Thanks all for your kind words. Love-a-stray told me she came from a family with small children. They had to give her up because they were moving out of state. Now I wonder if it wasn't the "hoarding" that did it. Although I could see small children piling stuff in one of those pop-up tents and she was just copying what she was seeing. Whatever the reason I just love it. I never know what she is going to do next. When I came home from shopping on Saturday my living room was decorated with shredded Kleenex. They were everywhere from the sofa to the end tables. She must have had a ball. She was laying on the end table next to the empty box looking so innocent, as if to say "Look what McLovin did." Now my Kleenex is on the mantle. She hasn't learned to get up there (yet). Lisa, Juanita: I had heart failure last Monday. I was carrying my trash out the side door to place on the tree lawn. On one trip back I opened the door and McLovin shot out like a bullet. OMG, I almost passed out. I grabbed her by whatever I could grab. It happened to be the fur on her back. I pulled a handful out. She struggled out of my grasp and ran back into the house. I was so shook up I had to go to bed. My knees were shaking so bad. I always pick her grass that grows around the side door, but with the cold weather it is dead. I think she wanted to help herself. She must have been hiding around the corner of the cupboard. Ususally when I see her I tell her "Mickey, no" and she walks away from the door so I can open it. An all black cat loose on the streets two weeks before Halloween is not good. She really scared me out of another year's growth. Hopefully it was the wider growth, and not the taller growth. lol Jenny

Oh no....not new computer! My David is a Data Engineer...we have a surplus of used parts...I dug deep into the closet and found a "box" to use. I think some call them "towers", David calls them a CP...it is just a box to me. My Visa bill is safe...hahahahaha...for a while!!! New roses is on my mind....I need them like crazy! I love Tea roses....I don't have enough. David thinks 250 is plenty but that is just a drop in the bucket. I have 3 acres to fill...I am going to have sooooooo much fun! Deb :o))))

LOL, a Christmas miracle! Happy Holidays to you, too. Paula

I was wondering the same thing because I am seriously considering Virginia Mist right now and I keep going back to search for your pictures and try to get answers from folks with VA mist. Luckily, I had e-mailed myself the link to that page a few months ago so I can access it that way because the search function doesn't seem to pick it up. Very strange. Anyway, my one concern with my VA mist sample is that it seems to have a zillion tiny scratches in it when I test it with a fork or knife or ball of aluminum foil. I'm assuming this is because it is honed. It's making me worry about this option at all and steering me toward brushed Cambrian black or soapstone (where the scratches can at least be buffed out). Does your countertop show any tiny scratches in the surface? Granted, my sample is not yet sealed. Also, how was the price? Honestly, the quote I got for the VA Mist is almost the same as the price quote I got on soapstone! So I'm wondering if I'm getting taken for a ride here! If it was more in line with Cambrian Black, it might make our decision easier.