You've gotten lots of great positive feedback here. I'm sorry your feelings were hurt, mine would have been also. The guy probably was just looking for work, either for himself, or someone he knows. I am a 'hodge-podge' gardener, with my tropical/cottage gardens. I'm sure plenty of landscapers would have something to say about them. They make me happy, they help restore my soul. They are my haven in this crazy world that we live in. May you feel love, joy and peace as you continue to work in your gardens. Hugs ~ FlowerLady Here are some thoughts: Gardening is any way that humans and nature come together with the intent of creating beauty. - Tina James, 1999 A garden is a delight to the eye and a solace for the soul. - Sadi He who plants a garden plants happiness. If you want to be happy for a lifetime, plant a garden. - Chinese Proverbs Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity. - Lindley Karstens When gardeners garden, it is not just plants that grow, but the gardeners themselves. - Ken Druse Seek to understand what draws you to the garden. You may discover greater rewards than the blue ribbons awarded for the biggest pumpkin or the best preserves. You may find the garden becomes a teacher and crop "failures" become lessons learned. However big or small your garden is, if you allow nature to touch your spirit, gardening will bring returns of peace, satisfaction, and well-being for as long as you continue to wander the garden path. - Norman H. Hansen, The Worth of Gardening

All along I was fine with the Photo ID after this election. If the GOP wanted to implement this they could have done it two years ago in 2010 when they took office, but they waited till months before to put severe limitations on it at first, and said there were just a few thousand when it turned out there were 3/4 of a million people and absolutely NO way to get them all to PennDot to stand in lines with people getting drivers licenses. Because IF these people had licenses they wouldn't need a photo ID,hence their need for someone to drive them to the nearest office which may be many miles away. Remember what made this odious was the head GOP legislator saying on video it was done to get PA for Romney. You think that's kosher? I'm okay with it for the 2014 election, but the guys who were gloating a few weeks ago may be sweating.

I finished Laurie Graham's Future Housewives of America and really enjoyed it (despite her 1950's era characters going to "the mall" - where did that anachronisms thread go?). I'm already onto another by her, The Great Husband Hunt which is quite promising so far. I really like her sense of humor and her characters are wonderful. In between, I read a short non-fiction book that I found not only interesting but really inspiring, Rafe Esquith's Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire. I stumbled on this book in the library and the title caught my eye. He's a veteran teacher in a Los Angeles public elementary school and his classes are made up of kids who speak English as a second language and who come from low-income, struggling families. These kids succeed on so many levels, it's amazing. I was completely blown away by his energy, his commitment to his students, and his take on public education today. I'm not a teacher, but as a parent, the whole book just made such good sense, and clarified a few things that had been bugging me about my own school system. I bought a copy for my sister who teaches 2nd grade and I'll be very interested to see what she thinks of it. Here is a link that might be useful: Rafe Esquith & The Hobart Shakespeareans

When I was in my 20's, single and working in an office, a co-worker picked up the book (Oscar Lewis' La Vida)I was currently reading, looked at the price, and asked in a loud voice "You paid $-- for THAT?) She had announced earlier that she and her husband had just purchased an expensive new car with all the bells and whistles. Differenct strokes. . . When my boys were young I would read aloud to them during dinner. Great for the diet! I would stop in the middle of a exciting passage, and leave the book on the table while I cleaned up the kitchen. It was fun to see which boy got to the book first to take up to his room and finish that chapter. I've never worried that my boys, now 38 and 40, would not be readers. They're both still single and have very active lives, and I was pleased that on one weekend day each called me from the city they happened to be visiting, one to tell me he had met an author of a book we both loved, and the other to announce he had found an old book I had been looking for. Reading aloud has so many benefits. Years ago my late brother, who was 15 years older than I enjoyed reading each other passages from Robert Paul Smith's Where Did You Go? Out. What Did You Do? Nothing. For those that may not remember this lovely little book there are passages about how a child spends his idle time, including the wonders of the empty lot nextdoor. This book sparked conversations about how my brother and I each looked at our childhood experiences from different angles, and without a doubt, brought us much closer together. I certainly will treasure those times. I see I've strayed from the original topic of being insulted about reading, to more speaking in defense of reading. Sorry about that, but I guess defense of an action naturally comes after an insult.