To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time by Robert Herrick GATHER ye rosebuds while ye may, Old time is still a-flying : And this same flower that smiles to-day To-morrow will be dying. Then be not coy, but use your time, And while ye may go marry : For having lost but once your prime You may for ever tarry. A Red, Red Rose by Robert Burns My love is like a red, red rose ThatâÂÂs newly sprung in June : My love is like the melody ThatâÂÂs sweetly played in tune. As fair art thou, my bonnie lass, So deep in love am I : And I will love thee still, my dear, Till aâ the seas gang dry. Go, lovely Rose by Edmund Waller Go, lovely Rose-- Tell her that wastes her time and me, That now she knows, When I resemble her to thee, How sweet and fair she seems to be. Tell her thatâÂÂs young, And shuns to have her graces spied, That hadst thou sprung In deserts where no men abide, Thou must have uncommended died. Small is the worth Of beauty from the light retired: Bid her come forth, Suffer herself to be desired, And not blush so to be admired. Then die--that she The common fate of all things rare May read in thee; How small a part of time they share That are so wondrous sweet and fair! The Sick Rose by William Blake O Rose thou art sick. The invisible worm, That flies in the night In the howling storm: Has found out thy bed Of crimson joy: And his dark secret love Does thy life destroy. Yes, there is a strong tradition of literary roses that have been studied over and over and over. If we had room, I could give you rose-inspired poems dating back to the Middle Ages, but they are rather long, so perhaps you'll settle for the brief survey above--Herrick 17th century; Burns 19th cent; Waller 17th century; Blake 19th century. Kate : )

Sorry to hear about your wife. I hope she has a smooth recovery. The chaste trees are still looking great, though some of the blooms have gone to seed and have been pinched off. The rose of sharon is still blooming, but it's struggling. I think maybe I'm not watering it enough or it doesn't like the heat or something. Those lazy daisies are still blooming, but my fiance mowed most of them down a few days ago.

HOLY CRAP! Little miss smarty pants here only got ...*gulp*...40%. I missed the fact that all the the presidents mentioned were left handed...I thought Ronald Regan was a righty...the cat question...the football question...the advice to the Obama girls...the Slumdog question and the one on the peanut butter. geesh... sooey

We're having these for New Year's day--huge football day for us. I'm cutting the recipe in half and not mixing the mayo/MW. I'll just use mayonnaise. HAM AND CHEESE SLIDERS 24 good white dinner rolls 24 pieces good honey ham 24 small slices Swiss cheese 1/3 cup mayonnaise 1/3 cup miracle whip Poppy seed sauce 1 Tablespoon poppyseeds 1 1/2 Tablespoons yellow mustard 1/2 cup butter, melted 1 Tablespoon minced onion 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise and miracle whip. Spread onto both sides of the center of each roll. Place a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss inside of each roll. Close rolls and place them into a large baking dish or heavy cookie sheet. Place very close together. In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the poppy seed sauce ingredients. Pour evenly over all of the sandwiches. You do not have to use all of the sauce! Just use enough to cover the tops. Let sit 10 minutes or until butter sets slightly. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for 2 additional minutes or until tops are slightly brown and crispy. Serve warm. Note: Sandwiches can be assembled a day ahead and kept in the fridge ready to bake. Don't know what else yet--probably a small vegetable tray.