Sorry to hear the East End one is off. These swaps are certainly seem more popular in the Spring when plants are just budding that's for sure, but I know we'll do ok with the Fall exchange too. So feel free to come to the west end swap next weekend, it's not too far and it's convenient. I realize Fall may not be the best time but certainly it's a good time to weed out some plants which are taking over. Let's keep the west one going. I know there are at least 3 or 4 of us interested, and last time all kinds of people showed up out of the blue, so feel free to attend. See West End post and please post if you think you can make it! Back to the Fall grind after such a beautiful long weekend, Best to all! Sara Lee....

So, I have this uncle . . . who gave my parents a beautiful large Chinese platter, which sits in my living room, but I never knew him, because he died in World War II. I was always told he died on the Bataan Death March. Turns out that's not exactly true. In the last decade, there's so much more information available on the Internet, If you'e been looking for people -- try again. And there's a ton of information on servicemen. only this year I found this out: On this Memorial Day, I'd like to take the opportunity to remember my uncle, Benjamin Lee McMakin, my father's favorite brother. He was a United States Marine Major serving in the Philllipines in WWII, when he was captured in May 1942 by the Japanese at Corregidor. He managed to survive the Japanese prison camps for more than two years, until in December 1944 he was transferred to the Oryoko Maru, a POW "hell ship" -- an unmarked ship transporting prisoners for slave labor, which was bombed by the Allies, and was killed on the ship or trying to escape. I never met him, of course, but I remember. Uncle Ben -- thank you for your service, and . . . I have your plate!

Gaylemarie, aren't garage sales a pain in the rear? Well, at least to me they are. It's the prep. I hate cleaning everything up and marking it--but the worst part is getting up at dark-thirty on sale day only to find cars already in your driveway. Ick!! We used to have a neighborhood sale every year and got lots of traffic considering we lived way out in the boonies. But I only enjoy going to them, not having them. :-)

It is a great one for me because it is cloudy and drizzly, and I can take a day off. Isn't that what we are supposed to do on LABOR Day- take the day off?????