For nursery pots I started using old food cans, and pop bottles cut down to about 6" deep, & poke a few holes in the bottom. Seed saving from one year to the next. You can't save seed from foods you buy at the grocery store because most are hybrid varieties and won't reproduce true. You have to start with heirloom varieties, and save those seeds. Make my own compost from leaves, paper, grass and kitchen waste. You cut down on a lot of trash by composting junk mail and boxes that canned pet food comes in. Cardboard makes good compost, as does newspapers, paper grocery sacks, clothing labels, dryer lint and cereal boxes. Make your own seed starting mix from peat and perlite, because it needs to be sterile to prevent damping off and diseases that attack tender new growth. I make my own potting mix from screened compost, sand, used seed starting mix and perlite. It's especially important to have a loose, open potting mix with my nursery pots that have straight sides (cans and pop bottles) otherwise it would be too difficult to get plants out of them for up-potting. Cheryl

Here's a trick I used on my stepdaughter, who would *not* drink a cup of milk - a few sips and she was done. I secretly put a drop or two of red food coloring in the bottom of a glass. I then held it so my hand wrapped around the bottom so she couldn't see the coloring. I asked her if she wanted some "magic milk". I ceremoniously took the carton of milk and poured it into the glass - as it filled the milk turned pink. You should have seen her eyes!!! She drank the whole thing. I varied the colors so it was always a surprise, but she liked pink and purple the best. Funny thing was the next time I talked to her mom, she asked me what the heck magic milk was. My stepdaughter is now 13, but we still have magic milk. We take turns creating the colors.

If your dog eats something that it shouldn't, like a screw or pill or piece of plastic, you can induce vomiting with a tablespoon (or two depending upon the size of the dog) of hydrogen peroxide. I would only do this if its fairly close to the time frame of when they ate it - not hours later. I would make sure you do it outside as the dog will make a mess indoors. I learned this years ago, when my dog ate the gel from the inside of a foot warmer. The ingredients didn't seem toxic, but my vet recommended we induce vomiting, just in case. And since then, I've used it a couple other times. Once when that same dog ate a couple screws while I was putting together a book shelf. Another time when my JRT chewed into my gym bag to eat my smelly clothes and she chewed up a pill bottle that was in the bag. The pill count seemed okay, from the date it was filled to the date she ate it, but I wasn't positive so we induced vomiting. She didn't vomit any pills, but she did puke up a few buttons and zipper head. (crazy dog!)

I have the aluminum railing and never had any issues. When cleaning I just make sure not to leave any chemicals on the balluster, just rinse well. Then when staining, I do not tape anything, I just use a brush and cut around the railing connectors. The stain wipes off the ballusters very easily, just don't let it dry on there. Even then, I'll bet it would not be difficult to remove. riles