Thanks, "Holiday-ers" ... altho I am LOL! Cause part of the magic of the camera is framing what you want to share...so, SEE, you don't see any of my many, many WEEDS! Bee Balm this evening ....this area is part of the Door Arbor vignette: Closer side view: Beautiful Bee Balm getting ready to bloom ...close-up: Hydrangea & Red Sun (yup, I painted that cast iron sun 2 yrs ago): Maybe some of the Bee Balm will bloom for July 4th...it's RED! TFLookin'! Jeanne S.

Thanks, wekick. There is a great section in there that I will quote here. It comes from the article listed above: "Best Times to Buy a New Appliance For all major appliances (other than air conditioning units), consider timing your purchase to the suggestions below. 1. September and October The best time to buy most major appliances is during the months of September and October. During these two months, manufacturers unveil their latest models. This means that the previous year�s models must be discounted in order to make room for the new models that will hit stores in the winter. 2. May The exception to point number one is refrigerators. Unlike the other major appliances, most manufacturers roll out their new models of refrigerators in the summer. This means that last year�s models get discounted during the spring. 3. January Some stores hang on to older inventory while they make the transition from last year�s models to the next. But once the new year hits, all of last year�s remaining models must be discounted even further. Though better deals may be available at this time, selection will be limited. 4. Any Holiday Weekend Retailers have sales that correspond to virtually all holidays. Columbus Day, President�s Day, St. Patrick�s Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and most other minor holidays are good times to get great deals. Case in point, Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) can be a perfect time to purchase a major appliance. Tip: Just because a retailer advertises an item on sale doesn�t mean it�s the best price. Make sure you comparison shop first to know whether or not the advertised deal is really the lowest around. 5. End of the Month As many appliances are sold on commission or subject to quotas, the end of the month can be an excellent time to negotiate serious savings. With that said, always try to negotiate regardless of what time of the month it is. After all, the worst that can happen is they won�t lower the price. Here are some negotiation strategies that you can use to increase your chances of success. 6. Weekdays Appliance stores as well as furniture stores are nightmares on the weekends. The parking lots are jammed, the sales people are all busy, and you may feel rushed into a decision. To get the best deal, avoid the weekend rush and make time for your appliance shopping during the week, even if that means adjusting your work schedule or going in the evening. You�ll get more attention from the salesperson, and possibly a better deal to boot. 7. Anytime Online By just running a quick search, you can get a good idea where the best deal is online. The best months to buy online don�t differ from the best months to buy in brick and mortar stores, but good online prices can be found year-round. That said, remember to factor shipping into the final cost. " That's exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. And I guess the take-home message is, every holiday, no matter how minor, is fair game for a SALE!~... or not. Knowing when the year's models change over is very helpful.

I don't want to sound rude, but I must interject here. There's one in every bunch isn't there? Listen to one thing ladies... You are allowed to believe in whatever your heart tells you to believe in and whatever makes you feel better and helps you to cope with the grief that a loss such as these hurls you into. Grief is a horrible thing to have to endure, but just as is dying, so is grief a very real and unavoidable part of life. Don't allow anyone to succeed who tries to take away that which enables you to cope with this grief. I believe in and love God with all my heart, all my mind and all my soul, however, I can't help but get angered by people who think that the only voice of God comes through the Bible. Personally I don't give the Bible much credence because I believe it was written by man and twisted and turned around and upside down for the agenda of the day until present day very little of it is the true word of God. I know the word of God (for me). It's in my heart and in my soul and I for one certainly don't need someone sharing their self-righteous demonic sightings or their bible interpretations with me or anywhere near me. I generally say one thing to these people who think they have all the answers and that is... "We'll all find out someday, won't we?", and so as to avoid violating the guidelines, with that I bid you please take your naysaying to another forum. Sorry to all of the others on this forum, but this was such a wonderful conversation until I got to that post and I could not be silent and let someone like that spoil everyone else's great experience. I will sign on again soon and tell you all my story. Linda

A lot of people prefer not to house hunt during the holidays, but the people that NEED to buy a house due to relocation or even divorce or family status change will be looking whenever they have to, whether it be November, December or January. We once had to move in December due to a job transfer, listed our house and it sold in 3 days, not much else was on the market in our price range. At our new location, not much was on the market either so it truly made house hunting difficult.