Almost a year ago I arranged to pick up grounds on the way to work at a "hippy" type coffee shop. It has worked wonderfully, and I've never had too many, although it's been over 16 5lb. buckets a week. I layer them with leaves in a bin, layer them in beds with leaves, spread them on the vegetable garden in the late winter. I have to screen them all, since the filters are left in with them. Over the winter I just stockpiled the buckets, and screened them all in the spring. The coffee shop manager says they put half the amount of stuff in the garbage compared to when I wasn't picking up buckets and grounds. What a win-win.

yes we had one on main street in the small town I grew up in, called the Busy Bee. It was the morning spot for coffee, deserts and good food too, they had the blue plate lunches where were awesome home made meals for just a couple of bucks. There are still a lot of plate lunch places down in South Louisiana, in fact I saw a tv show recently about them, it sure brought back memories. we had one that was a drive in too, you would walk up to the little window and give your order and sit in the car till they flagged you to come get it, I remember so well 5 hamburgers for $1 and these were giant fully loaded too, so good and their shakes and floats were awesome. They had the best shrimp burgers and crab burgers, I so miss those. The name of it was The Comey(ko-may) there was an inside sit down area too that was the hang out for the school crowd.

Eloise - boy did I sleep well. I was late getting to work!! But I needed it even without the raking. If you'll look, you'll see the time I did that post last night. It was entirely too late to be up. But, having problems going to bed - STRESS!!! My boss told me today that I should be looking for Plan B - she is. Our new VP is really making life difficult. We don't think she wants any of us there - so she can bring in her own people and also confirm herself to everyone. So, we'll see on that one. Let's just say though - not good at all. I'm too old to be considered a real candidate anywhere other that someplace 50 miles from home. That's the kicker, I'm 8 miles from home now - never had that before. Plus, I like the company. We just have a micro micro-managaing, self-absorbed, control-freak for a boss that is begining to remind me of a wicked witch! She is so much so that I don't trust her as a person. It's one thing to not trust your boss, but I don't trust her as a person - too high on herself and what she can do. No telling what she will do to prevent someone from seeing her faults. The bad thing - I think that's why she was hired!!! The other stressor - my folks. Found out today that they are OK -somewhat. They are being moved to the other facility to have more intense care - thank Goodness! But that's not saying things will be OK but I do feel better that they can be watched. My step-mom is becoming very manipulative and they are worried about my dad's safety. So, THAT saga continues. At least they are dead and my step-mom didn't kill someone!! Hey, I'm 139, I think. BTW, What's going on with TNMN2???? Check in Michael when you can. Miss you, big guy!!!

Candler, another suggestion would be to plant in half whiskey barrels. My father used to do that and he enjoyed quite a harvest of vegetables, plus it was raised so he didn't have to bend over. I'm thinking about doing that myself. It's getting harder and harder to get down on the ground. I have a bench that when inverted acts as a kneeler with handles so I can get up and down a bit easier. I like it, but I tend to "lose" myself in gardening and before I know it, it's across the yard and I've scooted myself several feet or yards away. LOL! Gurley - I don't know all your names yet, so forgive me - I can so relate to your experience with the ex. Mine was a lawyer who thought he was God's gift. But, I was so afraid of giving up the relationship and being on my own. Now that I am, I cherish it, and would not be willing to compromise my life with anyone else, I don't think. The thought is rather scary. I am rather a isolationist, preferring my own company, and that of my daughter and granddaughter over other people. Most people do not maintain the same likes and dislikes that I do, and while I'm willing to give a bit in friendship, most of my friends I had at work, were so unlike me that I had a difficult time finding a common ground. A lot of women my age are still searching for the proverbial "rainbow relationship" with a man, and when they find someone to date, they brush off their friends like dandruff only to come crying back a short time later with their pitiful stories of "woe is me". I want to shake them and say, "what did you think? That they were going to fulfill all your fantasies of what a relationship is about?" Rarely do they get to know anyone in depth before they are into a physical relationship, not knowing anything significant about the other person. I guess what I'm trying to say is find a companion first, someone you enjoy talking with, being with, listening to, and that you have similar beliefs, values, etc. - BEFORE you get into that physical relationship. It's a whole lot less heartache, and you may get a valuable friendship if not a significant other, at the very least. Investing emotionally through physicality is going to bite you in the rear every time. But, so far, I haven't found any women or men who are interested in my theories of what a relationship is all about. So, I tend to stay in my comfort zone, which is my home and my yard. Relationships are a lot like a garden. You have to prepare it first by "building" the soil; then you plant a few things to see how they do, tend them, fertilize them, prune them, watch them grow, and then you might get a bit more adventuresome with some plants and see how they do, and before long you have something long-lasting - and you haven't had to get into hybridizing or cross-pollinization yet! LOL! Sorry to get so long-winded. Peace and serenity is what I most seek now in life. Not the roller coaster rides I used to be able to tolerate in my younger days. Candler, I had something similar, called an arteriovenous malformation in my brain, but they caught it before it bled and were able to repair it through a procedure called an endovascular embolization (using a catheter through the femoral artery). I was lucky. But, I still have a dent in my head from when I fell off a swingset at age 5, and had to have stitches in my head. Maybe we should all go for the Brittany look. Tee hee! Sure am enjoying my latte this morning! Susan