Shirley, I'm a Medical Technologist. Since most people have no idea of what that is, here is a short explaination. 4 years college, 1 year intership. I work in a hospital laboratory. We are the people who set up the blood for transfusions, microbiology (find out what bacteria you have), all the blood tests when you have your blood taken (hemoglobin, Blood sugars), urine tests, stool tests, sperm counts, Cerebral Spinal Fluid, any fluids from your body get tested by us. We also help draw blood, but please don't get us confused with the Phlebotomy team, they only draw blood for a living. I enjoy my job and the people probably because I work part-time. When the kids are done with school, then I will be full-time. Dawn, I grew Kong Mosiac Coleus from seed this year. It didn't do so well for me, probably since I had it in partial sun. Can't wait to hear more about the Lu'au. Well, today is our 22 wedding aniversary and hubby will be working very late. But we will celebrate this weekend. Also, I'm covered with poison Ivy. For the life of me I couldn't figure out how I got it. But then I put 2 and 2 together. Hubby and son were at the cottage for several days, so I let Ahi the cat sleep with me. HE is an outdoor/indoor cat. I bet he had it on his fur and the rest is history, or the rest is on me. The worst patch is on my neck where he loves to rub. I'm the biggest baby when it comes to Poison Ivy. I scratch and scratch. I'm trying really hard not to scratch my neck and face. (silent scream) Dawn, since you are into coleus, I thought you might get a kick out of a no-name coleus that did great for me. Pic is on the front porch. Grew this one from seed also. (Grow all of mine from seed). And since we need a Daylily picture, here is Knights in White Satin with tall red salvia and Rudbeckia gloriosa. This is KIWS last bloom. :o( And since I just have to post a picture of this Rudbeckia, I'm not sure what it is called. Took me all summer to fall in love with it. Now I will be sad to see it go. Now I need to go back to SCRATCHING! Sharon

gloria an outside garden wedding is just so perfect. what a great way to honor your daughter in all your hard work, and show it off at the same time!!!! to start with - either a local church, the firehouse hall or a local funeral home will rent (the church if you are active should just allow) for a nominal fee, the chairs and tables. they don't deliver, but a friend with a truck or a van comes in real handy. as for table covers, if the tables are the long ones, i would make my way to a linen warehouse and buy flat sheets in (assorted) colors or patterns. they can be used later on for the same purpose or for bed linens after being laundered. some of these you can get (especially the irregular ones) for just a few bucks each. or in the alternative, a bolt of fabric for a great price. as for centerpieces, we are working on my nephew's, which is outside. we are using ball jars, ribbon and/or wire and hanging beads around the throat, filling with wildflowers, grasses, greens, hosta -- whatever is growing. the ribbon will hang down and curl, as will the beads. real easy to do, and you cut the flowers that morning. i suggest if you use this method, experiment with it just to see how full, or not you want it. if you had more time, i would tell you another method of thse ball jars (or even coffee or smaller cans) that's one of my favorites. a turkey breast and a ham sliced down, can be served at room temp. hot roast beef or meat balls in a crock pot. a tray of ziti. or maybe some friend/baked chicken and then veggies and of course salads - i'm sure a friend or relative will offer to help ya or bring a dish. the wedding cake should be quite simple. it doesn't have to be that $700 cake from the bakery (and i am a baker that gets $700 for cakes!!! LOL) a sweet, simple large one or a two-tiered cake that gives the bride and groom something to cut for the purpose of picture (and it also should serve as dessert) and decorated with fresh flowers, and then some side cakes and cookies or pies or whatever. or in the alternative, you know those round pans that have the large circle in them - not bundt ones, but ring pans? two of them, side by side offset of each other, like a lopsided figure eight, representing their union, and in the middle fresh flowers. you can just google for edible flower information if you don't already know this. simple tea sandwiches are nice addition too. use cookie cutters in the shape of hearts or something else appealing. fresh veggies that you cut yourself -- not those overprices ones from the market because they did it and marked it up by 200%, cut them the night before, rinse real well and put in ziplocks...don't dry them so they stay fresh and perky. just shake them dry the next day before you plate them. prepare what you can ahead of time, you would be surprised there's no time that morning for anything. pitchers of iced tea and lemonade, coffee and hot tea. i'm not much on alcohol, but that's where the money comes in and to me, are you coming to put a load on, or are you here to share in our special day? just have plenty of ice. and also pitchers of ice water. slice lemons or limes or even cucumbers iand put in pitchers of water with lots of ice. very refreshing especially when you are outside. everything you use should be disposable, unless you have enough plates and glasses to go around and want to be be doing dishes for the next couple of days. chinet is a good one, it's sturdy. have smaller cocktail napkins or smaller plates for desserts. let the bride's table be a smaller one, for just the two of them to set it apart from everything else. ideas will flow as you start. if there are a bunch of kids, i'ld make a tray of PB&J sandwiches, with the crusts cut off. they can eat and run and play. also, when it came to desserts, i'd make sure there were cup cakes for them. heck for that matter, if you have stacking cake plates, cupcakes can be the bride and groom cakes as well. that's a big thing anymore. also, depending on the kids, if they are there, fill a llaundry basket with cards, some games or bubbles or sidewalk chalk so they are occupied. place a few "picnic" blankets around. i don't know your property situation, as to where you can keep the food, maybe there's a deck or an outbuilding or something with electricity. you will have to figure on that. if your reception is going to run into the night, be prepared. get out those twinkle christmas lights and string them around before hand. add candles in ball jars (with sand in the bottom). based on the number of people, the one thing i might consider is renting a port-a-john. the ones you rent for outside functions are nice. you can even hook up your outside hose to a make shift sink inside so there is running water. just make sure you remember a healthy dose of TP. keep a basket full of some essentials in there too so people don't have to bother you for bandaids, feminine products, hand cream .... you'll know. also, if this is what you are doing, a basket of popourri or scented candles burning in there - up high remember if there are kids. someone invited has to have a digital or otherwise camera and takes nice pictures, all the daughter should be obliged to do is pay for the development or that digital card or maybe that person wants it to be their gift. i'm sure there are other things that others could chime in about, but this is off the top of my head. me personally, i would never waste all that money for a wedding. i'm not cheap, but i would rather get a new appliance or a repair to the house or buy a zillion dollars worth of flowers before i would spent that money just for one day. with all the gorgeous staionary out there and do it yourself invites and no need for that RSVP by return mail - what a waste of postage and paper! Call me, or my designated person, talk to me, tell me you can't wait to share in my day. there's so many beautiful creative things one can do for simplicity yet beauty and wonderful memories. as for paying for a wedding planner...that shouldn't even come into play. that's a waste of money IMO. i would just make sure you have one person aside from yourself that is responsible and designated as your right hand man to keep a watchful eye and be an extra set of hands. if she's a gardener, as a thanks at the end, or the next day, dig something up she's been eyeing for quite some time as your thanks for all her help. come on ladies and gent(s) chime in with your thoughts. my 14 cents on a hot, humid sunday morning. looks like i'll be doing housework today! (does sorting seeds count as housework???) have a great sunday everyone.

