Thanks Kylie was part of my plan. ha ha ha I know that they are seedlings. I do not think I could have handled TREES roflmao. Still...I wanted to fully concentrate on x mas from now on. those party poopers. ha ha ha I need SHADE down the line for the brugs lol. I figured I have time and it is more fun watching them grow from almost nothing. They show how to safe them in a ditch..trench? until you get ready to plant them . That is what I got to do and pot some up and go as I can. I calmed down already lol. It was just a SHOCK . Which would have been a shock any other time also hahaha cause I was NEVER ready for them yet lol

Bucky you haven't burned up yet? How is the orchard? Good to see you on the forums still! We have been making dogwood wreaths for about 1 month, dogwood stars for 3 weeks, rosehip wreaths for 3 weeks, boxwood/rosehip squares for about 2 weeks, christmas wreaths were started about 2 weeks ago. Next up this next week is curly willow. 1985 when we first started making wreaths seems so long ago. We used a wrap form to wrap them. REF machines and rings: I have used Kelco it is nice, but very expense. Mitchell's machine is the cheapest, but it only has the clamper and wreath material comes lose often. The best machine in my opnion is the the wreath master from maple ridge supply, it has a clamper and arm that comes over and makes the wreath very tight. I have 3, a guy making wreaths about 35 miles from me has 4 and a guy that we trade with in CA has 2. They really are the best. Now to rings... Maple used to buy and resell Mitchell's rings. Here are the 4 that I have used: Maple ridge good but resells, Mitchell's usually the best price unless you are buying a pallet of 4,800 on a 10 clamp pallet. Cherokee the best price in the US that I know of, BUT you need to buy a pallet! Oregon wire is nice if you like them painted already or vinyl, but they are expensive. For christmas wreaths we are using douglas and sub alpine fir, juniper, rosehips, incease cedar, port orford cedar and pine cones. Wholesale prices have dropped to around $1 a clamp the lowest in years. Stars are more money of course we are charging $15 for a 10 clamp 4' star made of dogwood. Those of you only making a few may I suggest going to your nearest green waste facility or dumps. We by a forest service bough permit. It is .10 a pound and we cut boughs off the lower branches of the trees. The biggest problem we have is cutting or getting enough material for 3 wreath makers it takes 2 to 3 truck loads a day. Our bundles usually make 5 to 7 wreaths a bundle. Right now a 10 clamp wreath is selling for $10 to $11 wholesale and $15 to $18 retail. Good luck to all. With the economy we have seen wreath sells drop and wholesalers wanting 60 to 90 days to pay. With $10,000 of wreaths it gets difficult to pay labor, gas, and rings upfront. Bryan

Should it? Well, I've been working with a interiorscape company for businesses decorating themed trees for the last month - they look fabulous to the point where I'm now thinking of redoing mine. I'm tired of my mish mash but there are those ornaments that just mean way to much to exclude. Things learned while working: Prelit trees - by year 5 the lights get blown, and you have to get concerned at this point of overheating the tree. Yes you could replace the bulbs if you can find the right ones. Too bad I know this now - got one of these babies last year and found it too bright - the space shuttle can be guided in for a landing with this tree! The company has rescued some of the client trees with wire cutters to take out the lights but given the time required and manhours, it's cheaper to buy a new tree. BTW, the charity shops right now are putting out their xmas stuff and you can get good trees really cheap, along with wreaths. Got one for $1.99. It was all flat with dead decorations - remove all that stuff, refluff it and dust it off with a soft brush and you can redo it yourself. The dollar stores have terrific ornaments at a good price. Also, the first weekend in Dec the ornaments start getting reduced dramatically if you're looking for bargains.

No spouse - mine walked, over 35 years ago. Rarely talked, after. Died over 4 years ago. When there was talk of closing the psych. hosp. where she'd been head of food service for 20 years or so, she took early retirement and during the next ten years had a ball ... including a hobby of doing miniatures. Following her death (of colon cancer, within a year of what would have been her normal retirement age), our young ones disposed of many of her projects and goods ... but one, a miniature house about 3" x 3" remained (it seems that those guys like to build their own) ... ... and has been sitting on a table in my living room for about three years. When son and I went to Toronto this summer as daughter loaded her van to move to AZ, he returned to the car as we were about to depart, carrying a beautiful burgundy velvet bag with drawstring, holding a box, saying, "Mom's ashes". He left them in the car, where they stayed for a short while ... and now they sit in one of the rooms of her miniature house, a dozen feet from where I sit. An Iowa girl, she'd developed a liking for a little park in Detroit ... and I heard that she'd asked that (at least part of) her ashes be spread on the Detroit River. I'd hinted that when they made the pilgrimage, I'd like to go along ... but it has not happened: I know not the reason, if reason there may be. ________________________ No problem now about buying for a spouse. I've told my friends several years ago that rather than a number of gifts and cards - and in these rather prosperous days, it is difficult to buy something useful and wanted - I've been making a number of gifts to various charities. I feel that the different agencies, e.g abused women's shelter (where daughter worked several years ago helping raise funds for a home), United Way, London Food Bank, Salvation Army, Mission Services (hostel for homeless), Habitat for Humanity and Canadian Food Grains Bank and such are better able than I to choose where the need is greatest. In the case of several, the Canadian International Development Agency gives matching dollars ... and for some, other agencies do, as well ... so each original dollar grows to four going to work. I also give to several health and specific illness groups, plus my alma mater and seminary (on the Prairies). Plus half a dozen churches ... and our denomination's outreach and service agency. One of the nice things about current circumstances is that many people have email and one can catch up on the news with quite a substantial number easily, even altering parts of the message going to different individuals or groups. Have you ever had someone give you a swat as a result of your charitable gift? Last year when son and I were returning from a trip, I asked whether he had some extra time and went to the village where our family lived while I served as clergy in their church for a while, 40 years ago (near the end of our marriage). After I'd given a cheque to the treasurer, when son heard the reason for our visit, he gave me a minor cuff across the side of the head, saying, "They fired you - and you give them money?!". When I boarded in the village for a couple of years, not quite 25 years ago, I was still so bitter that I only attended that church a couple of times. I'd heard (on fairly good authority) not many years after our departure (and after our separation) that they feared that Sue and I would part ... and they didn't want us to part while we were in their church. Prior to my accepting their offer to serve there, a major clergyperson in the area suggested that I reconsider ... that that congregation had developed something of a reputation for being hard on ministers ... and I more or less replied that I'd been in tough spots before ... and would take my chances. I gambled: Ilost. Too soon old - too late smart, I guess. But ... usually a reconciliation requires some giving ... or at least some expression of appreciation of the situation ... on both sides. And institutions are not good at expressing regret. It has taken our denomination - and our Federal Gov't. - about 40 years to apologize to various native groups for the abuses perpetrated upon them when trying to assimilate them in residential schools. It's a bit hard for one hand to clap: let me know if you find out how to bring it off, O.K.? Good wishes to all of you who value it, for Christmas ... and to everyone, for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year, bringing the fulfillment of several of your good dreams ... and the birthing of some new ones. ole joyful