I do not normally order hostas by mail. But here in Canada;s Ottawa Valley, I am fortunate to have two excellent hosta suppliers nearby in Budd Gardens http://buddgardens.com/plants.html and the Rideau Woodlot Ramble http://www.rideauwoodlandramble.com/ Both have posted their catalogues for the upcoming season. I will evaluate my needs in late May after the hostas and other shade plants have emerged. At that point I will decide what I would like to add based on foliage colour and mature size. Then I will visit the two suppliers and talk to the owners - both owners are experienced and knowledgeable hosta growers - before buying potted plants. I get to see what I am buying. Doug

os = oculus sinister od = oculus dexter oculus = eye in Latin sinister = left in Latin dexter = right in Latin With rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses, three things affect whether lenses can be interchanged: correction for each eye, shape of each eye and how well the lenses fit. Over the course of 39 years of wearing contacts, there have been times when the correction and shape were so similar that I couldn't tell if I had reversed the lenses. Other times it was very obvious that I had reversed them because either the correction was "off" or there was physical discomfort because the shape of the eyes was significantly different. I also had one lens that fit so poorly that I kept thinking that I must have reversed the lenses. (I finally had it replaced.) At each exam and fitting, get your eye doctor to explain in non-medical terms what is going on with the eyes. If s/he can't or won't do this, it's time to find someone else.

Thanks, mboston -- I looked at that book at googlebooks. Somehow I get the feeling the person who did this is just not quite as precise as Virginia L. Burton was. Not to talk down my own piece...maybe I'm wrong... I did see something really cool, though, and loved learning about her life with George Demetrios (didn't know that!) Here is a link that might be useful: This is her son!

Thanks for the clarifications! Those were both kind of my guess but I couldn't be sure. I just checked my design and the cabinets don't line up, so "phew!" :D At this point I have no clowns. We're looking at fairly neutral wood floors, white cabs, white appliances, and soapstone counters. I'm thinking the backsplash will be the place to bring in the clown but I can't even begin to think about it yet. I absolutely do not have an eye for this stuff, all I can think about is the fantastic storage space and wide expanses of counters! It's unfortunate this thread has gotten so heated, it's been a wonderful source of information. I have hollow core doors. So what? It's an 80s split foyer, it's never going to be the pinnacle of class. That's part of the challenge of doing the kitchen, not "over designing" it for the house. I want a kitchen that I love and works the way I want and need it to without it looking completely out of place in both the house and the neighborhood. If I'm doing something stupid I want you to tell me! Yes, it stung to have my design torn apart and be told I "couldn't" have the one thing I'd always dreamed of: a cooktop in the island. But instead of storming off I took a long hard look at my design, thought through the REASONS why it was a bad idea, and eventually agreed. Now I have a design I'm even happier about and utmost confidence in it.