good, which is always something to be thankful for. My youngest son, who is 43, went back to school, after his job was phased out, and just graduated from a tech school, with a cerficate in computer drafting. I am so proud of him! And thankful that he hung in there and finished.

Other things? Well, the T-Wolfs are 2-1, my Christmas cards are done, and I found my brown belt! In the pocket of my grey coat. I know, I know, I can't figure it out either!

And I'm thankful for all the people/friends I've "met" here on GW; What a great bunch!

Hope everyone is having a good week,
Shirley!

I am going to sit out this month. Very busy, but they are good things.
My daughter, 16, went to Nationals last year in FCCLA and scored 96/100 points with her partner. They have been invited (along with the parents--that's me) to the state capitol's rotunda for a presentation and a reception at the governor's residence. She is also the lead in the one act play and that starts this week with a festival, then a dinner theater which I 'get' to volunteer at. The other daughter is struggling with her first year of middle school. I made her flashcards to help her learn 6th grade earth science. Do you know molecule, nucleus, proton and isotrope? I do. I'm also re-learning 6th grade math--and I'm lucky to be able to do it. It won't be long before I can't even understand the directions for math.
I like your thankfulness. I am thankful my husband has a good job and that I have a part-time job that helps with bills, but allows me to be around for my girls. I'm thankful for medical insurance, grandparents who are close and involved in their granddaughters' lives, a dog who puts up with snuggling and a mailman who thinks my mail is funny--so it's fun to deliver!
Heidi

If anyone in FOTESS wants to follow up on these, please chime in. Just for fun.

1. Who cooks the turkey that you eat?
2. Do you wish on the wishbone?
3. What special items go in the stuffing/dressing?
4. Cranberry Sauce: Homemade, Whole Berry, or Jellied?
5. Is your Thanksigiving with Friends, Family, or Both?

Here are my answers:
1. My husband
2. Sometimes
3. store bought stuffing mix, onions, celery, mushrooms, butter, sage, and ground sausage
4. Whole Berry (from a can)
5. Usually just family

Can't wait to see how everyone celebrates!

Jeanne

Here are my answers to the question.

1. hubby
2. sometimes
3. nothing special goes in our stuffing. If I make my own, it has onions and poultry seasoning. Store bought just gets the onions.
4. No cranberry sauce.
5. Thanksgiving is with family

Our Thanksgivings seem to change now that the kids are older. Each year seems to find different kids joining in due to different circumstances with each. Can't get them all together at holidays due to living areas or spending it with spouses family. This year we will have three of the five here with us. Two of them will be bringing boyfriend/girlfriend. Along with them will be my fil and bil. We have always had small family gatherings. I am just longing for the day when we can go to someone elses home for dinner. :)

Margo

Here are my answers:
1. I cook the turkey; I like to try different ways of preparing it, like in a casserole, or this year I want to try turkey rolls with the stuffing inside. My family HATES this. But I get so bored with that bird just sitting there.
2. Did the wishbone thing when the kids were little; haven't for years; might start again with Tabs and Myrna.
3. In addition to everything that everyone has already mentioned, I like to add black olives, dried cranberries, nuts, and I still use day old bread.
4. I make a cranberry/mandarin orange jello salad, with raspberry jello; sounds strange and it never fully jells but the kids love it.
5. Like Margo, sometimes the kids are here, sometimes not; very seldom all three at the same time. If none of them come out, I spend the day with friends.
This was a neat idea, Jeanne!
Shirley!

My husband and I are in that generation that still goes elsewhere for Thanksgiving, partly because our parents are still fairly young, active & healthy. Also, in part, because we are the ones who moved away and we have no family here in Mississippi. So we flip-flop every year and trade off spending Thanksgiving vs. Christmas with his family in Arizona or my family in Louisiana (or sometimes Tennessee or even DC). This year we are going to Arizona for Thanksgiving.
Here are my answers:
1. It depends, but it's always a woman who cooks the turkey.
2. Somebody always wishes on the wishbone, but it's always a huge gathering (anywhere from 10-30 people), so it varies on who finds it first.
3. My sister-in-law puts sausage in her stuffing, and it is divine! No doubt it is 3,000 calories per bite.
4. Usually all three. My step-father makes amazing homemade cranberry sauce.
5. Mostly with family, but oftentimes friends stop by.