Well, I have to answer this one! Due to the quirks of my childhood, my parents' willingness to allow me to travel alone from age 12 on, and the fact that I have severe idiopathic vertigo and, for the past 30 years have been unable to fly - I have crisscrossed the USA by train, by coach and sleeper car. I've also traveled by train in Canada, England, Israel and Mexico, but those trips were all fairly short. I love Amtrak! Some comments about the linked article. FIrst, he misses the main experience of dining on a train. You meet the most fantastic people! Seating in the dining car is done by filling up each 4-place table, and unless there are three of you, you will sit with strangers. Everyone has a story and almost everyone wants to hear yours. I have dined with people from around the world. Foreign tourists are especially interesting, because they want to have a real American experience and are curious about everything. But our countrymen/women are also fascinating. I could write a book about those I've met on the train. The food is forgettable, except for the salmon and roast chicken, which are delicious. For breakfast I always have the "healthy choice" - fresh fruit, yogurt, and a muffin or croissant, plus orange juice and coffee. The snack bar is a snack bar, but does have fresh fruit. The writer of the article discusses train travel when going by coach. I always traveled by coach when I was a lot younger and didn't require sleep and could tolerate anything. Not that there's anything wrong with coach - it's fine for a 10-15 hour trip, and many people travel that way for a lot longer time. But now that I am older and have aches and pains, I like a really good chair for curling up and reading, and a bed at night. So if it's a longer trip (to see the children and DGS) I take a roomette. Yes, it's expensive - $700 for a round trip between Salinas CA and Eugene OR. I know. But for that you have your own tiny room with two cushy seats that fold into a bed, plus various kinds of lights, electrical outlets, a fan, and good space for hanging up clothes and storing carry-ons. All meals are included, plus all the coffee and fruit juice that one could drink. And the sleeping car attendant, who will do his/her best to make you comfortable, including making up your bed, bringing extra pillows and blankets and sundries you might need, plus bringing you your meal from the dining car if you're not feeling friendly. Attendants also have their own stories to tell, if you just ask! They are unionized and have good lives. For sleeping I take a trazedone, a non-addictive sleeping pill. I turn off the lights, leave the curtains open, and if I wake up, just enjoy the passing scene, homes and farms and ranches with a light on, and the stars and moon in the sky. Very romantic! Yes, to enjoy train travel you have to be flexible and not a germophobe. Trains don't always run on time, and someone may get sick in a public bathroom. I always bring plenty of reading matter, wash my hands frequently and never go barefoot. But I also never worry. Two of the most beautiful trips are the Coast Starlight, from L.A. to Seattle, right out over the ocean north of Santa Barbara, and through the Cascade Mts. in Oregon. We've met many people going between L.A. and Portland or Seattle who fly one way and, just for the experience, Amtrak home. Also there is the Zepher, which rides through the Sierra Nevadas and later, Utah and southern Colorado. The Empire Builder, through Idaho and the northern Rockies, is on our list. He is right about Union Station in Chicago. I remember the old Union Station (as in The Untouchables) from my childhood, a wonderful place. Now it's been remodeled and it is not fun, nor elegant. And good luck finding someone to help with luggage. You are on your own, schlepping everything behind you. Train travel is our one true luxury, and for us, well worth it. We talk it up with our friends but still, nearly everyone prefers to fly. I know this was long, but at least it wasn't as long as the linked "memoir"!

Well, I mean, I have to go to work, I have to go to the grocery store. There's no use stressing out about the added expense because I can't change it. I have a small car and only commute a few miles to work so I only have to fill up maybe once a month. I do feel for people with long commutes or who have to drive around a lot. What I definitely don't do is shop around for gas prices. I guess I don't understand driving around town and fighting the crowds to save a few pennies, and I think you don't net much savings after the added miles or even idling waiting for a spot to open. I would understand a substantial difference, like $2 a gallon, but I've never seen a difference more than a few cents. My time is valuable to me so I just pick based on convenience even if it costs a dollar or two more to fill up.