I'm waiting for a ride somewhere so I'll resurrect this thread! In 1993/94 I was working at this plant nursery in Vista, CA called Exotica. It had rare plants from everywhere all over the place (fruits mainly but some kinda unusual ornamentals). At the time I was double majoring in botany and music and I was very interested in ethnobotany. I knew that daturas were complex and used by people around the world so I was kinda intersted in these tree forms (at that time I think we were calling them tree daturas but I dunno if we were just behind the times or what). Anyway, thinking back it is kinda funny because the nursery manager who I was coming in to replace was training me and they had a few kinds -just marked "white", "orange" and this double white "Double White" that no one really thinks is all that these days. Well, back them this was super super rare I guess and she tells me "don't sell the Double Whites for anything less than $60 IF it's a small plant" And I'm all WHAT?! No one has that kinda money to drop on plants. Which is funny cause now I hear of people dropping a couple hundred bucks on rare plants but that was outrageous to me then. I didn't have a place of my own right then (and couldnt afford them even at the super reduced wholesale price of $60) so I'd go to the dessert and check out the jimson weed. I finally got my mom a double white which is still at her house and is quite old now. When they started appearing in home depot it was pretty weird. And when the double white did, it was like the fourth sign of the apocalypse or something. I can't say I am addicted to them per se. Although I do have as many as I can get onto my yard and still be able to walk out there. A lot of people have been pretty helpful. I think Monika Gottschalk the hybridizer from Germany is really helpful with all her info online and her willingness to correspond, post and publish. I've met a few botanists in Germany and the Netherlands who have been helpful as well. And Strybing Arboretum and UC Berk have been helpful with maintaining the species Brugs and making them available. I sitll think I'm sorta a newby though cause everyone else seems to know so much more about the Brugs in particular. I still really suck at virus ID. Well my ride is still not here but I better go!

Hi, Everybody! WOW, what a great group of folks that are planning to come, Melissa! Some old friends, plus a lot of new folks I haven't met yet. I'm so looking forward to that! And I can't wait to give all the "usual suspects" a hug around the neck!! I really wish I had more to share, but I know you all understand what has happened to my yard, and I know I'm not the only one. This still gives us a chance to share what we DO have left unscathed, and just to hang out and enjoy each other, and be inspired by each other. What a great way to spend the day. I'm not the world's best cook (I'm the Designated Eater), but since Kate isn't able to come to this one, how about I bring a trifle? She taught me how to make her favorite version, and it makes a tasty dessert, for those who want more than one. I'll do the lemon/blueberry one, if Publix cooperates. Anything else I can bring, Melissa? Kara, I am taking fresh lion's mane cuttings for you today...hopefully, they will be starting to root by Saturday. This is the first day I've had to think about finding something to share. Looking SO forward to seeing/meeting you all! Marcia

Red - good summary of the agonizing trials of picking out paint. Couple of questions: Do the foam boards paint better than poster paper? Also, I have always heard that SW could mix the BM paint forumlas....love those $5 samples they mix. I tried to get an older color mixed and they could not mix it. I know it has been around a few years - it is the Limestone on the Baby Turtle/Flowering Herb strip. Perhaps I should try another SW store??? One thing I will add to your suggestions - just because it looks gorgeous in your daughter, sister, friend, etc's house does not mean it will look the same in your house! Been there, tried that. My daughter has Believable Buff in her entire downstairs. I thought...hmmmm, simple,safe, matches everything,nice golden tan during the day, nice safe tan at night. It was NASTY in my house because of my light. Tuesday

I don't remember ever getting an actual spanking, I am sure when I was really young I did get them just don't recall it. I would get sent to the corner however. I had gone shopping with my mom and big sister in the BIG city (we were from a very small town), they were looking for a special dress for my sister for some event. Well I was so tired of being dragged around that I crawled up under one of the round dress displays (it had a floor to it) and just fell asleep. My mom finally noticed I was not right there and went into panic mode, they searched and then started hollering then the store workers got into the act. I never heard a thing I was so insulated in my little nap spot sleeping soundly. Someone finally saw my little shoe poking out from under the dresses. My mom was about to have a stroke by then. She screamed at me then nearly hugged the stuffing out of me. I tell you one thing I never did that again. Another time I got a talking to was when mom came out on to the front porch and looked at me and my dog and said what are you eating? Well it was a box of doggie treats, but I was sharing with my dog!! I thought they were regular cookies! My dog really loved my cookies LOL I thought they were a bit dry myself. Now this one not so much did I get in trouble as did my 2 much older sisters! Our house was just down the road from my grandparents so we would walk or ride bikes back and forth. There was a huge barn at my grandparents with a hay loft and a big opening on one end to load the hay in and out of with a rope dohickey out of it to raise and lower the hay. We did not know it but my mother could see that barn and opening through the kitchen window at the sink (at our house). One day my sisters decided we would go up to the loft and swing on the rope thing, which meant we were dangling in the air very high above the ground. Then they decided to make me do it! So of course I did. They lift me up and I grab on to the rope and the push me out of the hay loft, there I was dangling. Well at that very moment my mother was at the sink and looked out and all she saw was me(her baby) dangling out of the hayloft by a rope!! I do not know how she came across that field over the fences, I think maybe she flew... My sisters got the whipping of their lives and I got the stuffing squeezed out of me again! And of course told to never do that again no matter what my stupid sisters said.