When I moved to our new house (in a development - grass, 2 trees and 4 shrubs) 6 years ago, I spent the winter thinking about what I could do - a woodland garden (tiny) was possible, so off I went to Lowes and HD and bought 2 packs of hosta, nice shade of green: 5 for $7.97. Guess what I did this summer - I dug up all 10 because they were all infected with Hosta Virus X, which I learned about this year because I'd become a Hostaholic and joined the local hosta group. I now have well over 200 different hosta in my garden - and I find great joy just looking at them and planning their placement! My poor son is digging me nursery bed and his girlfriend is planting all the hostas I stupidly bought this summer while I have a hugely herniated back and cannot bend to pull up my jeans, let alone plant a hosta! Thank heavens they love me enough to do that for me! Both are computer whizzes and outside is a place they rarely go - programming beats planting any day! Well I have all winter to recover, and all winter to decide where I'm going to plant these little lovelies! Jakki

Well, good! I don't have a scanner yet--nor have I gotten hold of a digital camera--but I DO have a rough drawing that the contractor e-mailed me as a J-PEG. If I e-mailed it as an attachment would one of you computer whizzes know how to reduce the file size so it could be seen here? It's a pretty big file... Spectre--please cut and paste those instructions--and e-mail me instructions if you know how to reduce file size of pics. I don't have a web page--so I won't be able to post pics IN TEXT HERE--but I will be able to put them in hte gallery. This could be fun--but don't get too attached to the handicap ramp--the project came in at $45,000--and with a kid in University I can't quite handle that--that's two years tuition! This wasn't going to be a typical wooden ramp--it was to be an integral part of the front "patio"--rising up in a gradual grade to the driveway--and paved with the same material as the patio. A majority of hte cost of this project (over 50%) is the replacement of an INTACT brick retaining wall to accomodate the new ramp...I'll have to get hold of a camera this weekend. If I thought the cracked retaining wall would make it another seven years I'd just hold off on that part of the project and deal ONLY with the steps, the drainage, and turning the nasty white rock into a patio--I've got my contractor coming back next week--perhaps he'l come up with a way to stabilize the wall so that I won't HAVE to redo that part in 7.5 years when BOTH kids are through college and I can afford to do the ramp... Are we still excited? melanie

Shirley, forgot to thank you for the recipe postcard you attached to my seeds. I did ok on the 5k. After working 6 hours on Small Shop Saturday, (we were swamped all day), my feet were tired. I ran a bit slower than usual and finished in just under 43 minutes. The weather was perfect for a run. In the high 40's. There was a night light holiday parade immediately following. We had fun. Thanks again to all who participated in this swap. I just finished organizing all my seeds and can't believe how many great seeds I have received. Have a good week. Margo

I've been really impressed by everyone's efforts in publishing their pictures. I have tried the 'normal' method as suggested on the site instructions for the gallery, but my pictures are too big and rejected, and I cannot figure out how to shrink them down to size. Kazzie, would it be possible to forward the instructions if I sent you my email address too?