Lavender lass - how did you read my mind? The HGTV fourth picture with the fountain is it! http://www.hgtv.com/landscaping/victorian-garden/pictures/page-4.html This is what I want to do! Not so much french country? I think it could be adapted to any type you want it to be - but the fact is, I've printed this out and will use it as my solid plan. It's going to be at the end of the beds I'm working on now. Can't thank you enough! I'll hopefully post pictures next year - if I can achieve anywhere near that perfection! If not, eh, I'll post a picture of my miserable failure, lol! The best part of it is that it's small enough to be doable for me.

HA! I am still here! The party was terrific. The DJ was fab and played 2 of my requests before the kids arrived to get me in the mood to party. I danced a few times and the teens all laughed at my "80's style" dancing. WHAT? The kids had pizza, pop, cake, and they played a lot of pool and danced. The house was easy to put back together and DH is calm once again. His buddy came by in the middle of the party and took him away for beers, so he was very mellow when he got home and the party guests were gone. Besh, I received STUFF from Amazon Marketplace Music. Love it. Thanks for the suggestion! Did you get the picture trail link from anyone yet?????? I'm listening right now to the Pushing Tin sound rack. It's good. I love the song "He Pushes Tin" -- reminds me of flying! I could watch the air traffic sequences from that movie all day long! Am I geekish or not? Tonight, we're watching the "English Patient" for about the 5th or 6th time. Love it. NHSuzanne~ Your shopping spree sounds like fun! I like to shop alone. And I rarely go. I keep thinking I'll go when I'm a size amaller - but it ain't happenin'. Tikanas~ Did you get your winter garden planted?????? Did DS help???? Well, I sculpted a foot slipping into a turkish slipper today. I think I'll make it into a pencil holder-the ankle part being the holder. Only 6 more hours of class to go, and I'm finally getting the hang of it. LOL! Lynn~ Thanks for filling out the questionaire. I am going to use it! Joanne and Patti! HAVE FUN! It's good to hear from both of you---now, don't be strangers to us! We want a report and pictures from you guys! Raeanne, dear one, yes, I am doing laundry---TONS of it! I absolutely have to get my laundry room in order. It's got too much bedding stored in it. I keep asking the family to go through the stash and help me get rid of blankets, comforters, etc, but other things come up all the time. I have been getting rid of old clothes, and other stuff. DH is pretty darn thrilled about that, as you can imagine. If you and your DH decide to go to Alaska, build in a few days in Seattle for fun at my place! Amy~ I am going to email you about a card or print I need. Are you still painting and/or photo-shopping on a regular basis? I hope, hope, hope so! Okay, now, MONDAY. Back to the idiot-proof diet and drinking water! And I am going to get on a regular exercise program, blocking out time for it this time. My in-laws are ALL coming for Christmas and I want to be able to wear what I want and feel fine about it. I have a month. Plus, the doc wants to check on me again this month. I might have that procedure I was talking about done at spring break. All for me, nighty night!

Jane, why would people throw up over using coasters? I have several nice sets (mostly from ebay), including some stone ones with fossils in them, hand-carved wood, tooled leather, miniature Oriental rugs. It gets so humid here in the summer that a beverage glass will sweat a big puddle all over a table, and the hot mugs we slurp from all winter long make nasty marks on wood, and the rough bottoms of handthrown pottery can scratch something fierce. DH pretty much wrecked the top of his ~150yo Victorian nightstand leaving a cup of hot coffee on the unprotected surface, I could have killed him because now I'm going to have to fix it. (I had glass tops cut for them when I first bought them, but I hate the "clank" sound of something like a glass or mug being put down on a glass surface, and that glass is a dust magnet.) Most of our tables are antique in the sense of "old stuff" rather than "valuable" but it doesn't mean I still think it's okay to trash them. I'm not one of those people who scurries around sticking coasters under people's drinks when we have people over though, that's just rude IMO.

You can be turned away at the basilica for inappropriate clothing. The Vatican museum you can get away with more, but not St Peter's or the Sistine Chapel. The rules are women must have their arms and knees covered, so a skirt or pants. The tops of your arms/shoulders must be covered, a scarf or jacket would suffice if you're wearing something inappropriate. Males are expected to wear long pants and a top with short or long sleeves. No t-shirts with offensive writing. No hats. No cleavage. When we traveled Europe for three weeks it was in June. I wore long (cool cotton, summer) skirts in the hotter climates to all churches out of respect. Pants in cooler climates. From the Vatican