. Who cooks the turkey that you eat? We switch off, Terry or Betty.
2. Do you wish on the wishbone? The wishbone gets broken when they cut up the turkey
3. What special items go in the stuffing/dressing? I love stuffing, even Stove Top. My huband/kids don't like it at all so I never make it.
4. Cranberry Sauce: Homemade, Whole Berry, or Jellied? My mom makes the BEST cranberry. Diabetic, so cranberry has all that sugar in it. She uses fresh oranges, fresh cranberries, fresh apples and grinds it by hand in a grinder, sweetened with dry sugar-free jello. It takes so much work we only have it once a year. Delicious!
5. Is your Thanksigiving with Friends, Family, or Both? Every other year we switch off. Grand Matriarch of the family had 3 children: Terry, Bill and Mary. Mary has xmas Eve. Bill & Terry trade off every other thanksgiving. My 16-year-old is already worried about spending all Thanksgiving day with no internet signal in the country. Poor girl (no mercy from me). ha

Hello everyone! I would like to join and claim Shirley! I looked at your want list and was elated I have just the things you want!

Hum... wish list, well I can't remember at the moment so I will get back on that one (after I go to my cheat sheet and look at my wanted list on my GW exchange page.)

Good thing just today I found my FOTESS notebook. It was outside under my porch under a box of bulbs waiting to be planted. Soooo I can make my notes of y'alls interests.

I will return soon.

Rena'

Welcome, Rena'! Happy to have you join us.

Signed up:
sandlapper_rose - Claimed by lisam627
micyrey - Claimed by smitties
smitties - Claimed by sjc48
lisa627 - Claimed by sandlapper_rose
sjc48 - Claimed by gardenofeden
MoonFire Claimed by kchd
kchd - Claimed by MoonFire
gardenofeden -

We'll be waiting for your wish list, Rena'. Right now it looks like Michelle (micyrey) will be sending to you, but I'll wait to post it until the official sign up ends which will be tomorrow.

I'll also post a game beginning tomorrow. I am going to try to create a scavenger hunt so it should be interesting! Never tried this online before.

Have a good weekend and see you later.
Jeanne

I hope you don't mind that I am posting the game for FOTESS members this evening instead of tomorrow. Tomorrow is starting to look like a pretty busy day for me.

I had to think about how we could do a scavenger hunt and this is what I came up with. We will use the GardenWeb FAQ section.
http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/

You not only need to answer all the questions, but you need to say where in the FAQs you found the answer.

For example if you were to answer "Does grafting affect flavor?" you would give the answer found in the FAQs and indicate it is in the Citrus FAQ section.

I hope that makes sense. The first member to answer all 12 questions correctly and give each FAQ source for the answer wins. Please post your answers here. If you don't think the first person to post has it right, you can add your own guesses to the list.

I hope I didn't make this too easy or too hard. It's my first time trying a game like this.

1. What does ARS mean?
2. What is Hunk-O-Seedlings?
3. How can you tell that seeds you save are dry?
4. What plants grow in a Three Sisters Garden?
5. Can I use honey in a hummingbird feeder?
6. What is a NOID?
7. How do you keep your cat from eating the entire catnip plant?
8. Are there any blue roses?
9. Name something the might be found in a sandwich that should not be added to a compost pile?

10. What causes blossom end rot on a tomato?
11. Should you prune a determinate tomato plant?
12. What family relationship is the last one listed in the FAQ topic on Childhood Memories?

Good luck... remember to answer and say which FAQ contained the answer. The first FOTESS member to answer all of this correctly will be sent a small prize. You do not need to be signed up to play this month in order to participate.

