Well, mine is easy! Marlene is my real name--I have a hard time remembering all of the user name/password combinations that I have at home, work, etc. so I just kept it simple here. I live in Virginia on the same property I was born and raised on. Been married to my high school sweetheart for 30 years and we're about to take our only child to college next month. Pray for us! It is going to be an adjustment, but I know that many of you have already been through it. Any ideas on coping are much appreciated! I've really enjoyed the Garden Junk site and have been very inspired and its wonderful that there are so many others around who share the same joys I do! God bless each one of you!

Oh you poor darling! How do you control yourself? I would be a screaming banshee if i had done all that work to have it all dragged out to cook in the yard. You must be a saint or something! LOL :-)---Im glad you like the sock idea. I have two dogs and both get the sock method. My oldest is a three year old Shepard mix we adopted from a shelter, her name is Mary. She will practically bring the sock to me and she always wants to go first because they get many many goodies afterward. Bribes always work :-)----Then Tigger is our little black and white boy mini schnauzer and he used to eat us up when we first got him. He just turned one in may. He did not trust us at first and if we touched him or tried to hold him he would bite us! Thank God thats over with and he is our little Velcro dogie now. Always hanging on somebody wanting to be petted. He still gets upset about getting his nails clipped but he wants the treats soooooo bad, so he is much nicer and no biting anymore just growling but thank goodness for the sock. I use an old stretched out one that the elastic is soft so as not to hurt our babies just paralyze them. HaHa Then with Mary i drape a small blankie or towel over her legs so as not to kick my eyes out because i trim them on their backs. It takes about five minutes per dog and then we have a big treat party about three treats per dog and everybody gets a new rawhide chewy afterward to go take their anxiety out on. And i keep my skin and eyes intact :) The only problem i have with Tigger now is when we go out for a potty break he tries to catch baby birds and he bite a baby robin this year and killed it. I cried. I had no idea the little bird was even in there but he knew right away and just grabbed it and shook it. It was over in an instant. I put a muzzle on him now when we go out because i dont want that to happen again. Glad Daisy doesn't hurt them thats really good just gives them a slobber bath :-) Sorry i talked your head off, I better go---------bonnie

Wow! Sure a lot of people showed up for roll call. Good thing I decided to come back to visit after being absent for a few weeks. Please add me to your (ever-growing) list. Using the tv weathermen's lingo, I'm from SoCal. Thanks Minnie for undertaking this huge task. Kat

Ya'll...it was the VERY least I could do for our Bumpkin...Sandy...my car was full to the brim with love and hugs along with Monkey Bread and a Breakfast Casserole...I was so empty driving home Thursday evening, I picked up the cell and let an internet bud keep me company till I was almost in my driveway.. Jenni, I looked for Glenda but didn't see her and forgot to ask Bump if she had come for the viewing...Bump said it got to a point where they had to direct traffic during the viewing... The funeral was such a comforting time...Since I didn't know another soul, I picked a spot in the back of the church and when I looked up, there was a wonderful video running of Ronnie's life. I had a perfect view and just watched it over and over till the funeral started....Andy's minister did the most incredible thing I've ever seen done during a funeral service...After several minutes of speaking, he had us stand and give Ronnie a standing ovation...I felt like we clapped Ronnie to heaven. Then he proceded to speak and by the end, I felt like I really knew Ronnie, he was such a loved and respected man. I was doing pretty good until I realized, his mother was in that church and that broke my heart...No mother should have to bury their child...it's a kinship she and Bumpkin both share as Bump had to bury a 5 day old son several years ago. Now her husband's grave is right beside their sons.... While Bumpkin and her family made a short trip back to the cemetary I got to explore her little town and see where she works...I enriched the towns economy a bit by purchasing some of their candles and of course a PURSE. I'm not a purse person, but they had these purses that looks like the Rag Quilt Wanda-Va made and sent me...I couldn't pass it up! It's a great little town and even has a "LIZZIE'S BARBEQUE" which of course I had to stop and take a picture of the sign....which I'll soon be framing soon!! Near my little town is a "Country Bumpkin's Cafe" I've got to go over and take a picture of that sign and send it to her...How ironic. As sad of a day as it was, we all congregated on Bump's wonderful screen porch after the services. I sat with Bumpkin, her sister, her Best friend, her daughter and son and we shared some good laughs and remberances before I made the trip home. It's pretty obvious Ronnie will be sorely missed. Bump is surrounded by friends and family who love her as well as all of us here...I hope during her times of loneliness she realizes we're all here for her and will reach out should she need us.