Oh my goodness, Sherry, I'd have been so frustrated with that gal that you're talking about! Yeah, it makes a person wonder sometimes if anything you're saying is getting through to people. It almost makes you want to say, "Knock knock, is anyone home in there?" ;-) Gosh, it does make you think that maybe she shouldn't even be doing the presentations in a way if she doesn't even know what she's doing herself. I kind of wonder what she tells the other people, if she's even telling them the right things. I can tell the guy about certain websites, but like I said before, I kind of doubt if any of these people have Internet access, but I could be wrong. There are a lot of Amish and Mennonite in our area and both of those groups have different groups within them that have different beliefs. For example, Old Order Amish don't believe in having tractors with rubber tires; their tractors have metal wheels. They only ride in horse-drawn buggies. I'm not sure of their beliefs about electricity, but I'm pretty sure they don't have televisions, telephones, maybe hardly any modern conveniences. They for sure wouldn't have Internet access. New Order Amish will ride in cars as long as someone else is driving them; they seem to like to shop at Walmart. :) I don't think this guy is Amish or he probably wouldn't have even been talking to me on the phone. I'd say that he's Mennonite and I'm not familiar with their beliefs, but I know that they are also stricter than people of other religions but not as strict as the Amish, so there's a possibility that he might have Internet access. I don't know about the rest of his family members that are coming in from various areas. That being said, I don't think that they would be Amish if they're flying in on planes. I assume that they aren't having someone drive them here from places like California and Texas. lol I will definitely do what you suggested and hope that he understands. I hate to disappoint the guy, but well, I don't want to be worrying about my cats either. Oh, another "red light" that makes me wonder if he'd do a thorough job of passing along information is the fact that he said he wants to keep it simple. Well, if I'd send all of the information with him that I'd want them to know in order to raise a caterpillar, I don't think that would be simple enough to suit him. I mean really, how can you explain in just a paragraph or two about Monarchs, let alone how to care for them?! I feel like he's asking the impossible. I hate for demands to be put on me, and in a way, I'm feeling that way. It's not the he's mean or rude, but I just get this underlying feeling of pressure or something, like if I don't give him caterpillars, it will ruin the presentation. Ugh! It almost makes me want to not answer the phone anymore, but I couldn't do that to a person, just leave him up in the air. Oh, and he said he was going to tell them all to bring a quart jar along to the retreat so each family would be able to take home a caterpillar with them! I wasn't real thrilled about that because there I did feel like he absolutely expects me to give him caterpillars. I just really thought it might just be me worrying for nothing and I didn't say anything. I think that he already sent out information to everyone about that. I guess that he's going to have a lot of disappointed people. Now that I'm thinking about this even more, why can't he go find some caterpillars somewhere and give those to the people if he's so insistent that they have some instead of wanting me to give him some from our garden here. He surely can recognize milkweed if he has some of his own like he said he has. After hearing your story of what you have gone through with that person and having most of your caterpillars that you gave her die, that convinces me more than anything else not to give him any. No matter how disappointed he will be and no matter how many empty jars are waiting for caterpillars, some people are just going to have to be disappointed because I am not giving away any caterpillars. I guess he could tell that I wasn't too happy about the idea because he said something about buying them from me. I told him no, I don't sell caterpillars. Maybe I'm weird, but I'd feel like some madam pimping out some well, you know. Ha. Honestly, I'd feel like I'm exploiting the caterpillars. I just can't take money for them. He's not getting any anyway and thank you so much to you and the others for making me see for sure that giving him some would be a big mistake. I'd be heartbroken if he'd call me up later on and say something like, "I can't figure out what they did wrong; most of the people called me and said that their caterpillars died." Now, that would upset me and then some! Ha, knowing him, he'd probably ask for more! No way, Jose, none in the first place. Get your own. Ha. If I can't get him to see the light, then that's his problem and not mine. He ought to be glad that I'm taking all the time that I am to look up information for him and I've even started milkweed in cups for the people (not that a small milkweed plant would sustain a caterpillar). Even if they would have enough to feed them, so many other things could go wrong that I don't even want to have to worry about any of that. Thanks again. Cathy