I don't know if I will be able to check to see if anyone has won before late tomorrow afternoon or evening so I hope no one is kept waiting too long to see if they win.

Jeanne

This is not as easy as it looks! Where the heck do you find out about cats on the FAQs - yeah, like you are all going to chime in and tell me!

Got some more clean up done in the gardens today; thought I was finished a while back, but some of my flowers are taking their own sweet time about dying back! And my rose is still blooming and the marigolds look beautiful!

Well, back over to Sportsline to watch Minney beat Indiana! Go Woofs!
Shirley!

Not sure if I will be the first member to answer these questions but either way, it was fun searching. I learned a lot about the FAQ section too. I will be using it in the future as there is a lot of good information. Smitties

1. ARS-American Rose Society found in Rose FAQ section.
2. Hunk O seedlings, It's how to transplant your seedlings when they've grown very close together. Winter Sowing FAQ
3.Dry seeds are very loose, they don't cling to each other, they move quickly and easily across a plate. Seed saving FAQ
4. Corn, squash, and beans. Gardening with kids FAQ
5. No, A honey water solution served up in hummingbird feeders can quickly become toxic and deadly. Hummingbird garden FAQ
6. Noid stands for an African violet with No identification African Violet FAQ
7. To keep your cat from destroying the plants, use upside-down wire baskets over the herb. Let the cat chew on the parts which grow through the basket. Herbalism FAQ page
8. No true blue rose exist yet. Some roses are sold as blue but are really a lavender color. Rose FAQ
9. Meat Soil FAQ

10. It is a problem caused by a low level of calcium in the fruit itself. Growing tomatoes FAQ
11. should NOT be pruned or "suckered" as it severely reduces the crop Growing Tomatoes FAQ
12. Maternal grandmother - Gardening with kids.

Margo,
You have won!!!

I hope a few members were able to get acquainted with the FAQs from doing this. It's amazing the range of topics that are discussed there.
Shirley, you had me laughing with your comment about how do you find out about cats in the gardening FAQs. There were some odd bits of information in there, that's for sure.
Will send out your prize next week, Margo.

I'll talk with everyone later.
Jeanne

Bit of a frustrating day here - had to go grocery shopping, which is not only frustrating but stupid and horrendous as well!
It was a beautiful mild day, and I kept hearing all these birds in the neighbors trees, so I sat outside with the camera for at least an hour, but no, the birds stayed hidden in the neighbors trees.
And I'm trying to make refrigerator magnets; it worked very nicely last year, but today I kept getting lines all up and down the pictures. Bummer, like I have the ink to waste!
Wah, Wah, Wah!
Tomorrow will surely be better!
Congrats on the win, Margo, I got 7 of the answers.

Shirley!

Sorry about the frustrating day, Shirley. Some are certainly like that.

Here is our match up for this month. Signs ups have ended. If you need the mailing address for the person you are sending to, please get in touch with her and please post when you mail and when your package is received.

Signed up:
sandlapper_rose - Claimed by lisam627
micyrey - Claimed by smitties
smitties - Claimed by sjc48
lisa627 - Claimed by sandlapper_rose
sjc48 - Claimed by gardenofeden
MoonFire Claimed by kchd
kchd - Claimed by MoonFire
gardenofeden - Michelle will send to Rena'

If there are any questions, please let me know.

Jeanne

Yipee, I won. I did enjoy that game a lot. Thanks Jeanne.

My package is on its way although it won't actually ship until tomorrow as any time I drop a package off on Sunday, it doesn't get checked in until Monday. Anyway, here is the DC number 9405503699300198255519

Hope you like it Michelle, Margo

Much better day today!
It was 70 here today, good grief! Got all my windows washed and curtains done! Yea!!!
Can't believe Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Well, kind of. All my kids are coming home, which is a good thing!
What's everyone doing for Turkey Day?
Have a great week, All!
Shirley!

Lisa, your swap is in the mail to you.

