I've been avoiding this post because I knew there was going to be a lot of happy Californians talking about stuff. Two feet of snow but starting to melt-sooo, it's ice city like one foot lumps on the sidewalk. The weather reports from Washington D.C. are wild, aren't they? Sorry for sending you our weather, though we rarely get five feet at once, either. I hope the Cherry trees are alright. I haven't forgotten that one I bought by mistake. Not even the rootstock made it. They were selling them at K-mart. As we drove home the latin name kept bothering me-I knew I had read it somewhere. The monsters who send those and bouganvillea and Lady Banks Rose to Montana ought to be sent to summer school at a logging camp. 36 degrees on the porch tonight. A front coming out of Seattle is pushing the warm air ahead of it. I was wishing for an old-fashioned chinook wind. Haven't had any in years. You'd wake up in the morning to a howling warm wind and the snow would be gone in a couple days.

Cynthia, SO nice to finally hear from you. I was getting worried about and "that fool dog of your's". I can't even begin to contemplate how hard this must be. At least with Rex he still had 3 legs left to hop around on... and while he may've been sore for some time he could at least move around and shift position without yelping. I really would like to see a picture if you're up to shooting it and then posting it. Hang tough! I love candles in the windows of a home (pictures? look who's talkin'). The only reason I don't do it here is that there are windowboxes under the roadside window and I fill them with greens that would hide the candles. But when I was a kid we used them. And, MARTIE, we added one for every Sunday in Advent! All the decorations were left up until the Epiphany (Twelfth Night) and they came down the next day. I finished the 3 pediments this afternoon and put them up. I like them. But need to add something pale/bright to the lower edge to keeping them from "oozing" visually into the window below... . Shoulda bought more .99 lemons at Wallyworld, damnit. I have the big pediment on the dining room table right now and am about to embark on that. Boxwood is holding up, and I'm a whiz at making white pine swags now. :) (smells really good in here and the cats are having a total blast... in and out, in and out, doing their wonderful kitty routines. (thinking of Cynthia and the candles). Norma, your photographs are lovely (no "blurries" here, either)! I see a lot more color than just green grass in those shots. I love the way Mother Nature changes the palette over the course of the seasons but gives us the shimmer of rain and snow, instead. Martie, Kyle should be excited about his position. He must be having the time of his life. I'm a bit envious, frankly! :) I'm still struggling with how Mum's life ended, Martie. Not that I think I could have done more (aside from the ususal regrets you feel when someone you love dies), but there are several things I would love the opportunity to go back and "fine tune". I've thought about your question repeatedly over the past few days and still don't really have what I want to say completely figured out. It's such a huge thing to face and I still feel the full force of the wave that overtook me and hurled me onto the beach. I'm still shaking my head and trying to "collect myself"; checking again and again to make sure "everything is here". A good, family plan is the perfect place to start and having the doctor know you is KEY. IF you're able, make sure your Mom's doctor "follows" her if she ends up living with her children or enters a nursing home. That's one of the things I most regret... I loved her doctor when she was with me. He was young, hip, and all about minimizing medications and keeping her ACTIVE. I deeply regret the loss of that when Mum entered that awful place. Many, many thoughts and reminiscences today... alone with my thoughts, the animals and my final project (helmeet working AND going out with his buddy tonight). Some tears, a lot of "singing along", and the appreciation that the decorations are really ALL Mum. I learned it somewhere, afterall! Thinking of my friends tonight and still hoping for some basic pointers on how to "light" a basic TECHINICAL shot with my camera. Please? (MY tent would have a perpetually warm hot water bottle, blue cheese and pate. A cat, a good biography... want to know more about Martin Luther and Abraham Lincoln. Sparkling water with lemon, and Pinot Grigio or a nice red wine. Clementines, olives, and almonds. It would smell like evergreens, too).

The first 2 are very nice streakers. I am looking for other Streakers or perhaps Royal Flush, Maid Mariane and or Friar Tuck. My poor lonely Robin Hood needs his friends. LOL Cathy

*update* 1. Emily- Bunker hill, WV received/sent 2. Lisa- Negley, OH received/sent 3. Donnisha- Baltimore, MD received/sent 4. Jodie-Mentor, OH--- received/sent 5. Margo- Bowling Green, OH-- received/sent 6. Deb- Bridgeview, IL-- received/sent 7. Erica- live oak, FL-- Received/sent 8. Patti- Eagle point, OR-- received/sent 9. Annie- Trabuco Canyon, CA-- received Jennifer- Oakland, MD