Hi Sandy - Glad to hear that the engineer is being helpful. So much better to be able to enjoy what you've already planted than to try to start again. My gardens are still fairly young but they've been planned out as my "next 50 years gardens". Sure don't need a bulldozer coming by in 10 years redesigning it for me! I lucked out with our county this week. They deepened the ditch along the roadside by my big front border garden. When I planted that garden I started with plants I could afford to lose closest to the road, and harder to replace ones further in. (Mainly so that people walking down the road can easily steal a zinnia bloom or two without ever getting within 20 feet of the good flowers or within 40 feet of the peppers and tomatoes!) I was prepared for the ditch crew to do some damage to the outermost row, but somehow they dug out only ditch and weeds. I don't think a landscaping crew would have done a neater job of carefully edging my ditch-side garden row. :) I hope your digging folks take similar care with your plants. If you do find yourself in a bind and need any plants or seeds to hide the dig marks feel free to drop me a line. Happy gardens to you too! Lynda

Mellon--Lovely, lovely package. So generous and thoughtful!! She sent me a ton of stuff. My friend Mare is visiting and she remarked "It's just like Christmas!!". Oh, yah. She's been helping me get my dahlias in the ground because I have an injured left wing. Mellon gifted me with TWO hostas 'Chinese Sunrise' & 'Plantangea'. Heucherra 'Can Can'; Daylily 'Erin Leah'; Wigalea 'Ruby Glow'; and a big fat bulb of lilia 'Black Beauty'. Love, love, love it all. Everything was well wrapped and packaged. Thank you very much, it was a wonderful package. Oh wait, and a hilarious (and oh-so- true) card with a nice note inside.

Oh Ellendi, thanks for asking! The party was Wednesday night, and it was really fun! I invited about 20 women, and I'd say about 15 showed up. DH and I worked like dogs getting the house all clean and decorated. I liked that it was important to him that everything look good too. It was originally set up as a potluck for some waitresses I work with. We had hairdressers, nurses, my friend the professional workout queen, my accountant, the acupuncturist I go to, what a great vast wealth of knowledge! But, mostly we ate too much, drank white cranberry cosmos and wine and laughed our butts off. Some of the topics of conversation were hysterical. This was precisely the kind of stuff I miss since quitting my job. My presentation was a little OTT for the holidays, but I'd really like to set something up once a month with all these girls and whoever they want to bring along. Maybe books or cards or a cook off. The part I like is that everyone comes from a different place and there is so much we can do to support each other. I especially feel for the younger working moms who need as much support as they can get. Anyway, I feel like the thread helped me reach out more than I normally would have. I'd like to keep that up. Beth p

Happy Thanksgiving!!! I, too, have returned to the forum. My kitchen was finished 3 years ago this month. The very hardest decision I made was the darn backsplash! The wonderful folks here helped me w/ that dilemma. I still love my backsplash and it is a fav part of my kitchen. Have a wonderful feast this Thursday!