Margo, your prize is heading your way also.

Hope you both like what I sent.
Jeanne

Where is everyone? There isn't much activity lately.

Received my prize package today. Thank you Jeanne, the candy bar is already gone. Long busy day at work and this helped fix the day. I was excited to see the homemade wash cloth/dish cloth. My ex-daughter in law used to make them for me and I mine were getting pretty worn.

I did check and my package has been received by Michelle so waiting to see what she thought of the contents.

Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday. I am ready for a nice weekend off. Margo

Glad you stopped in, Margo. Yes, it has been quiet here. I come by every day, but don't always post something. Can you believe it is only one week until Thanksgiving? Do any of you go out absurdly early on Black Friday to shop? Not me, but I will likely spend some time looking for gift ideas on the internet on Friday. Every year I hope to make lots of the gifts that I give, but then I run out of time to do that.
The garden is looking pretty sad these days. I should get out there and pull some of the dead foliage and weed a little and put down a bit more mulch. Maybe next week I can get to that.
The speaker at our Master Gardener meeting today talked about how to dye and work with reindeer moss. I didn't even know what reindeer moss was, but it looks like a fun craft.
Talk with everyone again soon,
Jeanne

No early hours for me on the black day. I used to actually enjoy that shopping day but that was when the stores opened at 6 or 7 am. Now it is utterly ridiculous. Some people risk limb and injury, lol, and they don't even realize they can usually buy the item online. We do a lot of on line shopping in the comfort of our own home that day.

The weekend is going to be in the 50's and since I am off, I hope to do the things I wanted to do last weekend. Clean out the garden and harvest the last of what is left out there.

I am not sure what reindeer moss is but definitely going to look it up. Sound interesting.

Margo

Margo, I have noticed, too, that it's pretty quiet around here on the forums. I think we are all treading water, trying to keep our heads above water - - I know I am!
Tomorrow my husband and I are flying out to Tucson to visit family for the holidays. I love it out there. The Sonoran Desert is beautiful with so many interesting plants and wildlife. It fascinates me!
Jeanne, I have never in my life gone out on Black Friday to shop. No thanks! Too many people for me.
Dianne, your package is on the way.
DC # 03081400000154103888 - Hope you like it!
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Katie

Hello,

I received a package of goodies yesterday from Jeanne!
A handcrafted Thanksgiving card - very pretty and creative!

Enclosed were these seeds:

Coleus - Wizard Mosaic
Basil - Genovese
Basil - Mammoth
Calendula - Pacific Beauty Apricot
Sunflower - Magic Roundabout
Parsley
Sunflower - Dwarf Sunspot

Thanks - I'm really looking forward to starting them in the spring!

Also enclosed was a book entitled, "To Share a Dream" by Willo Davis Roberts. The book is about the pilgrims so it is very pertinent to our Harvest Wishbone swap!

Oh! One more delectable item - a Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar...yum!! Perfect for this evening's chocolate fix!

Now I have to say that these were excellent selections for me. Thanks so much for everything, Jeanne!!
Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving! - Lisa

I received my package from Shirley about an hour ago. She was passing through after visiting her daughter south of here and we arranged to meet for coffee on her way back. What a wonderful visit. It is so nice to meet someone in person after so many months of corresponding here on GW. I really enjoyed our visit.

Shirley gave me a perfect book called Simple Pleasures of the Garden. Stories, Recipes, and Crafts from the Abundant Earth. This is the perfect choice for me!!!! It has wonderful ideas for the garden as well as crafts and recipes I will definitely be using. I have been wanting to start making my own bath salts, scrubs etc for gifts and for myself. This book is perfect for want I want to do.
She also included a very nice Thanksgiving card with 2 packages of borage, Fuller's Teasel, yellow pattypan squash, and small sugar pumpkin seeds.

Thank you Shirley for the great package and it was wonderful to meet up with you and I look forward to getting together with you in the spring.

