Kirk, At first I was goiong to post this on the Converstion side...but figured you will see it here first. Being a bear lover, I believe you will really like a website I discovered. It's pretty cool! Check it out! laughingbearart.com Sorry...I don't know how to insert the link. ~Sandy~

Thank You ALL for your lovely comments. Sorry I took so long to reply... DH & I spent the day down in NY our DD needed us babysit. We had to be there for when the Gkids came home from school. We ended up taking them to their favorite place to eat - Nathans. Geeeesh..you can drop a bundle just going out for Hot Dogs!! We ended up taking our oldest DGson home with us for the weekend....we love it as much as he does. magpie...keep checking your surrounding areas for CTS shops. They have been cropping up all over. Originally they were only in Cape Cod, Ma..but now are all over the place. They do have great deals. milosmom...you still have time before V-Day to do a table. I know what you mean about enjoying everyone else's. This table came by pretty quick..working around the 'Special Couple'! DD...you're right, I find you have to think of clever ways to 'fill in' with a large table to make it intimate for just two. This one seemed kind of easy with the bears towards the end, as a focal point. Glad you liked the look. jeanne...I'm sorry about the 'CTS'..I forgot that not everyone knows what that stands for. Glad you figured out the 'mystery' though! lol. Too bad they don't sell online..that would make lots of happy campers here!! karen...what a cute description of this table 'A Sweet Box of Chocolates'...that would make me smile too! Glad you enjoyed it. OA...those little 'Valentine Balloons'..are actually little heart picks that I bought last year, and kind of just propped them up on either side of the bears. I thought they looked cute and do look like balloons. As far as the bows on the glasses...Hey...go for it. I saw this idea on someone's table once, and liked it..and I 'stole' err borrowed the idea myself!! lol Lynn...seems like everyone is so impressed with those heart napkins. Yes they came from $ General, and I'm sorry I didn't buy more. They are so cute and the fabric is a nice pique and look even nicer in person. kathleen...that would be GREAT..borrowing each others things to add to what we have in common. I'm sure you were able to buy more of those plates than I. I hear ya on the 'stay warm'... It's been brutally cold, especially with that nasty ole 'wind chill factor' whipping around. You do the same... I'm sure your making nice hot soup or some other great comfort food to chase away the cold...lol Luvs... I guess you're right, better to have the two plates than none! The red flatware is a great look for the price. I wouldn't usually buy red, but it was too tempting. dream...seems the flatware and those napkins are the big hit of this table! If I added up what I spent for everything...it comes out to cheap..cheap...cheap!! Thanks again everyone. jane

Wow, that is a lot to bear. My sympathies to you. My mother has been gone nearly a year, and for the nine months prior to her death, she was slipping away bit by bit as she had a brain tumor. We were extraordinarily close. I used to call her every day between 10 and 10:30 AM and she'd pick up the phone with a quip such as "Cold outside today!" or "Good morning!" in a tone which implied she knew it was me. I used to tease her and say "some day you're going to do that and it won't be me!" When she got sick and started getting confused, that morning chit chat was the first thing I missed. We used to go out every weekend, shopping and for lunch. To this day, I still can't get used to having my weekends to myself, and it's been a year and a half since we did that. The other night, I caught myself thinking "oh I should call Mom and tell her...." And I hadn't been able to talk to her on the phone for over a year, because as her disease progressed she didn't understand the telephone concept. It's an awful, horrible thing to watch anyone's mind deteriorate, whether it's from a tumor, Alzheimer's, or dementia. I liken it to watching a computer's CPU just blow up in front of you. Interesting words you used: "...by the time I got back, she had left us." I feel abandoned sometimes, like my mom left me. Now that I have NO parents, I really feel like an orphan.....and let me tell you that I am over 40 years of age. But you lose your anchor -- and say goodbye to your childhood -- when you bury your parents.

Well...... here are my favorites...... FAVORITES: (01). LG WM0001HT Front Load Washer ($2,700.00) + LG DLEX 0001 (Electric) Dryer ($2,700.00) "OR" DLGX 0002 (Gas) Dryer ($2,700.00)..... in Stainless Steel -- $5400.00 for the set. (02). Samsung WF448AAP Front Load Washer ($1,500.00) + Samsung DV448AEP Electric Dryer ($1,400.00) ..... again..... in Stainless Steel -- $2,900.00 for the set. (03). ASKO W6903FI Front Load Washer (Don't Know What The Price Is...... Figure On $2,000.00+) + ASKO T793FI Electric Dryer (Again..... Figure On $2,000.00+) -- at LEAST $4,000.00 for the set. I'll take that set in Stainless Steel as well. HONORABLE MENTION: (04). Kenmore Elite HE5t Front Load Steam Washer ($1,800.00) + Kenmore Elite HE5 Electric Steam Dryer ($1,600.00) "OR" Kenmore Elite HE5 Gas Steam Dryer ($1,680.00)..... in Barolo -- up to $3,500.00 for the set. That's if money's no object. But then, why would I want to give my woman a washing machine for Valentine's Day anyway???? We men are asking for nothing but trouble if we were to do something like that. --Charles--