Peter, I was raised on the peninsula and now live in the East Bay. I found this site a couple days ago, just like you. Maybe there's something in the air? I know what you mean about the clay (Bay fill). You're right. There's more to read, but it's not well-organized and or easy to search. I'm trying to keep my obsession under control, but here's my plan: 1. I'm going to Michael's to get their flimsy corrugated cardboard shipping boxes to use for mulch. I'll have to cover it with something. 2. Starbucks and local fast foods will probably be willing to give me coffee grounds. I wonder how it would look to cover the cardboard with coffee grounds? 3. Coffee grounds are high nitrogen, paper/cardboard is high carbon. Seems like I ought to be able to combine the two somehow to get a good result. I have horses and lots of manure available, too. If you use horse manure to mulch, you'll likely kill whatever you cover up . . . and next year the weeds will grow bigger than ever! As you've learned from your reading, compost isn't a mix, it's a process. The reaction of carbon to nitrogen takes time and produces heat. Hey, let me know if you have more free plywood than you need. I'm moving my horses to a private pasture with three stalled horses and a pen full of sheep. There ought to be some good compostables there. I need to build a couple things . ... Maybe we can work out a trade? Also, there's a site that tells how raising vegetables in containers is fighting hunger in the slums of Mexico. They fill 5G buckets 80% with chopped leaves and other carbons, cut a drainage hole a few inches from the bottom, put a couple of inches of soil on top, and plant their veggies. They use the household supply of "liquid gold" for nitrogen, and at the end of the season they have a crop of veggies and a bucket full of finished compost planting medium. It sounds like a good idea, but I can't find enough specifications to ensure success. Maybe you can find something on that site that will work for you since you're just renting. Search around on the journeytoforever.org site for more interesting information. Here is a link that might be useful: Container Farming - Organic Food Production in the Slums of Mexico

Wipe an inconspicuous corner with a rag & paint thinner. If the stain dissolves, it's not dry. Casey

I'm reading The Book of The Dead. My BIL sent it to me. It's an English mystery. He said he's spent a lot of time in that area of England where it takes place. I've read 40 or so pages and haven't really got into it yet, but I'm not giving up. I used to read every day, but the past couple of years I just haven't been in the mood. I really miss it. Vannie I have The Girl Who Played With Fire and look forward to reading it.

Ima,my mother in law made the complaint to myspace today. It was infact her fault that BM was able to obtain the pictures, and now all family members profiles and pictures are private. Yes, I know that once they are "out there" there is nothing I can do, I'm sure she has them saved to her computer and will always have them. As for her having to believe the things she says, it's more of a way for her to prove to her family out of state that she is who "they" think she is. We (my husband and myself) did in fact get it easy where gaining custody was concerned. Dhr/Cps was involved because of some health issues reguarding one of my step sons, with many DHR visits to the home she left them living in and her home, I was granted temporary custody per her request (dad had been trying for 2 yrs before hand) because of his job.A year later my husband and myself were granted full custody with no support and only supervised visitation from her on the first and third sunday of each month (she has never once followed through with a visit). It has since been ammended to no visitation and we have a protective order on her and her husband. My step kids were beaten, threatened with weapons and not fed for over a week the last time they were with their mother over 4 years ago. Not only do we have the protective order but our local ymca, ballpark and their school also have them. She has shown up numerous times and still continues to do so, to all of the above screaming they were kidnapped and are being held hostage. She has even tried to "kidnap" my youngest step son and my own son from walmart and they were in the buggy I was pushing. So in that aspect no we arent lucky as you tell me to consider myself. I know of the emotional damage a BM can do to a child, I see it daily times 3. As I said, I have a 9 yr old who thinks he should be a girl and a 7 yr old who vomits at will to not have to eat. AND FOR THE RECORD... I never in my post accused her of being a bad parent for giving up custody, I simply chose to post a FEW of the bad choices she has made over the years, but I will say now; I think she is a bad parent (not for giving up custody) for how she has emotionally and physically abused her children and allowed others to do the same. I think she is a bad parent because she still allows her husband to abuse her and their child together, instead of seaking help(and before you say I dont understand what an abusive relationship is like, I was in one for 7 years before I met my husband all of my teenage years and into my early 20's, eventually everyone knows enough is enough). Now, you asked why I wanted to contact a lawyer. No, not necessarily to sue her, she has nothing to sue for and she wouldnt show up in court anyways. To have it documented, yes. She shows up and causes enough trouble without aid of pictures at their school, ymca and sports activities ect. It does scare me to think she has updated pictures that she can wave around and them possibly have the chance of seeing. They know she wasnt there and Im unsure of what that could do to their stability, their mental capacities(they have alot to work through as it is) and their all around behavorial issues, even if it's only for that day or week. Do I think she will use them in that manner, yes. So again, no I dont want to sue her. I dont want to waste money we dont have to waste, energy I am completly drained of already or time that I never seem to have either. As for her myspace page, today was the first I knew of her having one and no I dont care to go back to it. All of my focus does now and has for almost 7 years gone into MY KIDS, I do love them and they know it and with their father's job I am 99.999% the only PARENT they have. I do also try and ignore her, I have only one other time fed into her pity party and that was her email, she isnt worth it. But yes, this makes me angry and I feel I have the right to be, as you stated you were doing the job of "your" BM, so am I. I have a myspace page, I dont post pictures (for this reason) of any of my kids, yet here she is posting them, ones she didnt take, from a holiday she was absent from and claiming MY son as her own child also, when she didnt want to be a parent to her own kids. No matter her reason behind it, I cant seem to want to let it lie. And your right, its not going to change or fix thing nor will it make them better, but I cant help how I feel. Maybe this is all too fresh having all happened today, and Im sorry if this post seems rude, but I didnt expect to be reprimanded or attacked for my earlier post and thats kind of how it felt.