Margo

We did have a nice visit, didn't we?! After I FINALLY got there! I was only about an hour and a half behind! We had an Urgent Care visit this morning for my oldest granddaughter which made me late leaving Kettering; then, as is my habit, I promptly got lost and ended up BELOW Dayton by about 12 miles, and when I finally did get back on 75, there was an accident, which held us up for about a half hour. Lord, how I hate trying to get out of cities. But it was really nice to have the chance to meet her, after talking on the swaps for about a year or so. And a spring visit is definitely on the agenda! And I'm glad you liked the book, Margo, it is one of my favorites!

Okay, next up, Thanksgiving dinner. They're getting stuffed turkey rolls. End of that discussion!

Talk to ya all tomorrow!
Shirley!

Sorry I haven't been here to chat more. I came home sick with a cold and then my husband got it and now we are sort of "in holiday mode" - that doesn't mean parties, it just means busy. LOL
How great that Shirley and Margo got to meet each other!

Here's an update on our swap
sandlapper_rose - Claimed by lisam627
micyrey - Claimed by smitties - mailed
smitties - Claimed by sjc48 - received
lisa627 - Claimed by sandlapper_rose - received
sjc48 - Claimed by gardenofeden
MoonFire Claimed by kchd - mailed
kchd - Claimed by MoonFire
gardenofeden - Michelle will send to Rena'

I think I found all the postings up to the present.
Have a great week, eveyone!
Jeanne

Hello Jeanne,

Just to let you know I mailed your package yesterday!
The DC # is: 030610700000 5874 6490

Hope you like it and it gets there before Thanksgiving!

Lisa

Thanks, Lisa. I'll let you know when it gets here. I haven't done a swap in awhile so I will be excited to get that mail. The catalogs have been arriving by the truckload lately. Is it like that at everyone's house? Not many are seed or gardening catalogs though.
Our weather has been beautiful the past few days. I love it! However, I woke up at 4:30 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep. I didn't love that!
Jeanne

Hi, everyone!
My package from Lisa showed up this afternoon. It's great! Lisa included a Thanksgiving card, a pack of Thanksgiving napkins, and for seeds: cilantro, zinnias, day lilies, salvia, and impatiens. All great choices!
She also passed along two magazines and a book which is Herbal Treasures. All of these look great to me and I'll have fun reading them.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks so much, Lisa.

Jeanne

Sounds like a great package, Jeanne!
Just stopping by to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!
Have a great day tomorrow!
Shirley!

I have mega apologies to Katie for not getting her envy mailed out by the deadline and in time for ThanksGiving!!...I have it ready to go to the post office today and will post confirmation # when I send it...

I received Katie's envy a few days ago but haven't had the chance to get on here and post it or say thanks as I've been swamped yet again with things going on...but I love the magazine Katie :) and can't wait to plant the seeds, especially the tomatoes!...Katie also sent me a big envelope of Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden seeds...it says it contains over 10,000 seeds of every kind of flower I love...here is a list of seeds in the big pack:

Nasturtium: red,orange
Dame's Rocket: lilac
Chinese Forget-Me-Not: blue
Morning Glory: blue
Cosmos: pink, white, red
Purple Coneflower: pink
Crimson Clover: red
Wild Lupine: blue
Red Poppy: red, pink, white
Rose Mallow: pink
Baby Snapdragon: multicolored
Baby's Breath: (Gyp. elegans) white
Lemon Mint: pink
Scarlett Sage: red
Black-eyed Susan: gold/brn
None-so-pretty: pink

The magazine Katie sent me is right up my alley also..."Back Home : Your Hands On Guide To Sustainable Living" ...hubby loves it too :)

Thanks so much Katie for a wonderful envelope :)

Got Katie's envy out in the mail today...the confirmation # is 0311 3260 0000 7255 0056 ...

