Thanks again. Mom and dad were married just short of 55 years and had one of those really great marriages. She is missing him terribly and it's heartbreaking to see but she is slowly coming back to her old self. Shortly after dad passed away mom found out she has macular degeneration which initially scared her to no end. But she is a good candidate for some new treatment which seems to be working (stopping the progression). Then about 6 weeks later her very good friend also passed away (if anyone recalls my post about mothers and store coupons, that's the friend). It has been a few very tough months. Again, thanks everyone (and Shauna - no, I don't think you've flipped out at all, I get it). I really like the idea of selling hens & chicks, Vrie, and I sure have enough of them multiplying like crazy out there. Maybe some shallow dish gardens made up with decorative stone... I don't think I'll expand into perennial divisions or bulbs, though - I like the bouquet making and dried arranging too much I guess. (Plus my application didn't indicate live plants, but I think I could swing hens & chicks in a dish garden - that's kind of a crafty-arrangey kinda thing). The market goes into mid-October, I believe, but after the September 9 weekend I probably won't attend much. There is an indoor Christmas market in December which was actually what got me started on this whole thing - I wanted to get in on that Christmas market last year and they told me I had to be approved to and a member of the farmer's market. So I applied. I'm planning on selling fresh greenery centrepieces at that time. Otherwise I'll do a couple of local fall craft fairs with the drieds. Margaret, you're so right about making some $$$ doing something you love to do. For a number of years I've been intent on getting the garden to somehow pay for itself. Believe me, it all (and then some) goes back into the yard in some form or other. But that's okay, that's the intent. I think $1.50 a bulb is more than reasonable, Brenda - I'd be tempted to go $2 and next spring raise your potted price. What's a potted lily go for at a nursery these days (haven't bought one so don't know). Usually the deals are unnamed/mixed bulbs, but if you have names and pictures to go along with those lily bulbs - I know I'd buy them at that price. Not to mention you actually get to SEE the bulb before you buy it. Flash some of those beautiful photos and you're no doubt going to have no trouble at all.

A cool front has passed through southern WI and is headed to the east coast. Relief is on the way. Behind the front, day temps are 70s to low 80 with drier air: Dew point 60 F. No wind to speak of so can not tarry outside because of misquitos - have to keep moving or get eaten. We've had our share of rain the past 3 days. The problem was the rain clouds were strung over 200 miles and were aligned with the direction of travel. The rain front was not exceptionaly wide. The result was 200 miles of rain clouds passed over the same spot. Menomonee Falls and Milwaukee, WI got flooded. Nicolet High School in Glendale, WI got flooded: 6 to 8 ft or water in the basement and 1.5 ft of water running down the halls on hte first floor. The gym floor went under. They had just gotten in new sports gear for the fall term and it was stored in the basement. Official's preliminary estimate is $1 million to clean and repair. They think that if crews start now and work 7 days a week, the school may be in shape in time to open for the fall term. And of course by now, you have heard about the Cadillac Escalade swallowed by a sink hole. The vehicle pulled up to a stop light, the street caved in dropping the vehicle into a 15 ft deep hole and to add insult, the stop light also fell and leaned on the car. Its going ot be interesting to see how the insurance companies react to this one. I can hear it now: This was flood damage and your policy does not cover flood. The real sob story goes to a the owners of 5 to 7 homes on the north side of Milwaukee. Their basements caved in; the city condemed the properties as uninhabitible and has ordered immediate demolition. One woman lamented: "I bought this house not long ago for $120,000 and have 20 more years of mortage left. I'm loosing my house this week, but the mortage lives on." She'll get nothing from her home owner's insurance because it is flood damage, and most homes in that area do not carry flood damage because they were not in a flood plain and up to now, it was not needed. A number of cars parked in underground garages were flooded. If the water level got up to the relay box under the hood or the fuse panel under the dash, these will be totaled by the insurance firms. Yes sireee, the is the second time in 15 years that we got a 100 years rain.

Thank you for letting me vent and for the tips and your experiences. Cynic you made me laugh. LOL So I call my brother today so he could give me a ride to the computer shop. I've just about had it with all this stuff then he says "you don't need an Ethernet Port" Blah, blah, blah. Not again! LOL He says he has dial up and he just uses his phone line. He said he wasn't going to take me just so I could waste my money. Geez Louise, I can't take anymore. LOL So I made some more calls - they are really getting to know mw in old India now - the guy said he could see it was about my 10th call. I told him if any of you could give me a straight answer or the correct thing to do I wouldn't have to keep calling. LOL I told him I wanted to cancel the "tech" that was coming to my house on Friday since I won't be home. He said he had no record of any tech arranged to come to my house. Not again! I told him he had better give me a number of who I can call because I won't be home. After asking me to wait on hold for 2 minitues (they all say 2 minitues) I get a Canadian number. I called them and finally got a cheerful person and they cancelled the tech. I called the Bell Shop again and asked if I really need the Ethernet Port (to confirm this for my brother) and he said yes. I asked if I should use another type of modem since I have a desk top and don't really have the need for wireless. He said no. I unhook the CPU and call my brother to pick me up. He still doesn't believe me but he said "its your money" I take the computer into the shop which was extremely busy and when I finally got to talk to the compuer repair tech he told me yes I did need the Ethernet Port but he said even though I will have DSL not to download anything - just use the computer for research. He also told me not to install Bell's security system because it will just shut down my computer. Great. He said to download the free AVG. He then didn't think I had a wireless card in the computer. Me, I know nothing about computers so it was kind of hard to comprehend all the things he was telling me not to do or what could happen. I am glad I didn't sign a monthly contract with Bell. Who knows how long this computer will last. I won't do anything on it like banking or shopping. I am worried about someone outside getting access to my computer just because I am wireless. Now that I can't install Bell's security I am kind of worried about that. I don't want someone sitting outside of my house watching child pornography or something like that. I know one year at the Election Office we turned on one of the laptops and hooked into someone elses system. We found out who they were and told them the next day to fix their security. Good thing it was us and not someone else. I think after I talk to the computer repair guy and see what he says I might call Bell again (wawa I don't want to) and see if I can just take back the wireless modem and get a hard wired one. I found out today I do have a USB port whatever that is. LOL Isn't that where I would download pictures from my camera? I wish I had bought the new computer like I was going to before my friend gave me hers. I was so excited - now not so much. Still I am grateful she was kind enought to think of me. I still have my Webtv thank goodness. LOL I just might forget about going online and use the computer for typing and playing Scrabble. LOL Better than nothing and I won't have to worry about viruses and trojan horses, etc. LOL I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving. Rhonda, I am going to call the Executive Office of Bell and complain. I do want something for all the aggravation and their incompetence. They can at least give me 3 months free for wasting my "precious time" like good old Dave from India said he didn't want to do. Anne

I was afraid to open this post when I saw the subject line, but then I remembered that this was a family friendly site :) Just lovely! While I do not miss Ohio winters, I do miss the beautiful fall colors. Thanks for sharing the scenery and your family.