Realtor told my sister that her rose garden, perennial beds, blueberry patch, vegetable garden - all hindrances to selling because people worried about upkeep. She's 81 and did it all single handed but the purchasers have found they can't keep up with it and it has mostly gone back to weeds or is mowed. When we sold my parents' home, the first thing the buyers did was yank out the double lilac hedge along the road - now they get all the dust and noise from the traffic which, presumably, was what they wanted! They also mowed down all the roses and ditto the perennial beds. Lawn was what they wanted and cropped weeds was what they got. They did leave the Hopa crab in front which still stops traffic every spring but they mowed into oblivion the mat of grape hyacinths under it. Just as my neighbors carefully mowed a big swatch of primroses down by the stream until they had eradicated every one. Those primroses needed no care - just not to be mowed. But they had to go anyway. The same neighbors tried to eradicate the crocus in the front lawn but most of them were too small to hit the mower blades. What's with this obsession with grass?

Karen, thanks, ya can't help but love kids and what they come up with. OA, the light silverware are cream colored and what a great idea being able to use both on one table. And to think I was thinking I needed more. Now I can ask for other colors. U R so smart.LOL How's the eye infection today? That's not good! I was catching up on my laundry and housework. Dream, I wish I had a birthday to celebrate right now so I could see the ice cream dishes on a table. Oh, that's right, we don't use the tables I set so maybe I'll try one soon. Jane, you sound like all my older B & S and they made me this way.haha They must not think I'm to bad or they wouldn't come and stay for months with me. I'm going to try to come up with a table to use these ice cr dishes so I can get help from all of you pros here. This way when it's time for DGD's bd it should look great. NanaKaren, GD's are so much fun. No one should be w/o at least one. I do love my family. Frou, you are so right with the colors on the ice cr dishes. They would be perfect in your kitchen. Sorry I'm not ready to part with them.LOL Magpie, I was ready to tell you to "get out of here" but went and looked at your page and we do share the same birthday.LOL Happy Belated Birthday to you. I wouldn't be surprised if there is a pattern for the placemats on the net. Do you crochet? Send me an email and I'll see what I can find if you are interested. Can never plant enough trees. Where do you live? If I am close I will come and pick you up and take you shopping and buy you lunch! You will be able to think about what you want so when DH gets to feeling better you can pick up your trees and more. thanks so much for letting us know it was your birthday. If I ever get organized, I will put all of your names on a calendar next to my computer. J, my family never ceases to amaze me and I love them. Thanks for the blessings for Magpie and I. Luvs, I will never get back to painting if my family keeps this up. Maybe I should ask for more painting books for Christmas. I hope these dishes are ones I can use for DGD birthdays for several years and then pass them on to her for a keepsake. DD delights in making everyone's gifts SPECIAL. Party, the placemats came from Dillard's so are not handmade. Jeanne, you are so stinkin' funny,"cheerleading pic". I just turned 55 and would not want to be caught chunky dunkin'.LOL Oh, if you don't know what chunky dunkin is, it's what I do now instead of skinny dippin'. Thanks so much everyone for all the sweet comments and Belated Birthday Wishes for myself and "Magpie". Punk

