Hi Karen, I'm not sure what comments on the box contents you're looking for. I probably don't understand what you're asking. To my understanding the box contains items that can be used to make garden junk. We aren't sending complete projects, which why I asked for a wish list when you send in your snail mail address. Hey Marlene! Re: send-to addresses I think I've been remiss in explaining this. Sorry, my oversight. I'm planning on doing it as I assumed Santa Kirk did the SS addresses. I have a list started and will assign addresses in more or less the order they come in. I will email you your addressee's info. along with items from their wish list. I've had several people sign onto the JT and ask that their personal info not be circulated at large. The only way I could think to give out addresses and keep some form of privacy is with the above method. If you have a better idea of how to do this please let me know. Sylvia

Thanks for the link My3Dogs! Looks like a great site and I will have to figure out what chairs I want to re-upholster so I can check their fabrics. I was looking for a specific Waverly fabric for my kitchen valances but they did not carry it there. I did find it though at FabricGuru.com for $6.95/yd plus they only charge $4.99 for shipping no matter how much you order. Its nice to know there are places to buy fabrics at a reasonable cost. I'm thinking about pulling out my 37 year old sewing machine and trying my hand at the valances. I bought enough fabric though that I can always turn it over to a professional if I really mess up! The fabric I ordered is Waverly's Rutherford Hill Merlot. I think it will pull together my colors in my kitchen and keep with the "Tuscan" look I am going for. Here is a link to my kitchen. I have saffron gold walls with Currant Jam (Burgundy) accents around the windows, butler pantry and in the powder room, plus my kitchen chairs have sage green seats and my adjoining sunroom is painted in light greens. Here is a link that might be useful: My Kitchen

"Here's my confession... I used to wish I was driving the bus when it hit her!!!" You can't be driving the bus when I'M driving the bus, lonepiper!! :-) "It doesn't really matter if she hates you. It doesn't matter if she thinks you are evil incarnate and horrible. All that matters is what YOU think about yourself and whether or not y our stepkids are comfortable and happy with you as you are. Her opinion doesn't matter unless you let it bother you, and if you do, after a while , the anger and resentment that you feel over it WILL spill over to other people, and cause problems with your marriage , your family, and your self esteem." Kathline, you've hit my nail on the head as this is something I've truly struggled with. I have tried for years as the wife of the CP and the "primary motherer" (for lack of a better description) to have some form of a relationship with my SD's mom as I thought it would be best for SD if we were all unified in raising her. For every attempt I made to include her or involve her she met me with ugly words and hostility. I tried harder. She seemed to be warming toward the idea and even preferred communicating with me over her ex, but then it all went downhill again. I kept trying, thinking there was something I could do to help SD and mom's troubled relationship, help us all get along, make us one big Brady Bunch family. I would make myself sick over the things she said to my SD about her, me, dad, etc. It wasn't until pretty recently that what Kathline (and my DH, many times!) said really hit home. I couldn't change her. I couldn't change how she treated my SD, me, or anyone else. I could only change how I let it effect me. This doesn't mean I'm all over it, but I am learning to let it roll off. I think this is helped by the fact that my SD, now 12, is seeing in her mother what we have seen for a long time - a selfish, self absorbed, unhappy woman who will take down whomever she needs to bring herself up. I now have to worry a bit less about how SD will react, as she seems to be handling herself pretty well. I just have to live without the Brady Bunch theme song. Good post, Kathline. Well said.

Thanks again, everybody for all the kind words and thoughts. I'm doing okay, I really am. Of course I have my moments (and I never know when they're going to hit, either!) but over all I know she's in a much better place.