I would love to stay and chat girls, but I can barely keep my eyes open. It was a long day today. I will see you in the am. Karen, are you in my time zn? It's 10:00 here now, and we are almost neighbors. If so, 11 would be when she is posting and you might have a chance still : ) Shirley, that is another beauty, I love those types Fran, sounds like your feeling better still today, that's good! Soooo, what were the extras you were going to put in that box for me??? Denise, since some MEAN person stold that box from me I'm gonna have to try and work out a trade with you for some honeysuckles! : ) Yes Tracy, he was nice. LOL See you girls in the am!

Oh My Goodness! I got my BOX today from Miss Wendy!! Holy Cow!! First, lemme tell you...she put my address on a large ORANGEcolor> sheet of paper. With googly eyes!! The kids liked that. :O) Then, as I opened it up...the kids looking over my shoulder...they all screamed..."A BOX FULL OF CANDY! CANDY CANDY CANDY!!" To which I said...with large stick in hand..."DOWN DOWN DOWN, YOU JACKELS!! It's not like you've never gotten candy before!!!" (ok, maybe not with a stick...but I sure needed one!!) So, with kids climbing over me, on me and around me, I *tried* to write everything down as I found it in the box. Please forgive me, Wendy, if I missed anything! ~An orange & black rubber snake (Adora took off with this) ~A multi-colored skeleton light set ~A LARGE LARGE bowl of CANDY, puzzles, pencils, rubber skeletons & bats, halloween jewelry, whoopee cushions...Just TONS of stuff!! ~A bag of spider web (decorative, not real..LOL..) ~Bottles of Pumpkin bubbles ~Iris- "superstition" ~Mini mugs- pumpkins, kitties & ghosts! ~An IV bag of blood (cherry liquid candy...but STILL GROSS!! ICK!!! LOL) ~Ghost & pumpkin tealight candles ~VANILLA BEAN ORCHID!!! Yay!!! :O) ~Seeds!! Tons and tons of SEEDS!!! Some in cute halloween bags! Let me try to list them all..... corn-bloody butcher pansy- black devil eggplant-ghostbuster white cosmos-psycho white blackberry lily bird's eye sunflower-black oil sunflower-autumn beauty night phlox- midnight candy dahlia-black beauty watermelon-white wonder bachelor button-boy midnight scabiosa-black knight chrysanthemum-court jester viola-bowle's black blood flower snapdragon-black prince maltese cross tomato-black prince batwing acorn squash cup plant black peony poppy carrot-atomic red carrot-cosmic purple cauliflower-purple of sicily pink popcorn beetberry strawberry spinach german strawberry tomato bloomsdale long standing spinach majoram watermelon-desert king asparagus-mary washington banana melon huckleberry rhubarb ground cherry dianthus-spooky sunflower=cherry rose hollyhock-red dahlia-early bird mix pure white poppy lion's tail sunflower-dwarf teddy bear apple scented gold pompoms catchfly black eyed susan-goldilocks scarlet flax schizanthus butterfly orchid zinnia- carousel mix clematis-kilian donahue bells of ireland red sun sunflower gloriosa daisy poppy-drama queen soapwort-bouncing bet pink gas plant carnation hollyhocks oriental poppy partridge pea mg-sunspot tartarian honeysuckle coreopsis-early sunrise hollyhock-summer carnival cosmos-ladybird lemon calendula-mixed mexican hat old fashioned lilac WHAT A BOX!!! Oh! I forgot the wind-up chattering teeth! The kids are having so much fun with those!! :O)

Hey, Toni...we're the opposite black sheep here. My dad had 11 brothers & sisters, mom had 6...so everyone one of THEM decided to have no more than 3 each. I only have 2 brothers. But hubby and I have 6, with #7 on the way. LOL Everyone thinks we're nuts. The first in our family since the grandparents to have more than 3 kids. Even grandma thinks we're kinda insane. But, we don't plan on stopping any time soon, so who knows? I'm only 31, hubby's 29. Lots of child-bearing years left for us. :D