You and your wife are on my mind when I listen to those weather reports. Being on a forum like this really expands one's horizons and makes even national weather pertinent. I remember hunting in the snow on Thanksgiving day back in Missouri......but one expects that in late November. And in many years past we always had a snow at least once before my birthday, and that is in early November. But the weather isn't like it used to be. Not necessarily milder lately, just different. We have had three cool summers in succession. Last year tomatoes didn't even show up at Farmer's market until almost the season's end. This year, I smartened up and planted a variety what sets fruit in the forty degree range, picked them green and let them ripen inside for a month. Cold, cold evenings all summer. Not enough rain to deep soak anything and my spring is still suffering. Cold soggy springs and falls. Living here as long as I have, I've prepared for years for stretches of no power. We get along too, with our pitcher pump, the gas grates, oil lamps and the stocked pantry. It's just part of life, and we don't be too uncomfortable, but quilting or reading by coal oil lamps stinks. LOL. I have been toying with having a set of gas lights installed in at least the kitchen and thought my husband would guffaw at the idea, but surprisingly he didn't. We have generators, but they only get fired up for the g'house crops when absolutely necessary. I think once we dragged one down to the house to let the freezer get cold after three days of no power so we wouldn't lose food. I hate to hear that constant roar and it's just not worth it to me to live like that. Hope you get some moderation to the weather. Not this bad, this early. Keep an eye on El Nino this year. If it builds we are in for a mild winter, but if it's a weak one the nasties will drop to your area for the duration of winter and spill over eastward.

Gratz on your first bloom. :D Overhere I got to be patient as well, since we normally get bloom season somewhere in mid May and this year it is 2 weeks late at least. But I also spotted a bud on my tiny Cecile Brunner climber (I still can't get used to the thought that this collection of tiny twigs will get higher than a meter), which probably will open in a couple of days, depending if the weather will get finally warmer. Some bud-dage I also saw on Mme Isaac Pereire and Sympathy. For the later it is actually early, usually she was a slacker, but I guess walking around it with a shovel and discussing which other rose would be good for that spot helped to bring a point across to her. x)

I like the evergreen fragrance but I never get a cut tree, only wreaths and garlands. Our neighbor had a tree fire one year that took his home while they were away and burned parts of several other homes. Luckily no pets or people were hurt but after that I decided to go with a fake tree and turn the lights off when I'm away. One year I'm going to have a real tree on the patio with candles just for an evening. I got the little candle clips but never got the tiny candles for it. I believe that the victorians didn't have the tree decorated for a month anyway...just the last few days or for Christmas eve and Christmas day. I do have a Yule log which is fun. I just found out that yule logs are supposed to be the old maypoles which you feed into the fire during yule. My yule log is somebody's old tree that I have cut the branches off. I decorate it up with pinecones and dried flowers tied on with hemp and into the fireplace it goes. Sometimes it's not so bad when they are making room for trees and bikes at Walmart because they put all the garden soils and fertilizers 60-70% off. I used to be sad when Target got rid of the annuals to make room for trees. Our local nurseries don't have trees because of the competition from Home Depot and other places. A beautiful flocked tree is one of the prettiest decorations in a no-snow climate but I have pets so no flocking for us. A few years back a magazine featured a home with a grouping of 4 cut trees in 3 corners of the dining room and I loved that look. They were undecorated but it was like having dinner in a forest. I would like to have that but with potted roses as well. My potted roses and ivies have come in for summer parties and people like it.

And I would wash them instead of just rinsing them after using aluminum foil. I would think it would remove the plating. I have some silver coated chains and just wiping them took the silver off.