Hope all had a great Thanksgiving :)

Dianne

No worries, Dianne! I'm out of town (surprise, surprise, eh?), in Arizona until Monday, Nov 26 anyway. So glad you liked your package :) I figured that magazine would be perfect for y'all.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Katie

I feel like I have been part of "the great disappearing act" lately and sorry I haven't been on the thread more often. We went out of town for Thanksgiving and I have been busy with my little shop and have been shopping for a horse. Some may know I had a horse for 29 years and she died early in Jan. at age 33. All I can say from my horse shopping so far, they just don't make them like that any more! It's hard because 29 years ago I didn't have to shop having in mind that I am not as flexible as I used to be. The reality is I am looking for what might otherwise be considered a "safe for kids" horse but for an adult.
I'll update the sent and received swaps later today.
I hope everyone had a good holiday weekend and stayed safe. It didn't make me feel good on Thanksgiving Day when we headed out of town to read that Thanksgiving Day was the deadlist day on the roads. I hate how the news always plays up the bad. Would we ever read that some day was the safest day to be on the road? I wonder what day that is?
Talk to everyone later.
Jeanne

Happy Thanksgiving holiday to everyone! I hope you all enjoyed some delicious turkey & treats. We had a nice quiet dinner at our daughter & her hubby's. The 1st in nearly 25 years without children under 18. It wasn't quite the same without a crowd, but it was relaxing. There were plenty of leftovers to make a casserole to take to my brother the next day at the hospital. He's released now, but will wait up to 2 months for his bone infection to heal before his new bone graft for his broken ankle that happened in October last year. Makes me want to avoid ladders forever!

Hope you all enjoy the season!
Corrine

Corrine, I am sending indirect get well wishes to your brother. It sure sounds like he has been through a lot.
We sure enjoyed our turkey leftovers. My daughter was so sweet and sent a few leftovers home with us.

Here's an update on our swap
sandlapper_rose - Claimed by lisam627 - received
micyrey - Claimed by smitties - received
smitties - Claimed by sjc48 - received
lisa627 - Claimed by sandlapper_rose - received
sjc48 - Claimed by gardenofeden
MoonFire Claimed by kchd - received
kchd - Claimed by MoonFire - mailed
gardenofeden - Michelle will send to Rena'

Okay, so I am worn out after a busy day. I hope I got all of that right. I'll check back in tomorrow.
Jeanne

Hi Everybody!
Sure has been quiet lately; hope everyone is just busy and that all are doing well.
I've been busy getting my Christmas gift list together; it should get easier each year, I do practically the same things every year, but something always goes off kilter. Drives me nuts!
Can you say "Make up your mind!?" and don't change it after I've made/bought the gift!

In any event, I'll be posting the December FOTESS swap on Sunday, Dec. 2nd. Hope lots of you will be able to participate!
Talk to ya all soon!
Shirley!

Just a few more people to hear from. It seems to be time for me to send out some e-mail messages to check on things. I know with the holidays, some may have been running late or mail may heve been delayed going out from the post office because of Thanksgiving, but please keep in mind to mail by the deadline and to let us know by posting here on the board when you receive your package.

Katie was traveling and Dianne possted the confirmation number on that package so I expect that one is okay, but we'll wait to hear from Katie.

Thanks, everyone, and watch for Shirley to post the December swap!

Jeanne

Whew! I'm back! Got in late Monday night, and had to drive home from MEM to where we live in MS, adding another 3 hrs to the trip home. Now its back to crazy at work. I leave before daylight and get home after dark, so I haven't seen my plants or flowerbeds in the daylight since Nov. 17. Have to go out by flashlight to ask the plants what happened while we were gone. LOL

It was a great visit with family and friends in AZ, as usual. Its always fun out there. Went to one of my favorite places to visit in Tucson: the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum. If any of you ever make it out to Tucson, it is not to be missed!

