Ei...looks like I missed you before your Florida trip. You are right...it is the way of life and no it is not easy to accept at all. Just over a year was very recent Ei, and I am very sorry for your loss. It does get easier, it just takes time. I am glad you are so busy, I think that helps. It sounds like your Mom and my Mom would have got along fine. ;-) I had forgotten about that movie The Miracle Worker with Ann Bancroft, another great movie. I haven't seen 'Brassed Off', I will have to look for it. I am having trouble finding any ground alfalfa in my neck of the woods too. The only thing I have seen is alfalfa cubes for rabbit food in pet supply stores. Which sturdy roses are you using Ei? Kathy...So, you did get to see the Laura DVD? It just had a different cast then you remembered? I never rent DVDs anymore, but get that DVR box from the cable company. I use that a lot. Have you ever seen the Alfred Hitchcock movie Shadow of a Doubt, with Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten? It was filmed in Santa Rosa California and I always enjoy looking at the background sceneries. It was filmed in 1943, so it is fun to look at what Santa Rosa looked like then. When you were talking about the old buildings in California it reminded me of that. Although I don't remember seeing the type of historical California buildings that you mentioned. I'll have to watch it again..lol I must have seen that film about 4 times. I have no idea why it fascinates me. I had heard that expression film 'noir' and thought I understood what it meant, but thought I would look it up to see if I could find a list of films. Sure enough Wikipedia had a list. I found that I am a big fan of the classic period as well. I have seen a lot of them. I just happen to love that era of movie making in the 40s and 50s. Kathy, I found the David Austin website and see the Molineux. It is very pretty and sounds like it has all the characteristics I am looking for including a manageable size that I forgot to mention. I haven't yet found the hardiness info and was surprised that the David Austin site doesn't include that. BUT, I did find a few people on Dave's Garden who have it and someone in Massachusetts and someone in Maine grow it, so I think I will be able to grow it here. Don't worry about figuring out the hardiness at all. I was just interested to know which were your favorites and most disease resistant. I found photos on the David Austin site. Now a new website to look over...scrumptious photos! :-) Haven't had a chance to look up the others yet. That's really awful about the citrus and avocado crops. How horrible for the growers. We use guacamole on chicken casa dias ..the only time we use avocado. Clementines and Red grapefruit fans here. cynthia...has your clivia opened it's buds yet? Photo? jerri...I loved Simon and Garfunkel. :-) marian...I also had that Sedona coleus. You have a large deck with containers..do you have to take them all in every year? I thought the fall photo of your hill was very pretty. Great color. Really nice houseplant collection. Your begonias and is that a Norfolk Pine? I have a croton too that my son gave me for Christmas last year. I have had a small hoya for 2 years and hasn't bloomed. I can't give it any more light..is there a trick to getting them to bloom? I love your Viburnums too...especially the fall color of the 'Oneida' and the plicatum tomentosum...I just love that horizontal branch pattern. Some luscious Iris too...Lingering Love..so pretty! I couldn't find the african violets marian, what did I miss? I looked through all the houseplant albums I think. [Ahhhh, I see you mention..no AV photos....lol] marian...I agree, reading other people's memories jogs mine too. I am surprised that you grew up working the farm and are still interested in gardening. Did you enjoy working on the farm as a kid? You were married young and you have been married a long time. I'm also sorry that you lost your mother so young. Your chronic illnesses probably have more to do with it than you realize, marian. Life is a lot harder to cope with when you are ill. :-) Norma....what an awful time of it you are having. I hope there is not too much damage on your property. T....I just figured out those photos were from around your property! You are a lucky person! Really gorgeous and I think the second photo would make a perfect Christmas card. Babs...I didn't know you were an original Idyll. Saying hi! :-) Mary...saying hi to you too. :-) I second Michelle's request for a photo of Deanne in her duck blind. [g] Vtskiers....What a pose the Nickster presented! I think dog's are so expressive. 'Bug...I am amazed at how productive some of you are on this list..you already have the wall painted and the rug up? Plus you have finished your knitting projects..I am impressed. I think you do absolutely gorgeous work! Where did you learn to knit so beautifully? I love that white cap. I also loved the hat in that Entrelac link. Your new rug on newly painted wall just fits that space. Great job! Nothing at all new here...sun was out yesterday and in the yard, it was the first time I found the ground frozen. Have a good day.. :-) pm2

YES!!!! My dad has diabetes. He always complains that store bought socks make his toes sore, because of the seams. I made him a pair of socks. Mom washes them & as soon as they are dry, they are back on his feet!!!! I knit mine cuff down and kitchener the toes closed. NO irritation! My first knit project was a dish cloth. 2nd was a baby sock, 3rd was my first pair of socks for me. I started with double points, but after about a year, the magic loop method was found by the owner of our local store. I have done them that way ever since. I also do not switch to dbl pts to do the toe. I have never seen any reason to. I have tried the 12" needles, but don't like them. Also, I have 2 sets of circular needles for socks. I start both socks at the same time, especially good for the new self striping yarns, and my gauge is much more likely to match for both socks. I do a few inches on one, then work on the other for a while, then switch back again. I use Ann Norling's Basic Adult sock patter, which gives you your choice of 3 different weights of yarn and the instructions to match. You have also been given excellent advice above. I always have socks on needles, as they are easy take along projects and fit in your purse or a small bag, for dr. appts, ect. Tami

I do --- and I will try this out tonight - I think size 6 might be too small - maybe a 7 needle - or maybe even an 8. Darn - Just remembered my DIL has all of my scrap yarn so I can't try it with Sugar and Cream. If you look, you are starting at one corner, (bottom right), then increasing until you reach the middle (top right corner, bottom left corner). Then you start decreasing until you get to the other corner, (top left). It is a garter stitch (all knit) - Do a long-tail cast-on - I am sure that is in the book - or on the internet --- just sit in front of the computer screen. Cat Bordhi has some great You Tubes --- some are almost like she is talking to a child - but she is good. Then you need the yo (yarn over) which creates the holes, then the K2tog (knit 2 together) -- that makes the decreases --- Sugar and Cream yarn is about 2.29 a ball - so really cheap. Let me know if you have any questions. It may at first seem like you are getting nowhere - and you are all thumbs -- but persevere - it is worth it. I would start by casting on about 15 stitches and just practice knitting back and forth for awhile. HTH

Renofan - You did a fantastic job on that chair, and I think you should go ahead and do the little chair in the yellow toile, too. That's the fabric that I used to make my bedroom duvet and curtains, (the thread is "I've got the blues...thanks to you"). You'll find that this fabric is very reasonably priced, yet a good, sturdy fabric to work with. I also used the yellow duck ticking fabric from the same site, FashionFabricsClub.com. Wouldn't you know I have 4 wingback chairs that are in excellent condition, but all have old fabric on them that I can't stand. Two of them, in fact, resemble what your wingback looked like before. Thanks to you, and the website that you furnished on upholstering, I now know what project I plan to tackle next! I know I'll never match your speed or expertise in these projects, but at least I can make an attempt. Your motivation inspires me to get my butt off this chair and start searching for more fabric. Now I can't wait to see your little toile chair, and if you ever need to find a home for it once it's done, I have a bedroom that would love to adopt it....lol! Beautiful job!! Heidi