Mindy et al, I got that tall blue pot I had my eye on. It might have been $200 marked down to 40 marked down to TEN DOLLARS. I also got a big metal/copper bucket marked down from at least 150 to $37.50 (I don't think she did the math right. I'll have to check in the morning. I had wanted something like a watering trough near the bees, and this might fill the bill. Or we can use it for logs. That magnificient green pot. I met the nice guy who works the floor. I told him what I wanted to pay for it and without my knowing it he called the ?manager? anyway a woman, and she no way was she going below $160. I think the problem is there was no pink marked down price, so it was 75 % off 699. I really don't want to pay that much because I know I won't move it in freezing weather, and it may break. I'm only willing to risk 100 or less. If anyone can talk them down to $100 or less, I'll take you to LaPatisserie for lunch or Quebrada in Arlington for a cake. Could also do Lakota for a dozen cookies. There's a challenge for the bargainers out there! I'll pay you back in cash and could even meet you at Mahoneys to load and transport pot. Mindy, I saw two "maroonish" pots (one upside down, the other on top) on the pallet, next to the sky blue tall. Are those the ones you are talking about? If there was a salmon pot in the "transition room" I missed it entirely. I'm not looking at your post right this second, but I thought you said it had some branches dispayed it it. I'll look again, maybe when I check to see if the christmas tree is marked down. I wasn't too offended by the look of its branches. But then I had pots on my mind. Marie

Hi Beth and everyone, Beth...thank you for your wishes. I too thought having my first-born go off to college 4+ hrs away was difficult but you are right...small potatoes compared to the long distance he has chosen to follow his career path. It is most important that he is happy wherever he may be. I have never seen the book but I am sure to be looking for it now. It sounds wonderful! Mickey is a most unusual blend. His mother was Chinese Sharpei and father Golden Retriever. Hard to believe, huh? He does have the wrinkly trait underneath all that fur and was the only black puppy in the litter so my daughter chose him! Julie...my daughter arrived home for Thanksgiving break tonight and she wants me to pass along her thank-you for thinking of her as well! She loves the angel and will be taking it with her when she goes back. :) To everyone...have a most wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!!! Blessings, Dee

I am also one who has enjoyed reading this thread. I have gotten rid of a lot of my Christmas decorations...and I was one the used to put a tree in every room (including the bathrooms), but have cut waaaayyy back....mostly because of health problems and a DH who does not "decorate"....so the outside lights are not put out anymore....because in this cold Kansas weather, it was me out there in January taking them down. I put wreaths with red bows in the windows, along with battery operated candles and a big wreath on the front door. I only put up a smaller tree in the LR and one in the basement family room where we all gather on Christmas to exchange gifts.....and of course, do decorate the fireplace mantle and I use a lot of bright red poinsettias scattered around. I always put out my grouping of singing carolers...they are so ugly that they are cute...and of course, never leave out the two nativity scenes that mean so much to me. When I looked through all of my boxes of decorations, I just kept telling myself.....what you take up from the basement has to come back down....and with my bad knees, it didn't take me long to just leave them there. I do believe that less is more...too many decorations doesn't give the eye a place to rest and gives the "cluttered" look. However you chose to decorate, I hope that each of you and your family have a very Merry Christmas and I hope that 2009 will be a better year for all of us.

jae, I wish I could, but I just made them up as I went along. They are pretty simple, mostly single crochet with a little double crochet on the hats and purses. For the hats, I started out at the top center of the hat, increasing enough to make it lay flat and form a circle. Then when I got it as big as I thought I wanted it, I started decreasing quite a lot to bring it back in to fit the size of a girl's head. I used my step daughter to test the size. They're pretty stretchy so I had a lot of 'forgiveness' in the actual size. I wish I could tell you better.