Last night I couldn't sleep so I went into the workroom and organized all the tiles by size, shape, and color. It was oddly soothing. Is it a mosaic impulse or an OCD impulse? :) (mosaicists may have a bit of OCD, don't know, but at least we put it to good use :)) I also want to say that P&L is a *world* apart from the other Portland-based national tile name, iykwim...those AS shopgirls were as snooty to me as could possibly be -- if they could have controlled a lock on the front door, Madison-Avenue-style, I wouldn't have been buzzed in. At P&L: I called them yesterday because we hadn't gotten enough of a 1/2 x 8" pearly gold liner the day before, and I knew there were some left when we left pretty late in the day...the salesperson said "I *think* they're still here" and we rushed in from the suburbs to find that she had subsequently, without my asking, dug through the room and found the box I'd asked about and *set it aside* for me so my trip wouldn't be in vain. That would *never* have happened at AS. P&L has my undying gratitude :) Other side note/sign of the times: the salesperson said that the seconds room is doing better business some days, more revenue even despite the huge gap in price, than the main retail area. Both times we have been so far have been mildly Filenes-basement-like, the manicured ladies and rough-handed DIYers jockeying for tile in a demure, muted sort of way :). (There was also a box of amazing ocean-theme insets [fish, ocean plants], of handmade handcolored tile with the original prices, over $100/piece, going for $4/lb. Thank goodness I wasn't in the market for those or it would have been even more stressful.)

I've used chapstick off and on for years and I have found the medicated kind to be very soothing. I don't use it all the time, just when I've been out in the wind. Riding in an air-conditioned car for long distances always chaps my lips too. I have sensitive skin and there are a lot of products I just can't use. I don't wear lipstick except for special occasions and sometimes not even then. Doris Day (you younger ones probably won't know even who she is though) said at one time that she covers her whole body with vaseline and sleeps in something like a body stocking and gloves. I don't know if she was married at the time but I bet that's a real turn-off for a guy, huh? But anyway, there are natural alternatives to petroleum products. Good old olive oil, for instance. Or open up a Vitamin E oil capsule and smear it on. I'm not sure about that "Tea Tree Oil" thing though. Is there really such a thing as a "Tea Tree"? It kind of tastes like Castor Oil with almond flavoring in it. The truth of the matter is, we none of us know what's in some of these products we put on our skin. And yes the makers of these products would most definitely sell us something that's not good for us (and charge us big bucks for it) because they don't give a rip about whatever damage it does as long as they don't get sued because of it. The almighty dollar is always the bottom line. We must be our own advocates. The best thing to do is to just keep it as simple as you can. Use as many one- or two-ingredient products as you can. Good old witch hazel is what I used as an astringent during my oily skin days. Buy things without fragrance and without artificial coloring whenever possible. The secret to good skin is actually good health.

Hey Scott, Here's some information about this plant from the ACS website: This cultivar has a complex history and illustrates why taxonomists can be difficult to be around. According to the Royal Horticultural Encyclopedia of Conifers, Goldilocks is synonymous with P. parviflora ‘Dr. Landis Gold’ and the misspelled ‘Goldilocks’ but the correct name should be Pinus parviflora ‘Tenysu-kazu.’ Originating in Japan, it was brought to Canada by a collector, Dr. Henry Landis, around 1980 and upon his death some of his plants were purchased by John and David Verkade who recall this specimen being labeled ‘Tensu Kasu.’ With Joel Springarn they propagated the plant in the 1980s but renamed it ‘Dr. Landis Gold.’ Sometime before 1999 Billy Schwartz, a colleague of Bob Fincham, brought back from Japan a cultivar with many of the same characteristics which Schwartz called ‘Goldilocks’ (sic). Fincham has propagated Schwartz’ specimen and believes it to be the same as ‘Tenysu-kazu.’ The marketing appeal of the name Goldylocks seems to be winning out as this is what it is called by most growers today — the name ‘Tenysu-kazu’ being reserved for taxonomic purists and botanical gardens. From Coenosium Gardens’ Catalog of Rare Plants For the Discriminating Person, Number Seventeen; January 2006 (Robert L. Fincham) A dwarf, mounding selection with very pronounced creamy yellow variegation on the outer ends of all its needles; the color is enhanced by the full sun. It can produce shoots that grow up to about 6″ per year. ______________________________________________________ As a sidenote, an ACS member has written, “Of many P.parviflora cultivars flourishing in zone 4a, Minnesota, indicating that at the very minimum, some cultivars exhibit more hardiness than expected.”

What you need to plant are the POISONOUS bulbs, especially narcissus and other members of Amaryllidaceae (not sure about my spelling there). I'm familiar with your problem. Daffodils need good drainage, and some kinds do much better for me than others; I got discouraged about them for some years, but recently have perked up and begun trying them again in small quantities. Mice and boars will not be a problem, anyway. I've found that of the bulbs wild animals adore tulips and hyacinths; the only way I can grow these is close to the house, in beds lined with buried metal sheeting to protect them from mice. It's a pity because these bulbs love our conditions. The critters don't seem to be as greedy for muscari/grape hyacinth; and cyclamen, in woodland conditions, do fine, as have, so far, snowdrops. Crocus are iffy. If you have woods, or garden conditions that mimic them, there are many native and beautiful woodland bulbs that hold their own against the wild boars, which infest our area too. I just planted Scilla bifolia, more snowdrops, poet's narcissus, and snowflakes (leucojum), all of which are native here (though I bought my bulbs). N.B. A few years ago boars moved into the patch of woods immediately below our house, and went so far as to tear down a stone terrace about ten yards from our front door, looking for bulbs, of course. Since at this point it was a question of feeling safe when we stepped outside at night, we called up I forget whom--probably the Comune or the Corpo Forestale--and they sent out the boar hunting squad who shot the problem boars. If they're getting into your garden you'd be justified in doing the same. Melissa P.S. I've proposed this to Bart as well, but at the moment she's too busy: would you be interested in a cutting exchange? Mine is a serious request. It's perfectly feasable to swap cuttings by mail: I have many roses in my garden that I grew from cuttings received this way. I have a large collection of old roses, including a fair number of warm climate varieties, though the best of my roses are probably the once-flowering old roses. I would love to hear from you on this. P.S. Sorry about your dug up roses! What a pain the wild boars are!