Hi everyone, I haven't visited the forum much lately and boy have I missed alot.... Dorothy, so glad to hear Susan's surgery went well and that she's recovering nicely. Kym/Flwrs, my first try at WS has gone pretty well. I've been transplanting on/off for the last few weeks. I had started over 150 jugs of seeds. Finally planted the last of the annuals/veggies a couple of weeks ago. So far I've potted WS sprouts of Broom corn, castor bean, various hibiscus, coleus, desert willow, Tx. bluebonnets, milkweed, tons of Joe pye & nasturtiums, I even had two Red Delicious Apple seeds that sprouted!!! I still have alot of sprouted containers left to pot up (columbine, hosta, lupines...) but most are still small for transplanting yet. Our warmer, zone 8 climate sure helps things sprout fast! The boys and I are visiting our first local plant swap this weekend and with the WS seedlings and more tropical type seedlings I had started indoors, we should have lots of stuff for the swap! I know we'll have tons of fun too meeting other local gardeners! I think WS is my new addiction! I actually managed yesterday to start the last of my seeds....my seedbox is now empty!!! ..That is until the package from the Tropical swap I'm in arrives!!! But at least I'm caught up for now. I haven't even built my greenhouse yet and its already gonna be full! Still need to get the gardens ready for planting time soon. Spring is such a busy (& fun) time of year! Hope y'all have a great day!!!

OK, I really haven't been sleeping well so I'll take advantage of that & tell you about yesterday. Dave had to go to the VA in Tampa to have his ear checked where they removed the cancer 5 weeks ago. It had a blood blister type thing come up. So, we started out the day with him taking me to breakfast. Then off to Tampa. They lanced the scar & removed the blood. Then he took me to the Florida aquarium. We enjoyed that & had lunch there. They have a 36 foot catamaran that we had reservations on for 2:00. We left on that & went dolphin watching. After that we came back & he took me to a movie. Then I had him take me to our Walmart b/c I needed to pick up some material. LOL After that we stopped for catfish for dinner & then came home. We left the house yesterday at 7:00 a.m. & got home at 9:00 p.m. We had a fun-filled day. And you already know that he is the BEST! It was a great day. My friends are taking me to a craft fair today & out for lunch. Then we are meeting up with my friends tomorrow & going to the Renaissance Festival. So, this will be a great weekend. Thanks for being part of it. Patti :-)

Hi Guys! Thanks for all the nice b-day wishes and personal emails. I have had a lot going on, but also felt like I got so far behind here at the "garden" that I felt like I couldn't catch up---so I kept putting off checking in. I know Maddie and Dee Marie know how I feel about that! Sometimes time slips away so quickly and then it seems very uncomfortable to try and catch up. I knew everyone here would say, "Just hop back in!" But even so, I wanted to read everything and know exactly what was happening. I keep thinking I'll have time to read the few months I've missed, but it'll have to wait for my yearly trip to KY. I'll print and catch up while in the airports, and getting some time in the bluegrass state. This year, I am taking my oldest DD with me, so it will be a little different! Joanne~ I haven't rec'd the package yet, but the mail system and connections between our 2 countries is not super great yet! Anyway, I'm sure I'll get it soon. I have had a LOT of negative change in my life in the past few months and hopefully, with the summer arriving, the light will be brighter and I will be able to understand more of why I was planted on the earth for. I've had a bout with depression and adjustment and couldn't get it very together for a while. Me? Yes. Imagine that! I was surprised myself. It's nice to be "home" here though. Checking in and seeing that I was still welcome means more to me than any of you can ever imagine. Thanks so much for the emails and all. You are truly an amazing group of friends. Always there. Never invasive. Perpetually accepting. All I can say is wow. PS: Raeanne: Thanks for the link, sis, but I hadn't forgotten how to get here! But you KNEW that was the key for me. Smoochies and Huggles. And Dee Marie, you too. And Tikanas. And NHSuzanne. And everyone. You are simply the best.

Hi goils! Besh--your MIL is in my thoughts and prayers---(((hugs)))!! How is Happyto? I was thinking about her a while back, and was hoping that things were good for her-- Tikanas--happy belated birthday! :):) Well, I got the auction--I signed it on Monday, and have a good chance to maybe get the real estate--it's been rezoned as commercial, so it would be a goooood thing for me--and I'd appreciate any and all good thoughts for me to get this--it can literally change my life-- Things are good here--the weather is great--I can't believe it's this nice--78, and low humidity. Raeanne--since you liked my sticky chicken mishap, I think you'll enjoy this one--I decided in June to enter a cake in the KY State Fair (which started here on Thurs). So I sent off the $, got the rules, and waited until last Sunday morning to make the cake (it was due by Mon at 5pm, but I had to work...). Let me preface all of this by saying that I have never made this cake before--I found the recipe in a box of stuff that I bought at an auction(now, **that's** a surprise!), and so therefore had no idea just what I was walking into. On Sat night, after getting out of the bath, with wet hair and no makeup, I realize that I need a bottle of bourbon--well, actually, just 2 tablespoons. So, off the the liquor store I go, and find an airplane bottle of Maker's Mark, and then realize that I have no cash. So, I charged $2.50. I was sooo embarrassed. Anyway, I got up at 6am on Sun morning to preheat the oven, and off I go. I'm just a mixin and a stirin, and raisin all sorts of h3ll, and I pour the batter into 3 brand-new 9" pans, and they go into to the over for 45 minute. DING! They're done--whhoooboy--they are done--burned on the bottom, that is. I'm standing in the middle of the kitchen, hot, tired, and just bawling. I was just so mad--and I had a raging case of PMS to top it all of, and poor ol Rog--didn't know whether to hug or to laugh. He wisely chose to hug, and then told me that we can cut the botteom of the layers off, and noone would ever know (true.) So that was our plan. Now--to top all of this off, the entry department opened at noon, and I was supposed to be at work at an auction at noon, so I had to keep an eye on the time. I made the frosting following the directions, and dumped into way to much powdered sugar, which gave it that funny, sugar-y taste, so then I added more bananas, which changed the texture. THEN--my cat decided to love me as I was dropping in the yellow food coloring (did I mention that this is a banana cake?), which made my icing look like a horrible mustard color (made worse by the fact that it had lumpy stuff like toasted coconut and chopped pecans in it), only sicker. What a freaking mess---I wanted to throw the d@mned thing aqgainst the wall, but managed to refrain. I iced it, and it is sitting on my countertop, glowing like a d@mned lighthouse. Sigh..... Anyhoo--I hope all is well with everyone--and where is Amy and John??? Hugs, Maddie