And now you will have to buy the "rubra" form as well! I agree it is a cool plant, and surprising in that it seems to do as well in California as it does back east. One of those accent flowering winter bloomers that has interesting form, and almost a tropical look to it when in leaf. I find I have to do a lot of thinning on it to keep it in bounds, and can't say that it has a fragrance that carries, but it is nice. I can relate to the shopping bug, plants were the only thing I shopped for this Christmas season, and got some beauties, like a really full Sticks on Fire Euphorbia in firey color for the back deck, to chase away those winter blahs. I also went for a couple of apricot flowering Grevillea 'Superb' in full bloom, also for the winter color and to attract the Anna hummingbirds. Last were some really beautiful and rare Restios with gorgeous stems, Cannamois virgata, which I rationalized might not be available for purchase next spring, better nab them now! Magnolia stellata and M. soulangeana and M. denudata are also great temptations this time of year, but...I...Must...Resist...

Welcome home, Margaret! It looks from here that your trip to Colorado was meaningful and memorable. Family time is often the best of times. Yes, it is unseasonably cool up here near 49° North! I spent an hour or so outside this morning. It was 39° with a 15 mph wind, so a windchill of 31!! It will surprise no one to say that my tomatoes are purple! I came home to have a 2nd breakfast of hot oatmeal and strong, hot coffee. Your comment about "blue monet" in bloom gave me pause. I think you may mean mountain bluet but googling, I discovered that there's an iris variety called Blue Monet. I have thought that "bluet" could have a more reasonable name. My wife was once at the farmers' market and amongst her bouquets were some bluet flowers. She was approached by a pair of middle-aged ladies and one of them asked the name of the blue flowers. "Bluet," she replied. But as they turned away, the friend turned towards the lady and said, "I don't think she knows the name of that flower." I once worked for a person who sold flowers to dozens if not hundreds of flower shops. She advised me that if questioned about a flower that I didn't know I should respond, "Oh, that's some kind of Centaurea species!" Her claim was that I would usually be right and that it would sound more intelligent than claiming that it was some kind of Aster which would be even more likely to be true . . . Anyway, in my searching I was led to Wikipedia to view a blue painting by Claude Monet . . . Did you know that after cataract surgery, Monsieur Monet went back to earlier paintings and added blue to the canvases?!? Linked below, I believe, is an example. digitS' Here is a link that might be useful: Water-Lily Pond and Weeping Willow

Both places I bought were empty. One was a sponsor apartment that had been rented out in NYC. When I was looking then whenever possible I asked for a floor plan and would decide if I even wanted to see it based on floor plan. I tend to think of myself as practical and I am right handed (so left brain) so maybe there is something to the personality idea. As for my house, I first saw it with furniture and that is how I remember it. We refused to bid as much as they wanted and walked. Several months later the relo company bought it and it was empty and we bought it from them. Although I remember the POs drapes (very nice but were not left!) but I remember not being impressed with her cabinets in the living room and I do remember how much I liked it empty (although it tends to look a little too long that way) To be honest i would rather have an empty room than a card table unless it was nice one. I do agree about small bedrooms, we have a small one and it is amazing what you can fit in there, at one point we had a Twin bed, Two cribs, a changing table and Two dressers and the room is 10 x 14. When I go to sell I will move the cribs to opposite walls (they like being on the same wall now) to make the room look wider

Glad you had a successful weekend at the fair..