Thank you all so much for participating in DD's survey. I still remember the first time I checked out the group of lake cottages my family and I were going to rent for our week-long reunions. One cottage was decorated totally with clown art. IMO, it was a nightmare! My one sis and her family, who aren't clown-haters take that cottage every year. Many of the rest of us dislike even being in there! Another sis (I have 4), who also takes after our mom, inherited our grandparent's large, old Murano glass clown. She keeps it on her guest room dresser . . . until we come to visit. I won't sleep with that in our room and put it face down under her bed, far away from me while we're there. My3dogs: what a great piece of info. DD says "thank you!!!" for that. Kelly: ROFLMAO . . . I'm afraid to ask about that one! Lynn

Do a google search on Gardenweb and latches. I linked one thread below, but after you do a search you'll see the overall impression seems to be that you need to make sure they work properly and if the way they function will bother you. Here is a link that might be useful: Latches Thread

Rich Fruit Cake There's a lot of ingredients but you basically just mix them all together! Makes 8" round cake or 7" square. (I have also used this recipe to make a 9" round cake with excellent results) 1 lb 5 oz currants 6 oz raisins 11 oz sultanas/golden raisins 6 oz candied citrus peel 5 oz candied cherries, washed and cut into 4 pieces 1 oz sliced almonds 1 oz almond meal/flour 1 1/2 teaspoons very strong coffee 2 level teaspoons spice mix (your own preference but I use cocoa,cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice and nutmeg) Pinch of salt Zest and juice 1 small lemon 10 oz soft dark brown sugar or molasses (I use 1/2 of each) 10 oz butter 12 oz self rising flour 3 fl oz dark rum 6 large eggs Extra 1 fl oz dark rum for brushing over cake Line cake pan sides and base with parchment paper and outside of pan sides and base with brown paper (using natural string to secure) Heat oven to 250F In large bowl add spices, coffee, almonds, salt, lemon zest, and juice to fruit. Mix well then add rum and leave to soak for at least 24 hours or up to 1 week. I stir it once per day. The aroma is wonderful! In a second bowl, beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Beat eggs one at a time and add to butter mix, adding some flour with each egg. Reserve a small amount of flour to coat fruit by stirring it through fruit mixture. Gradually add butter/egg mix to fruit mix and stir until well mixed. Scrape into cake pan making a very slight depression in the center. Cover lightly with circle of parchment paper with small hole cut in center. Bake in pre-heated 250F oven just above center, until an inserted skewer comes out clean, approx 3 hours. (My 9" cakes have taken up to 5 hours!!) When cooked leave in oven for a few minutes with the door open. Remove from oven, brush over 1 fl oz of rum over top of cake. Leave in pan until totally cold, or overnight in a cool room. Remove from pan, wrap completely in parchment paper, then in foil. Store for minimum 4 weeks to mature. I brush with a little extra rum or brandy every 6 weeks if I store the cake for many months. The cake for this Christmas is over one year old.

No, don't apologise, this is fun!.. As I think you can see in the Redoute painting and the photo I mentioned earlier (I'm sorry, I'm too techno-challenged to even know how to post a link!) whole new little flowers can come through the button eye; the phenomenon was known as 'childing' by early botanists (as in, making baby flowers...). I think from studying photos, etc. that the first bits of green that poke through may be sepals which can potentially surround/develop into buds of a new 'child'. There certainly seems to be a lot of feathery green action going on in some gallica/damask/centifolia examples - you can see this better in another Redoute painting: Rosa Agatha Prolifera in WikiGallery ... But I'm no expert; I've only seen it in the R. paintings and in a few photographs, and read up on it a bit. Comtesse :¬)