I was straight out all day deadheading the roses because the japanese beetles are destroying all the pretty blooms, so this is the first time I've had a chance to THANK YOU all for your comments. The forum is moving so fast these days that I want to comment on every post but it's hard to keep up. Just wanted to thank all of you who are posting photos also because I know how time-consuming it is to upload and post. Nat...yes I grow hostas too and have for years. I often overlook them because they are so low-maintenance but I have quite a few. And I haven't dared to count how many daylilies I have acquired in just 2 seasons, but it's enough to fill 7 raised beds that I had to make. Thanks for the nice comments about my 'boys' too....of course I think they are the most handsome guys on the planet...LOL. Celeste

Hi everyone, well i've finally woken up, i think i'm fighting off something and i've slept all day, maybe it's that featherbed we bought, so nice and a good deal 67$ for a queen size, i'll try anything to make Al comfortable, the dampness is unbelievable and the weather i won't even complain about it was -20F with the wind yesterday and i think plus 26 today. carley and her friends have went to the theatre this evening to see isold and -sorry can't remember the other name so it's just me in the living room and i get to watch anything on the 3 channels we get there by myself - one channel is hockey-can't believe that matthew played since he was 5 and i never learnt anything, i'd bring my knitting and stay away from all those screaming people. Nora when i was shoppping yesterday i noticed that the seed are are out in stores already, we buried Buddy in our garden so i've already started to plan something special for him--i know i keep on mentioning him, but i do miss him so much. i guess with our warm winter i have noticed buds on the apple tree we have. Connie i noticed last night that you had a weather warning, is everything ok, our cable - main stations like the rest of canada get detroit tv signals, congratulations another grandbaby how lucky you are! Gabby, i think probably the wood is cheaper here but not by much speciality woods sell by the lineal foot here, i do know that a 2x4 not treated is 76 cents, 3 pulp and paper mills have closed here in town, 3 out of town and alot of other places have closed their doors here, it is just terrible, i read in the paper that there were only 3 new houses that were started to be built since jan. 1 but there sure are alot of them for sale here. Al is still in alot of pain, his doctor is the leading cancer doctor here in the area (Al regular doctor retired and this is the doctor that was suggested to him to get, we here in our family are lucky to have a family doctor, we are 28 short here in the city) so he does try to keep him pain free, Al loves the spring and summer, he sits as long as he can in the ramp under his big green umbrella, and when people see him outside they all come over to chat to him or he'll come in the backyard and give me orders on how to tend to the flowers or the garden, right now with this sat. tv, he controls the remote (like every man - lol), so we have to watch whatever he wants, oh well, he doesn't seem to relize that we can keep ourselves busy doing other things - lol. well i think my pots and pans have finished soaking, so i better get them done! debbie

Lynne, even tho this Christmas was emotional for you going thru your Mom's things, I'm sure there were so many special memories to be relived. You are so lucky to have these family pieces to share with your siblings. Till I joined this Forum, I didn't do a lot of decorating and didn't think much about Christmas' past and heirlooms. But I've heard so many wonderful stories of special things passed on from parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc. That just sounds so heartwarming. I would really love to have been part of something like that in my family. Unfortunately it wasn't meant to be, but I am so lucky that many of you share your stories and pictures here. Lynn, LOL, I don't know of a picture-perfect Christmas around my house. I looked forward to seeing your photos when you have a moment to catch your breath. Thanks, Judith. It sure makes me happy seeing you here again. Kathleen, if you are facing a long brown winter, how can you be glad to see Christmas stuff put away? LOL, I'd be hanging on to all the color I could. Do you leave any winter type decor out? That's going to be a subject for my next post by the way, later tonight or tomorrow. Thank you, Yacht. It makes me feel so good to hear others say something I've done is beautiful. I was surprised to hear a lot of folks say they'd cut back on decorating this year. Not sure what that is all about. My DD and DDIL have just been far busier than usual, and Christmas stressed them some as far as trying to decorate. And my DDIL and Jason take things down the day after Christmas!! Want their house back "in order". I don't get that, LOL. "But I have a whole new year to work on things for next year right? (We'll see how that goes!)"...I hear ya, Luvs. I'll probably still be procrastinating right up till next Christmas on some of the things I want to make. sigh. Nancyjean, what a wonderful gift your boys got. That made Christmas extra special, and I am sure you make it that way for that dear gentleman. Yes, the magic kind of goes when our children get bigger. And I think we will always miss that part. hugs, Karen

That sounds like a plan, Chris. The only problem would be if the hollyhocks had any kind of fungus or other disease. I am supposed to be getting rid of yard work. Last year I had a consult ("won" it at a charity event) with a landscape designer. I told her about my limitations, and about what I wanted to do with the yard, to make the side part of the back yard pretty. She said to leave it as it is! She suggested cutting back the hedge between the backyard and the sidewalk on the side street, to let it grow back fuller. She suggested we replace a couple of panels of deteriorating privacy fence at the end of the patio with some dwarf lilacs. I wanted a large evergreen and some bushes in a nice configuration there. She was sticking too much to my "can't do much yard work" and not giving me anything nice for the yard to look improved. It really was a waste of a consult, but the charity was a good cause. We are a typical city corner lot. The house is a square ranch-style house. The back yard is surrounded by trees and hedges. Your hollyhocks will go in a bed near where the side hedge and back hedge meet and along the inside of the side hedge where they will have afternoon sun. There is only a chain link fence between us and the side neighbor. They are a nice couple with adult kids. He speaks a bit of English, she none at all. I think they are Romanian. Nice, family-oriented, quiet people. They have beautiful front flower beds that are tended perfectly. It makes me feel guilty because my front bed is weedy, and messy by design! Our neighbors behind us speak English, but we never see them. Their garage wall faces our back yard and there is a tall wall-o-privet between us. So for a city lot, we have very good privacy. I will miss the height of our side hedge, but the city ordinance says it should only be 4 ft high, and they could come by at any time and tell us to cut it. It is scraggly and see-through at the bottom, anyhow. I am making plans with a guy from Craigslist to come help me do the trimming of the backyard hedges. I will be mostly supervising.