Until this year I would have said squash, expecially zuchinni. This has been a weird year. Warmed up a month too early then stayed wet and cool too long. The yellow crooknecks I planted produced blossoms galore, then finally a very few large zuchinni.(Seeds came from Shumway) The zuchinni and scallop squash I planted did not produce very many more than the crooknecks. I'm surprised that so many peops said okra. It is the hardest vegie I plant to get a good stand. It's very temperature sensitive during the germination period. I usually get long skips and then long strips too thick, and end up transplanting to fill the gaps. Once it starts producing though it's gangbusters if you keep it picked. This spring I got a good stand, had to thin all of it. but it's been very slow to begin producing.

Bobbie, Drippy, Linda, and Laura, thanks so much for your kind words. Your support is very comforting, as I am away from most of my family at this time, so Linda, your hugs are much appreciated. A few close friends have been very helpful, calling to see that I am O.K. and giving me the opportunity to 'talk things out'. I was very surprised at my reaction - I guess it was because her death was so sudden and unexpected. Over the week, I have suffered stomach upsets, sleeplessness, and even some periods of anxiety, and just could not get Annie out of my mind. We attended an anniversary party on Sat. night and it helped to keep my mind off it, and my stomach was uneasy only for a while this morning. I was very comforted by a lovely e-mail from Annie's sister. I sent her a verse of comfort and she modified it and read it after the eulogy - that was so special to me. Now I find myself remembering only the happy times - reading her e-mails which I have kept, and reviewing lots of photos. of her recent travels and vacations. I am thankful that I knew her, and happy that she had a well-lived life. We all would have liked it to be longer, but she is now at peace. Thank you all so much. Roslyn.

peonies lilies dianthus barbatus phlox lychnis arkwrightii pulmonarias Oenothera Itea virginiana Fothergilla Japanese irises hellebores Euphorbias Clematis Betty Corning Filipendula ulmaria Aurea Aster Honeysong Pink - once you get an aster established... hostas we had a variable winter last yr with many weeks w cold weather and almost no snow cover - very hard on the plants. I lost a few things and some failed to bloom this spring - these were well established plants. In my soil the better the drainage the better the plant health. I've taken to slightly raising each plant when I put it in - they sink down as they settle but at least that first yr it improves the drainage.

SunnyDJ, It's good to see you here again. I am sorry to hear of the loss of your son. I send out about 60 cards to our family and friends each year, and organize the card exchange here. This year, I organized one for another board I am on. Between the two exchanges, I sent out an additional 40. So I am pretty close to what Steve sends each year. I don't write a letter, or most times, even a note in them. Mostly because everyone I send to has already been kept up to date on what is going on in our lives, and I am not good with words. I am doing good to sign them the way my writing is getting. I start out fairly neat, but it doesn't take long before my hand cramps and it gets progressively more squiggly. I do, however, make my own cards at Christmas. There are only two reasons why you would get a Christmas card from me that was not hand made. 1. You are a family member that I know doesn't appreciate such things, and it will very quickly hit the garbage. 2. I was unable to make any cards that year. Which is what happened in 2001 when my dad had his heart attacks, and spent a month in the hospital, coming home the Friday before Christmas. The rest of the year, if you get a card from me, it may or may not be hand made, but you are thought of with love, because not many people get cards from me the rest of the year! I enjoy getting some of the photo cards. Most that we get are from family out of state, and we don't get school photos from. Those are the ones that come as a package deal. Well, I can't exactly say those are the only ones that are package deals. Studio shots usually are package deals as well. We get the ones taken just before Christmas, usually are those that are purposely printed at places like Costco or Sam's and you specify how many you want printed, even with the ones with the message on them. I think I get like 3 each year. I have a cousin that was stationed in San Diego for years. Their DD is 7 months younger than my DD, and is married now living in Ohio, but their sons are teens. We only got to see them when they were here visiting family, once a year. We did get to spend a day with them when we went out by train, which was nice, and I still 9 years later, think of the boys at that age. So it's nice to get their picture every year. They were here for 2 years after cousin retired, so we got to see them a little more often, but they have just bought a house in Florida. Yes, social media like face book, has made it much easier to keep in contact with people. That is why I have a face book account. I can keep in contact with all of my cousins that I would only get to see at weddings, showers or funerals. Mostly funerals. But at Christmas, even tho I may wish you a Merry Christmas, or Happy New Year on face book, If I have an address for you, and I want to wish you a Merry Christmas otherwise, you will get a card from me. But don't expect it to have a note in it. I will sign it and send it. And sometimes I have been known to forget to even sign it, for which I apologize! Sometimes my holey brain gets in assembly mode and misses a step, so it's a good thing I put a return address on the envelope! And I have received that way also, so I understand. I do enjoy the letters that come with the cards, but we don't have that much to write about that isn't already known. There is one I might put a note in, but even that one not always. For me, I show how much you mean to me by sending you the hand made gift of a card. Tami ..... who is very ramblely today.