Muscovy, I use mostly 2 LTR bottles for wsing, they are my favorite containers. Easy to clean out and re-use each year, and I've got some that are 5-6 years old with little deterioration of the plastic. I have never had to water containers over the winter, we usually have wet winters and plenty of water gets in through the hole on top. But it is far colder here and the containers are frozen for most of the winter! Re: direct sowing. I would not try to sow in the mulch. The seeds need a firm and smooth surface to make contact with the soil, and not get lost or washed away, and for the roots to get firmly established. Also, I keep mulch away from seedlings until they are 1/2 - 1 foot tall. Slugs are one of the worst enemies to my seedlings - and the mulch harbors the slugs. This does require me to be diligent about watering the babies. But I don't know if slugs/snails are a problem where you live.

Lazypup thank you so much for sharing your story. So many people misunderstand what mental illness can do to people and those that live with them. My DH was diagnosed with BPD in the last decade. If only he had been diagnosed earlier how different our life might have been, especially financially. He has always been high functioning and a hard worker blah blah blah so it was easy to dismiss the erratic behavior. I can relate to the job walk-offs. One year he had nine different 1099s. He is stablized with a couple drugs that are pretty side effect free for him also. One of the "lucky" ones who hasn't needed lithium. It will never be perfect but it is so much better than before. I also agree with you on the over diagnosing that goes on with children. It is the boys that have it worse since the feminization of our society expects them to have the same behavioral characteristics that girls do. Our children's childhoods are being stolen. They are expected to learn more at an earlier age,have a lengthened school day with less recess,not given opportunity to blow off steam and burn off that excess energy and have every minute of their waking hours micro-managed. Yet at the same time many are still drinking out of those stupid sippy cups and being pushed around in strollers at age 5.

Isn't this Forun geat! Learn something new everyday. This is the first time I have heard of using BFK for 304 stainless sinks. I don't think the oxalic acid in BFK is good for steel. It's an oxidizer which should be avoided around steel -- although I admit I sometimes used it to re-sparkle 305 stainless "silverware" (I silverware silverware if its not silver?) We use baking soda. Never tried Bon Ami on stainless sinks, but can't think why not. BFK is great on our Kohler cast iron sinks -- the only kind of sink I would ever buy. Takes out any stain and leave a sparkling surface. Also great on copper pans.

Littlebug5 here. Thanks for your blunt comments - I knew my imaginary friends, as DH calls this forum, would help us see the forest through the trees. Some more information: We have known Martha for many many years. DH and I and Martha graduated from high school together in a class of about 100. So obviously we know each other fairly well. To further complicate things, the realtor (I'll call him The Donald) was in our class too. Seems kind of incestuous, doesn't it? But this is a very small town. The price is fair. There are 3 other homes for sale on the golf course (asking $129,000, 179,000 and 200,000). A house a block away sold at Xmas for $237,000, but it is about 10 years old while George and Martha's is 40 years old. This ain't New Jersey, obviously. Our nearest WalMart is 25 miles away - we're Small Town U.S.A. The contingency contract we're asking for does NOT prevent George and Martha from continuing to solicit other offers. It gives us a 72-hour-time-frame for the right of first refusal if they get a better offer. About 20 years ago on a whim DH and I listed the home we lived in at the time at what we thought was an optimistic price. Well, it sold almost right away, and we had nowhere to go. We had to rent for 9 months while we looked for another home. I hated, hated hated renting. I don't want to do that again. That's why I'd like to tie this house up. When we sell our house, we are in a position to be a CASH buyer. So we are not asking for a financing contingency. CASH buyers in our small town for a $215,000 home are very very few and far between. And George and Martha have had NO OTHER OFFERS, cash or otherwise. Yes, I've got some hard advice. And I can kind of see their side, but I see mine too. At this point, we are working hard to get our house ready to show. Maybe by this time next week, we'll be ready . . .