kendra2 i was surprised to see that you are in MA and in zone 5 and have year round BB's. I am in SW Vermont in zone 4 (or 4B depending on where you look) and have been seeing BB's later and later each year and wondering what is going on as i thought they went south for winter. It is hard to tell from the posts what is happening because not everyone identifies where they are located and what zone they are in but it appears they will overwinter wherever they can. It seems unimaginable that BB's would overwinter in my region because it can go to -20 here at night and be in single digits for days at a time. Typically there is a stretch of 2 or more weeks in winter that don't exceed the teens. These temps are mitigated only slightly till one travels at least 75 air miles to Albany and the lower Hudson valley. Nevertheless, I have seen BB's later and later in the year on nice days until I eventually stopped seeing them in late November. This year I saw groups of BB's around the nest boxes on nice days several times in November and December. On Christmas eve I saw a pair perched near the house going into the snow to pick up something. This weekend is supposed to be in the high 40's and i kind of expect to see them again. So my question is: are they overwintering here or making "day trips" to their nesting grounds and why on earth would they be doing that in such a difficult environment when they could be in Carolina eating fresh fruit and bugs? Lou

Ok, I'm back with my own name now! I got another e-mail account and changed my name, so I feel more comfortable. I have lurked for a very long time but haven't posted. I have learned so much here and have gotten so many creative ideas and I finally felt I had something to contribute! sheesharee - It is a standard size kitchen trash can, uses 13-gallon bags. oceanna - Thank you! Yes, I built it from scratch. There is a thead on the Conversations side where sheesharee was looking for a litterbox cover and I posted a picture there of one that I made. It has probably scrolled down a couple of pages by now. I love woodworking and have been doing it for many years now. I really enjoy making things that you can't buy - that are made to just fit a specific place or for a rather unusual use, like the litterbox cabinet or trash can cabinet. I've also made hope chests, entertainment centers, coffee and end tables, book cases. That is more information than anyone asked for, but it is something I really enjoy and I am happy to be able to share something that might help someone else. -Dolores-

Not quilt related, but wanted to pass on my experience with two Homegoods bathroom waste baskets that I reluctantly purchased for my new home. The wastebaskets are a woven wicker look in shades of gray. The "wicker" is some sort of plastic, but the baskets are attractive. I purchased two different styles. One is a rounded basket. If I put the basket up to my nose, I get a slight hint of what I am about to describe. However, the rectangular style basket smells much stronger! That basket, or I should say it was a whole group of the baskets that alerted me to the smell when I was walking down the store isle. The smell is hard to describe. Perhaps like a strong cleaning odor such as Fabulouso, but much worse! Smelling the item also made my throat tingle. Like there is a chemical. I know nearby shoppers thought that I was crazy because I was sniffing everything!!! I purchased the rounded basket and decided to pass on the rectangular basket until... I went back the next day. 😁 The baskets still smelled the same, but I thought if I brought it home the smell would dissipate. It's been almost a week, and the smell is better. I do not notice unless I sniff up close. So the waste baskets are made in Vietnam. The tag is fancy, saying things like "hand crafted unique pieces for your home by local artisans" and "inspired by rich traditions, colors that flaunt vibrant color and exotic culture". "Now you can have a bit of this magnificent (or scent) in your own home". Nothing about the smell. Lol P.S. - I once bought two old sailing flags off of eBay and they both smelled like they were stored in an oil warehouse. My father was in the oil business so I knew that smell well. I di throw them in the washing machine and dryer. The smell dissipated.

And here's the other Bob Gibson's, lilliepad, in detail Big Bob Gibson's Hickory-Smoked Chicken 1 cup mayonnaise 1 cup apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 1/2 tablespoons cracked black pepper 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, finely ground 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1 whole chicken, cut in half Finely ground kosher salt and ground black pepper 1/2 cup vegetable oil To prepare the sauce: Combine all the first six ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Place in an airtight container or bottle and refrigerate until you're ready to use. Keeps up to 4 days. To prepare the chicken: Wash the chicken and season it liberally with salt and pepper. Smoke over hot coals and hickory wood at 300 to 350 degrees for 3 to 4 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees. Halfway through the smoking process, baste the chicken with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper once more. After you take the chicken off the pit, immediately place it in the bowl of white sauce, turning the chicken to coat evenly. Place the chicken on a cake rack and allow it to rest for a few minutes prior to serving. Discard any sauce that you've used for coating chicken. Serves 2 to 4