Sorry I never got back to this thread. Wow, pbrisjar, my first reaction would have been to walk right back out again! Glad the surprise party turned out to be fun, and that you also got your romantic dinner. Well, let's see, where did I leave off? I called middle SIL on her cell that AM, she said they were in NH and would be at house around 5-5:30, we'd go out to dinner and then they'd try to find a motel. I checked out a local B&B (expensive), stripped all the beds and washed sheets just in case. Didn't go looking for motels b/c I realized it was a holiday w/e and the nicer things would be booked (would have to change rooms at B&B since didn't have any available for 2 nights in a row), didn't want to take time away from cleaning. Asked my dad about air bed but he couldn't find pump so decided ds could try out his new sleeping bag in the study, dd could sleep with me, and DH would get the sleeper sofa (at least Thurs night since he had to work Fri and would be getting up early). They called at 5:30, were still up around Boston, said not to wait dinner for them. I had put the small roast I had thawed out b4 I knew they were coming back in freezer, so DH and I went out with the kids (and my parents, aunt & uncle since I found out it was their 26th anny and we had missed the 25th last year), SILs pulled in our driveway 8pm just behind us. After telling everyone all day her aunties were coming, DD suddenly got shy. She didn't get to visit much b4 I put her to bed in our bed and told everyone the sleeping arrangements - it was really too late to look for motels and of course DH wanted to visit. I stayed up til 11, DH and youngest sis stayed up really late. Oh, and I took advice to throw everything in closet (master bath) and shut the door - put the big 3-bag laundry sorter we use as hamper in master bath, found a standing towel rack (nonheated) we used in old house and put that in so everyone would have room for towels, shoved some stuff I had in study going to yard sale in WIC. Then as I'm bringing them into MBR and saying "Here's unfinished bath and WIC, but please don't open..." middle SIL opens the door b/c she wants to see how big it is! DH had told them we were still finishing trim, but they had no idea how much work we were doing/still needed. Asked me about all the blue tape on floors (loose tile) and walls (marking studs to nail baseboards). Oh, and then the last night after I put DD to bed I came down and found oldest one taking pics of all the wood on the floor of my DR, my LR with no curtains and half (not even all!) the trim pulled off the windows, no baseboards. I asked her not to, she said her DH wanted to see pics. I have to email her some when we get things finished (she took pics of my kitchen island, liked the layout, but I could have gotten the finished trim out of my BR and stuck it in place for pics! My cousin nailed it up a week later). DS had a science test but DD decided to play hooky (I stopped by preschool with a floppy - cards kept jamming my printer so teacher had to print them but I formatted everything for her, told her then that DD hadn't seen them in 4 yrs so she'd be absent). Then they decided we should all go to Mystic Seaport so I have the largest SUV, got gas, drove 2 hr to spend 2 hrs there, was afraid we wouldn't be home in time for Ds so called DH - he could get off early so OK. My parents invited us all up for BBQ so I headed straight there after getting ice DH said they needed, he was bringing steaks and chicken I had taken out on Thurs to defrost. Got to my parents', my dad said steaks were freezerburnt and chicken was frozen, so down to grocery store (30 min drive) to get steaks, potato salad, etc. We ate pretty late, stayed visiting later, at 9:15 I noticed, wanted DD to stay there but she had meltdown, wanted to come home. So about 10pm b4 kiddos got to bed, adults stayed up til midnight or so? I remember everyone had to brush their teeth 1 at a time even though we have 2 sinks so I fell asleep waiting my turn (should have brushed when I did DD's teeth), finally brushed my teeth about 1:30am when I woke up to pee. Other than that, no problem scheduling bathroom. Sat AM took everyone out for brunch and they left since they all had to be at work day after Mem. Day. They were going to stop and see niece in TN on the way (hope they called her!). Turns out DH either is not good at reading b/t the lines, or set me up I don't know which. I asked about miscommunication, b/c I could have had vinyl tile down in MBA so we'd have another shower and prob toilet, heck, i could have gotten a stock laminate countertop from HD and put in sink(s) since I have them and faucets already. Not to mention a railing on the stairs (2 SILs have had DVT and had trouble with stairs but didn't want to take sleeper sofa). Anyway, youngest SIL said she had told DH that when they were planning this road trip (tour of NE) this was the onyl time they all could get off work. If he had told me that (and that they were trying to see other states in NE, not just driving to see us and whatever else they could on the way), I would have *known* they were coming, even if/when she didn't get back to him after "checking with the others." So I told them please in the future call the home phone to talk to us/email me as well as him, so we avoid the mis(lack of) communication via DH. Though DH tells me they will probably never travel together again (or at least not with oldest sister) b/c they were about ready to kill each other after a week of 24/7. I did hear (driving DH's car back from my parents with single SIL) about how owner of car was having fits over the way the other 2 drove. And youngest SIL was glad to have ds's room to herself since the other 2 snore. So it was a whirlwind visit that really didn't last much more than 1 day. I think they enjoyed having someone else do the driving but still being able to see (a little) of the area that day. Dad was going crazy cooking everyone's steak to order (since they were being polite about what they considered "cooked", talking to a family of vampires LOL, my dad kept throwing it back on the grill when they said "Wheeeeel, a little more than that..." and "Umm, yes, I can eat it like that." when they should have just told him well-done). But I think they appreciated having 1 dinner at someone's house. I know they enjoyed visiting with DH, and oldest was showing my mom pics of her grandbabies. DD enjoyed meeting them, she said she missed them after, promises (?) she'll be a good traveler if we go visit them sometime.

Happy New Year, Livebetter! Hmm, wonder why the Persil Gold is not on the website. It says Made in Germany on the bottle, and the entire bottle is auf Deutsch...No English/French/Italian, etc... I think Persil smells a tad better, but Dash smells clean. I did 2 loads with Dash, and the clothes look and smell great, but for some reason my stainless wash drum in my Miele looks murky & coated. The ingredients on the Persil and the Dash are very similar, and both have Phosphates. Don'd know why the Dash made the stainless look murky, almost greasy looking. Persil and Ariel (both made and purchased in Germany) leave my Stainless spotless!! I hope I can use the Dash...it smells great, clothes looked amazing and I have what looks to be like 10 liters :) Still really think Vaska Herbatergent is great, especially for towels and sheets. In fact, I think I will always use it for my towels and sheets. Perfection. Great on clothes too, but my son had some red clay on his school pants, and the Vaska did not remove it. Made it a lot better, but still there. Clorox Green Works, Persil or Ariel take red clay away quickly. Again, Happy New Year! Larsi