I am both sorry for your loss and thankful for a peaceful passing. Mary Washington is charming and healthy and has grown well for me without spray for two years. I've got other white roses, but my fragrant white poly seems to take/demand a lot more cutting back. If you've room, Rosa moschata is healthy, repeats well, exotically fragrant and pest free. But it will get big (five feet here.) A smaller grower is Belmont Yellow. Shiny green leaves, palest yellow semidouble blooms. If she loved pale yellow, it would be appropriate (and is no spray, as well.) and is a shorterm, wider grower than Mary Washington. My foundling, Cleveland Cemetery White might also be a consdieration. Mine seems happy to be about 3 1/2 feet tall, a large bouquet shaped rose with palest pink to white rosette like blooms and good fall color. To my nose, no scent. But self deadheading is a good thing that it does.

Thanks for all the feedback. Here are some of the trees/fruit crops varieties I am considering planting. I'll have to narrow this down, of course. Or will I? muhuhahahaha.... CHERRY (2) - Lapins, Sweetheart (I said I wasn't into cherries, but then I saw some pictures of them and they mad me hungry so I changed my mind) APRICOT (3) - Harglow, Puget Gold, Westley (too late?), Tlor-tsiran??? PEACH (3) - Avalon Pride, Blazingstar, HW 272 sound like the best three. Other choices might include Charlotte, Contender, Harbelle, Harrow Diamond, Juneprince, Mary Jane, Oregon Curl-Free, Q 1-8, Redstar, Reliance, Starfire, Veteran? NECTARINE (2) - Fantasia?, Hardired, Kreibich, Harko? PLUM (3) - sounds like a lot of them do fine here, but my top 3 are probably Beauty, Hollywood, Shiro APPLE (5) - Akane, September Wonder/Jubilee, Chehalis, Honeycrisp, Liberty, Pristine, William's Pride PEAR (4) - Bartlett (have to have a Bartlett), Blake's Price, Moonglow, Orcas, Rescue ASIAN PEAR (3) - (still deciding) Shinseiki for sure. Others.... Nijesseiki, Chojuro, Shinko, Mishirasu, Hamese? RASPBERRIES (and relatives) - Autumn Bliss, Caroline, Summit, Tulameen, Boysenberry, Marionberry, Tayberry, Thornless Loganberry, Willamette BLUEBERRIES (I will plants lots, they do great in Sequim) - Berkeley, Bluecrop, Little Giant, Olympia, Sunshine, Top Hat, Toro KIWIFRUIT - Exbury (sounds like the earliest ripening fuzzy type), Saanichton (will it ripen?), male fuzzy, 74/49, Ken's Red, Ananasnaya, Meader, Geneva, male arguta GRAPES - Agria, Campbell's Early??? (will it ripen?), Canadice, Einset?, Interlaken Seedless, Jupiter?, Lynden Blue (sounds like a winner), Madeline Angevine (wine), Price, Regent, Reliance, Valiant?, Vanessa FIG - Atreano, Desert King, Lattarula, Stella?, Vashon Violet/Brunswick OLIVE - Arbequina, Mission CHESTNUT - I want to plant two or three but they are big trees. Lots to choose from on the Burnt Ridge Nursery web site. PISTACHIO - Uzbek (I'm sure that won't work but I have to try...LOL anyways it's hardy and the flowers are cool) ALMOND - All in one, HallÂs Hardy, Reliable, Dessertiny (Bounty?) PINEAPPLE GUAVA - Nikita (sounds like the earliest ripening one), a pollinator Some other things like mulberries aren't out of the question.... we'll see. I don't want to get too carried away just yet. I also have to be careful of not planting things that need a lot of heat or ripen too late. Apparently I only get about 1400 growing degree days in an average season.

Wonderful tree decor, lynne! Yes, fun to re-live the memories as you hang the ornies...(that doesn't sound as good as "ornaments" ...but that's the shortcut I've seen on here.) LOL! PM's idea is great...it is fun to have out old pics ...wherever...I use snow snowflake photo clip-stands & put a few old B&W's from our family Christmas' of DH's side & mine..& I have a old window (from my sis' farmhouse that was torn down) that I put our family pics in from over the years & mount on the wall for the winter season. Love using family pics! Also a fun way is to print a B&W on a "mylar" (clear plastic) a fav pic...cut out circle, wrap around pencil to insert in a glass ball...add a little snow glittery & it's a clear pic in a glass ball! I've done several of those for gifts. Have fun & TFS your family tree! Jeanne S.

We make a variation of the stew that Czarina posted, only with white fish or shellfish instead of the ham. Who knew that the combo of white fish and tomatoes was so delicious and made such a good soup? When I'm making it with fish I add a can of clams and the juice to the soup. It's an almost instant "home made" soup. Doing onions in the crockpot is another deceptively easy thing to do, because they you have them and can add them to so many things to punch up the flavor . . . I'll add the "Summer Torte" recipe by Marian Burros as another deceptively easy dessert. It's just cake with fresh fruit on top, but the cake is delicious and fresh fruit is always wonderful. I also like to make "upside down" cakes in my 9 inch cast iron pan. I've done pear, apple, pineapple, plum and lately cranberry versions. You do have to prepare the fruit, but other than that it isn't that difficult, and it makes a beautiful impression for serving, and you didn't have to do that much to create the look. Years ago I was visiting Great Britain and my friend's mom made stewed dried fruit and served it topped with vanilla pudding and a sprinkle of crumbled gingersnaps or some toasted nuts. Deceptively easy. Just buy a packet of dried fruit, add water and throw in a cinnamon stick and whatever other spices you have on hand (I keep allspice berries, whole nutmegs, cardamom pods, cloves and candied ginger on hand for making mulled cider), cover with water and stew for about 45 min or more. Can guild the lily with dried cherries, golden raisins, currants, etc. Can stew in some cider or apple juice too. I've done it with canned pudding, deli-bought pudding, box pudding and home made. Home made pudding is fab, but not a deceptively easy thing IMHO. It's relatively easy, but does take time and attention. Serve in a cut or pressed glass dish for the glamor. I have a set of small pressed glass dessert dishes with a short pedestal. I am jealous that you folks can find frozen pancetta bits. I can't even find fresh pancetta. On the subject of "deceptively easy" it is a well known secret that you don't have to boil lasagna noodles in advance to make the layered noodle dish. The noodles cook in the sauce.