Enjoyed your story and pics! Too bad your scarlet snake was a DOR. I am always impressed with your pics. That was a really cool post you had a while back with pics of the red milks you found this year. I always look at your backgrounds. Elephant ear leaves, old boards, moss covered rocks. Some of those really make the snake stand out. I don't think everyone realizes how difficult it is to get a snake to cooperate sometimes!

Thanks so much for the input (and encouragement)! I'm really looking forward to our initial pool dive this coming weekend. I'm already adjusting my mindset so that (I hope) when the time comes, I won't freak out! I think if I can just relax and keep telling myself that no harm will come to me (I mean, we're only going to be in an 8-foot deep pool, for crying out loud), I'll be alright. Part of overcoming my fear/phobia will definitely have to include approaching the whole thing as a fun adventure, instead of something to be endured for the sake of overcoming. There's an underwater art installation near Isla Mujeres called "Silent Evolution" that I really want to be able to dive next year. I'm sure it's vastly changed (covered in sea life by now!), but the effect will surely still be the same. This fascinates me! I understand that diving in these waters is referred to as "bathtub diving" and that wet suits typically aren't needed, but I can still envision myself wearing one, just because the thought of brushing up against something "down there" kinda skeeves me out. Baby steps. Right? ;-)

I've really fallen in love with appliqueing (especially after discovering heat and bond lite! I guess steam a seam isn't being made for now because of quality issues and I never got to try that)... and I love the blanket stitch! I use the default stitch length and width on both of my machines that have the feature (my Bernina doesn't do a very good blanket stitch... it sometimes doesn't form completely/properly, but the Brother's is perfect every time)... I much prefer it to zig zag or satin stitch... I think it looks better and is easier to get consistent results with than a zig zag or satin... I have done straight stitching as well for raw edge applique and I really like that too!

Phyllo I can handle, but rarely use it because it ends up with such a high fat content. It is good, though. I shold have taken a photo of my misshsapen rolls so all could have a good belly laugh. Like Annie, I have taken to layering instead of rolling for those kinds of things. I dont even make stuffed pasta anymore. My husbands Italian grandmother took to making her ravioli as big squares. The family called it her "sidewalk ravioli". I know why she did that. What a lot of work! Poor old grandma was cooking for the entire big family and I dont know how she managed in her tiny kitchen in her tiny apartment acorss the water from New York City. I dont know how she found the energy to do all of that. And, even though I saw it happen, I dont know how we got more that a dozen people around that small table . I do know that grandma never got to sit down and enjoy because she was too busy making sure all we eating. How did she do that? There are so many good things to eat that I am going to stick with those that are less labor intensive. I cant get that feel of rubbery nothingness out of my mind from those rice wrappers. No thanks. Now, if you fry them, that may be a different story. Just about everything tastes better fried. But, I dont do that, at all. Again, way too messy and not a very healthy option. I am not above ordering them at the restaurant.