Thank you all, my dear, dear friends. Yesterday we had one of those days here at our house -- no water for 36 hours, Freya sneaking a pizza off the kitchen counter, and the smell of fresh polyurethane pervading the cold, damp house.... On the other hand, I had the loving affection of Tom and my DS Jacob, calls and cards from family, and greetings from all of you. And tonight we're going out to dinner to try celebrate again. Carla, Luanne, Jon, Anita, Lori, Ingrid, Sue, Carolina, Pamela, and Carol -- each one of your messages brought smiles and memories to my mind. I just realized that with the exception of Ingrid, I know each one of you in the Real World (as opposed to online) -- Ingrid, we'll just have to correct that soon. The only birthday wish I have left (besides more rain) is to hope that I get to see you all again as frequently and as soon as may be. Rosefolly

Thanks for the birthday wishes! This is the 5-0 birthday for me and it's just hard for me to believe it! After yesterday though, I'm FEELING it! LOL The house my boys lived in when they were in college is going on the market today so I was over there painting the kitchen cabinets and staging the bathrooms (cleaned them spic-n-span first). Oh my, I have soreness in places I didn't even know I had places! It probably didn't help that I came home and practically guzzled a bottle of wine while in the hot tub! So I guess 49 went out with a bang and 50 is coming in with a whimper. :-)

Thanks! We just went for a ride and walk on the beach. We had severe storms here last night as Cindy hit us here. It scrubbed the beach clean.

GGrGreGreeGreetGreetiGreetinGreetingGreetings everyone. Again - my thanks to each of you for your good wishes. I m gratified that so many of you chose to offer yours. And I am thankful to those of you who offered personal comments. Thanks Oly. The address I used long ago was ths.gardenweb.com and recently when I want to change, I click on the name of the one I'm using, I move to Google, and the Houzz icon is there. So I guess I'm using the Houzz access now. @carolb_w_fl thanks for the suggestion. Son, who's lived with me for over a year, has one, says it's useful sometimes - but a bit of a nuisance to haul around in between, and I rather agree not so great when hitchhiking. This is my third winter coping with snow, and the cart would be mainly useful in other seasons. @lucille I thought of buying an electric bike a couple of years ago - but didn't. Thinking of buying a car - daughter and son in law who visited last summer found one in Georgia, but we chose not to take it - then. But the eventual almost certain move to the city, at triple current rent before son came, double the current $1,000.+ a bit or more, would be covered if it would allow us to continue living here for six months to a year longer. @martinca-gw I've lived on what was step-uncle's farm for, come March, 20 years, renting this old farmhouse from the purchaser following his death, about 6+ miles from the village where I went to high school and about 12 - 20 miles from London, Ontario, half way between Detroit and Buffalo or Toronto - a couple of hours drive from four of the Great Lakes. Landlord allows space for garden, cultivates it, a few years ago I ran almost a mile of rows, took veggies to a couple of churches I relate to, much smaller recently. Story of car broken in colliision no injuries, loss of licence, hitchhike to village, bus to city, thankful for enabling health, friends advise move to city, thankful can afford it, elsewhere on this thread. @Cherryfizz - Greetings! How have you been? How long ago was it that we met in Windsor, do you remember? It was my first face to face with Gardenweb folks. Have you connected with Dances recently? Were there others beside the three of us? When I see your name, it warms my heart - even though my active forgetter can't remember the real one! Good wishes to all of you for the year ahead. ole joyful