Oh, compostchick, I love the shoes, boots, etc. and have done a few of my own. My planted my first set with impatiens and I brought them in for the winter. I recently picked up some clearance sedums and have done some more shoes with them. Recently, we were on vacation and went to the Arboretum in Lexinton, KY. Under a shrub, I found children's shoes planted with sedums. They looked like they had been there a long time and not taken in over the winter. I think Lexington is a USDA hardiness zone warmer (6) than me and I am wondering if I dare leave my planted shoes out over the winter. I've not paid very much for my sedums but I don't want to replant them again next spring. Sooooo... Please tell me what you do with your shoes for the winter?? We don't get much snow cover here and get a lot of freezing and thawing. Thanx, Barbara.

We are all thinking of Haiti still, and some of us have mentioned even going there. This note arrived in my mail from DS this morning: .................................. By Carmina, one of many Haitian-American bloggers/entrepreneurs/educators/open sourcerers I met in NYC Saturday, willing to Take a Stand for Haiti: Laptops?!? My good friend Mike asked puzzled. And I understood his reaction because I had the same one at first. Haiti s children dont need laptops; they need food, shelter, the basic stuff Im grateful that others have the skills and the opportunity to go to Haiti and help with those basic needs. I applaud their efforts and admire their courage: unfortunately, I dont have the skills or opportunity to do so myself. Almost a month has passed alreadyIts time to build Haiti back! Its not going to happen overnight and its not going to happen by itself. Its starts with everyone doing a little bit, where they are, when they can. So Im doing the little bit I can by actively supporting 2 organizations whose mission I believe in. What motivates and excites me about the One Laptop Per Child / Waveplace project is its potential to impact the next generation of Haitians, out of which future parents, citizens, mayors, senators and even presidents will come from. I see a potential to open the minds of our children to other realities, other worlds, give them new dreams, broader horizons. So last Saturday at a CrisisCamp in NYC, when I heard Adam Holt and Allison Bland, exhausted from an early morning train ride from Boston to NY talked enthusiastically about this project I saw a chance to make a difference. No matter how small my part would be. Then I witnessed something awesome: people were gathering around them, coming together, rallying around this project. The ideas started flowing, out of the box ideas. Suddenly, a simple translation project request became a movement to revolutionize the educational system in Haiti. 2 days later, we have a coloring book project under way, translation parties in the works, blogs, websites, publishers/authors willing to giving us permission to make their children Creole books into e-books, an active and growing online community of a people exchanging ideas and ready to make a difference in anyway they can. Wow! If we can do that in 2 days, what can we do in 1 week, 1 month, 1 year! Yes, I realize that its a drop in the ocean, but if you could even indirectly impact the future of 1 child of Haiti, would it not have been worth your while? You can help! Join our community at The New Haiti Project. Donate 1 hour of your time to translate material from English to Creole. (Spanish, French, Portuguese and other languages are useful too.) Start here: http://translate.sugarlabs.org/ht/ 'Bug and DS

Marie, Here's our favourite stew recipe; it freezes well, though you should add the vinegar & hot pepper sauce after reheating. It also multiplies well (I usually make a double batch and freeze portions), though it can take a while to brown too much stew beef in one session. I am betting you have a nice, big skillet in that store kitchen!) BF has nicknamed this "proposal stew." The first time he ever came to visit me (we had met at a wedding in California, and were e-mailing our way to a long-distance relationship for a few months), I had a pot of this and a fresh loaf of the James Beard French-style bread waiting when he arrived. When he first tried the stew, he heaved a big sigh, and said, "You have no idea how much restraint it is taking me to keep from proposing right here and now." ;-) [In the end, it took him 5 more years to get around to actually doing so, but I knew as long as I kept making the stew it'd happen eventually...] Zabby Jamaican Beef Pepperpot ---from _Canadian Living_ Magazine, which says "there are as many variations on this chunky soup as there are kitchens in Jamaica." I make it with a less water so it's a hearty stew consistency. I also use about half the bacon, and still get a nice flavour from it. 1 Tbsp vegetable oil 2 lbs beef stewing cubes 6 slices bacon, chopped 2 onions, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 4 cups water 1/4 cup tomato paste 1 tsp dried thyme 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper 2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 each sweet red and green pepper, chopped 1 Tbsp wine vinegar 1 tsp hot pepper sauce (or to taste) -- In large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over high heat; brown beef in batches & transfer to plate. -- Add bacon to pan; cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until crisp. Drain off fat. Add onions and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened. -- Sprinkle with flour; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add stock & water; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Return beef and any juices to pan; add tomato paste, thyme, salt and pepper. -- Cover adn simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. -- Add sweet potatoes and red and green peppers; cook, covered, for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. [Freezes well at this point; reheat to continue.] -- Stir in vinegar and hot pepper sauce. Makes about 16 cups (8 to 10 servings). About 300 calories and 10 g of fat per serving.

We are gutting and redoing my in laws old house. We helped them install a pine floor about 10 years ago and it was beautiful. It was great for them, living here alone with just grandchildren and great-grandchildren visiting. We moved in exactly one year ago this month to continue the remodel while living here and hubby and I said "at least there is one floor in the house we don't have to re-do". Then my 2 and 3 year old spent time on the pine floor. Now, we have decide to pull it out and put in a hardwood. The other option (and we have seriously considered this one and may still do it) is to take a few have duty chains and go to town beating the heck out of the floor until you can't tell what it new damage and what may have been done a hundred years ago. Since the house is 300 years old, we may be able to get away with this. On the bright note, the floor does not splinter and snag, it just dents and gouges.