Join your local club and beesource...lots of information there and instant reply. Read allot. Konrad Here is a link that might be useful: Beesource

I loved Brett Favre, this coming from a former Wisconsin resident. But he's so fickle-minded, his "should I stay or should I go" antic is getting old. He should have just stayed retired when he announced it the first time, still earning the respect of people of Wisconsin and the whole Packer-backer, where we treat him like a god. But now, I don't know.... It'll be interesting to watch Packers vs. Vikings... I wonder how would the pack react when Vikings go to Lambeau.

One of my closest friends and her husband retired 5 years ago. They bought a used RV and have traveled across the U.S. every year. They moved from Massachusetts to Alabama and they go back to MA every Christmas season and stay until mid-January. Their children all live in that area and they have a wonderful time making the trip each year and driving across the country in the summer. They are usually gone for 5 of 6 months. I loved their RV. It was really a home on the road with all of the conviences. They are loving it, while I am still working and won't get to retire for at least 10 months. My friends planned their retirement and investments very well. I wish I had done the same.

les, how cold IS your kitchen? I have never heard of anyone having countertops that were uncomfortably cold, no matter where they lived. I can speak to your concerns with experience. I have Silestone in my kitchen, Corian in my bathroom, and I live in MN. Although I do like the Corian (for looks and ease of cleaning- esp. the shower surround) I would NEVER put it in my kitchen, because it does indeed scratch very easily. I have a few scratches in my bathroom countertop and I have no idea how they got there, but I can assure you, my kitchen surfaces take much more rough treatment than my bathroom. I can only imagine what they would look like by now. Oh sure, you can buff them out- do you want to add that to your home maintenance routine? Not me. Yes, quartz and stone products feel cooler than the cabinet surfaces they sit on, but I don't see it as a positive or negative feature, it just is. I would like to share a neat "trick" I learned from my SIL who has Cambria and also lives in MN. Ever forget to pull something out of your freezer to allow for thaw time, so you now have to change your dinner plans? Put a frozen item on a quartz countertop and you will be amazed how quickly it thaws. This has saved me on several occasions, and I kinda consider it to be a bonus to my decision.