I do not know about in a vegetable bed, but we had a neighbor's cat using a planter box near our front porch as a kitty-box. I am a cat lover, have three myself, but that was just gross and over the line. I went to TLC (an OKC garden store) and got some cat/dog deterrent granules. I don't know if it was safe for vegetable garden use, you may need to ask at the garden store or read the directions. It was a granule that was strongly lemon scented, and came in a shaker container. Just shake it over the bed at the frequency it said (I remember if it rained you needed to reapply) and within a few weeks, no more cat deposits. I also used it when all my neighbors were walking their dogs along our corner lot and not cleaning up after them - just sprinkled it in the grass to deter the little beasts. May be organic methods that work on the same principles that would be safe for edibles. It's not the type of thing to use in the house. They do sell bitter-apple type stuff to train your cats not to chew or whatever (one of ours loves to gnaw on the cable line) but I think she thought I was just adding seasonings. We spray-trained all of our cats. Keep water-filled spray bottles at hand and when they did stuff we didn't like, you just spray them. Worked to train them off the Christmas tree, clawing the carpet, etc. Like anything, takes consistency to see results. If you don't want the cat on the furniture, you might look into spray training. P.S., after the outdoor cat stopped using the planter box, I still couldn't shake the grossness, so shoveled out the top 5-6 inches of dirt and disposed of it and refilled with fresh dirt. I'm often gardening bare-handed and couldn't shake the feeling I might be bare-handing cat pee!

Rules about this will vary from State to State, but generally, there is an upper amount that can be considered a "gift." Any amount above that is looked at closely. Let's pretend a second or two. The upper limit in the State of Blank is $10,000. Therefore, a gift of 10,000 would pass. $10,000.05 would throw the whole amount into the "look back" amount. If you had given the grandchild that amount every year since birth, you MIGHT be OK, but if this was a once in a life time "gift" you MIGHT be in trouble. A big amount that was given only that one time before entry into a nursing home, would certainly be considered in the "look back" amount. So much depends on the mood and understanding of the agent/clerk handling the case. Bad night and a hangover, bad for you too.

OK, the car story is funny. When I heard Sharon & Clive were driving route 66 in a TBird convertible, I was thinking it was a '57 or perhaps an early 60's model. (my dad was/is a collector, I just assumed theirs would be an older model.) So I thought it would be fun to borrow one of my dad's cars for the day, to fit in with the whole Route 66 thing and park next to theirs. I'm almost to the restaurant, and I call Sharon to ask what year their car is. "2002". LOL!!! I laughed at myself and my incorrect assumption for a good 5 minutes.

It's so good to hear that translucent header tapes are sturdy ShadyLady. Thank you. The functional drapes in my living room have a traditional pinch pleat header tape and have held up fine after 3+ years of use. Sounds like we are looking at similar window treatments Laurie... My guest bedroom's window has existing shades (pulled down halfway in the photo below), but since it's quite large (100" W x 108" H), I decided to add black out draperies to help manage the light, add texture to the room, and give myself a sewing project (ha!). So yes, they will be functional. Opening and closing with a baton hung inside the on the center edges of the 2 panels. Also, I added 30% additional width to my rod length to allow room for the stack back as I didn't want the opened curtains to block any light. But I read thinner fabrics and/or curtains without blackout lining need as little as 20% additional rod length for stackback. I linked below to an online tutorial I found loaded with photos that might offer additional help since she goes into great detail. My Fabric: medium weight Robert Allen Bella Porte fabric in midnight aka blue. http://www.robertallendesign.com/trade/fabric_detail.aspx?product=207642 Lining: Hanes OutBlack lining. This lining has been described as having a soft hand and being easy to work with (compared to other blackout linings). http://www.hanesindustries.com/blackouts.htm I wish my shipment would hurry, all this sewing talk has me excited to start! =) Here is a link that might be useful: Blog Tutorial: Sewing Pinch Pleat Lined Curtains