Jon, yes, it is shorter growing than most of my epis and the stems are thicker as well. I don't know if the flowers are starry or not, I just bought it a few weeks ago, right before we started getting the greenhouses covered for the winter. It is such a temptation to tease you about how I've never seen a flower stare, and I'm obviously immune to anything but temptation, lol. Sorry. Diane, living in the deep south has advatages and disadvantages. We pretty much have a 12 month growing season but that also means we have a 12 month mosquito season too. Slugs and snails don't seem phased by what passes for winter here but on the other hand we can walk out in our gardens and see things like this: Clerodendrum indica Meyer's Lemon Variegated Angel Trumpet Alsroemeria psittacina Justicia brandageana Solanum jasminoides Manettia luteo-rubra So I guess it all evens out in the end.

You don't say where you are, but those are too small to stick in the ground right now. They could be OK for a couple more weeks but they'd be happier if you just took the larger crooked one near the side (use a spoon or a popsicle stick to lever it out, hold it by the non-serrated leaves to steady it, not the toothed true leaves or the stem) and transfer it to another cup with your potting mix. I'm assuming they were started in that cup and haven't got really deep roots yet. Putting the larger one that's squished against the side into its own cup ASAP will give both time to grow without competing for nutrients or getting their roots all tangled together. BTW, why did you cut the rim off the cup? I also hope it's got drainage holes in the bottom - easier to do that before you fill it with mix.

Color me confused! I remember a plan with the kitchen to the left of the entry, big and open with a woodstove and a couple of chairs in the corner. Then a butler's pantry of sorts behind the kitchen with a mudroom/laundry with your big old kitchen sink off to the left of that. I think you had a living room to the right of the entry with a master bedroom behind it, maybe opening up to a patio or deck with the hot tub. I think there may have been a Florida room in the back, behind the butler's pantry. I have no idea where your dining room was. Now, you have two different plans entirely. Both have too many places to lounge and to eat and no place to sleep. (Actually, I do see the MBr off to the left, but if I admit that, I have less to harp on.) I do my bathroom plans on paper graph paper with colored pencils. This weekend I bought myself a house planning template with toilets and bathtubs and door swings for doors of all sizes on it. Last week, I priced out my tile at HD with cheap white tile and carrara-look trim, and again at Tile Store with Carrara. I have my swanstone shower walls and ADA roll-in shower pan all chosen. Now I just have to wait two years until we can actually do the job! I bet I can price it out in several other colors and materials by then! What did Tim Allen do, Marti? Did you lose consciousness, LL? Waiting to hear.... Just how hard did you hit your head?

Sue, I'm not sure who you are asking, but I can give a few reasons why I like the Thanksgiving get together so much. For one thing, it isn't preceded by trying to figure out what presents to buy. I love buying things for my children & grandchildren "on-the-fly," all throughout the year. But birthdays and Christmas are more difficult for me simply because gifts are expected. So it requires a lot more thought and planning. Secondly, I love the decor of Thanksgiving. The cornucopia filled with gourds, dried ears of corn, Autumn leaves, etc. I get out my Pilgrim and turkey candles and my husband and I "argue" about lighting them up when the family arrives. It's an ongoing joke that has now become tradition. I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable, but I love the few hymns specifically associated with Thanksgiving. So I enjoy banging out "Come, ye thankful people, come" on my piano and singing along. Or maybe I should say, croaking along. I really like the fact that Thanksgiving isn't as commercialized as Christmas. There's no "Thanksgiving" music blaring in every store. Very few, if any, TV specials. There isn't a 3 month prelude of Thanksgiving stuff -- activities, music, media, etc. It's still a rather simple holiday. Also, I honestly do like the meal, even though ours is never as elaborate as many other forum members. And I really like the turkey scrapple I make with the carcass. My husband and I look forward to eating it for breakfast.