I suspect that Dianne's package was waiting for me when we got home Monday, but did not make it to the mailbox until Tuesday. She sent so much great stuff! I think we are 2 peas in a pod when it comes to reading material :) She sent:
Country Living magazine - American Autumn issue from Nov. 1998
a vanilla scented bath fizzer - ahhhhhhhhhhhh!
A whole pile of coupons - I'm a major coupon lover!
So many recipes she clipped. These are so great!
Crystal Light Mojito drink mix - looking forward to trying this. It's a new flavor for us.
A lovely friendship card with an aster on it
And WOW, Look at the seeds:
Jackson Wonder lima beans
Taylor cranberry bean
Spaghetti squash
Am. Persimmon
Nasturtium Scarlet Gleam
Nasturtium Cherry Rose (dwarf)
Nasturtium Dwarf Alaska
Sunflower Mammoth Russian
Brown & Yellow sunflower
Scuppernog (white) grape seeds
Asclepias syriaca
Rudbeckia mix bronze/orange/yellow

Dianne, thank you so much for such a wonderful and generous package!

And Jeanne, thanks so much for hosting. BTW, how is the horse search going? Both my husband and I grew up with horses in our lives. Both of our parents still have horses, although they have both had losses this year. Last month his parents lost one of their favorites, a 29 yr old, much loved and prized champion Morgan stallion. My father still has the QH mare I used to barrel race on. She is almost 33!

Katie

:) Glad you had a great trip Katie and tho i'm extra sorry bout mailing out your package late i'm glad that it was a nice surprise waiting on you when you got home before you had to go back to the work week...and really glad you like the magazine too...i know it's outdated but i love magazines so i snag them anytime i find them and i store them back thru the years to use as cookbooks and craft ideas and stuff from time to time...that one is one of my favorites lol so glad you like it too!

All this talk about horses makes me wanta go out and get one and teach the kids to ride...I haven't rode since I was a teenager so that's been a long time for me...i have some friends that do the trail rides for benefits and clubs and stuff...ya'll got me thinking that that would be an experience for the family to share sometime or to send the kids on with our friends as a good get-away for them...

I've enjoyed this swap :) and thanks so much Jeanne for hosting it...I know all will have a busy month this coming Dec as it's hectic time of year...I wish for all that the joy will outshine the stress of the holiday to come!

Dianne

We are close to wrapping this one up. I heard from Michelle that she sent to Rena' - I also heard from Rena' that she has been ill but has something ready to send to Shirley. I'll follow up on these in the December thread.
Yes, December is here!
Jeanne

I can't believe it!
Just got home from visiting the granddaughters again, but just wanted to say that I heard from Rena' also, sent her my address, so I should probably hear from her next week! Just wanted to let you know, Jeanne.
I need a nap!
Shirley!

I meant to say that I can't believe it's December already. Not that I couldn't believe I heard from Rena'. I KNEW we'd hear from Rena'
AAAGGGGHHHH!
I need some rest!
Shirley!

Rena', what a great package! Thank you so much!
She sent a hardback book of crochet patterns, "Vanna's Afghans A to Z" and tons of seeds! And I do mean tons! But a very special thank you, Rena', for the Patriot Lantana-Cherry! Altho I may need to ask for hints on how to germinate them; haven't had much luck in the past.

Rena', I hope you are feeling better and that you and your family have a blessed holiday season!
Thank you!
Shirley!

Hello all! Know this thread is old but it's where I left off from being sick so needed to catch up a little... then I'll go find the current threads to say hi and catch up on some of what I've missed.

Shirley I'm glad you liked your package! You are welcome! My lantanas spread by the limbs on the ground rooting so I have never planted the seeds. But I did do a little research and it seems the seeds should soak overnight all of the berry part should be removed. I believe it has an inhibitor in the coating and needs to all be removed. Then they should be planted, I read that they don't store well age makes them less viable.

And I never did receive anything from Michelle, I thought perhaps it got lost in all the holiday shuffle and the post office would eventually get it here but I think it's safe to assume that it's lost- lost. Maybe Michelle could look up the confirmation # and see where it is as it was never posted and I don't have it.

O.K. I'm off to find y'all...

Rena'