I think I got something from Rebecca - that I didn't see on her list so I am not sure, but it was with the HUGE strawberries she brought me (Grace says thank you, she loved them!). Anywho - it is a cactus looking thing of some type - very long and kinda soft prickles on it. Inside or outside plant - what does it need? I am planting out a strawberry jar with the little sedums from Heather - and I would like to put this on the top - if it will go there. And Heather - we had an accident this morning. A storm blew up rather quickly and knocked my planting table over...in the middle of planting my little sedum treasures from you. I lost my little cactus (small green button looking one with long prickles on it). Can you save me one for the fall swap...I was kinda getting attached to it, it was the smallest plant I brought home from the swap. Also - I got a birch from someone...in a blue? minivan with several children - hubby appeared to be packing up everything. Anyway - I don't know what kind of birch it is... Anyone have a clue? I will be starting my blog soon and filling it with pictures. If some of you can chime in with names on the ones that had no names, or the tape as faded and I can't see them...please, by all means, enlighten me. Pretty green things in my beds are wonderful - but I like having a name for them in my garden journal so I know where to look for them next spring. :D Happy planting to all of you! I have already started turning new ground on new beds since the swap - you have inspired my gardening creativity again. Tiffany PS - Connie I adopted one of your little plants that was orphaned when you left - a very cool little forsythia with varigated leaves - how quickly does it grow? I am worried about planting it in the beds now and think it may need to stay in the nursery bed this year. Help?

here it is the E911 office that assignes numbers. you HAVE to have a serial number in teh system in order to get home phone service, and to keep it accurate the county mandated the E911 to assign all address. the post office used to give the numbers in town, and in the country you pretyt much could pick your own number out of the ones given to your side of the street on your block. but once E911 came into being, they decided that every 50 feet on center the address would change. some folks were given an address of say 123 X street due to their drive was planned to be on the north end of the lot, but then they built and it was on teh south end and their address changed to 125 or 127 X street(or something similar). after a few fiascos like that, they decided 50 ft on center, and that they could not address a lot until the foundation was in place and at least part of teh framing was up.

In no particular order: 1) Change all the locks to use a single key and have extra keys made. 2) Measure all of the rooms and draw a plan of each room. Note where the electrical outlets are in each room. Measure the windows and doorways. 3) Figure out where all of your furniture will go before you move it and draw up a plan. Mark your boxes and furniture with the name of the room where they will go. 4) If you have the time and $$, refinish the floors, steam-clean the carpets, and paint if needed -- so much easier to do if the rooms are empty. 5) Take photos. (I wish I'd done this!) 6) If you're not changing the paint, ask the PO what paints were used where. (If you're lucky, the PO will leave the marked cans for you.) 7) Ask the PO for a list of plants, trees, and shrubs and any special care requirements, especially if you're not a gardener or if you're moving to a different climate. Something that looks like a weed in May could turn out to be a beautiful flowering plant in September. 8) Ask the previous owner for a list of service people (septic cleanout, electrician, plumber, snow removal, lawn service, pest control, etc.) that they used. It will be a good starting point. 9) Fill out the change of address form at the Post Office. Find out where the breaker box, gas, and water shutoffs are. Find out if there's a Newcomers Club (or similar) in your new town. Mine was a terrific resource for meeting people and finding out about all sorts of things I never would have known. Stock up on toilet paper and cleaning supplies and a couple of waster baskets. Clean! Even if the PO hired a cleaning service, it probably won't be as clean as you like. Besides, there's something really disgusting about OTHER people's dirt. Get doormats before the movers come. Put down rosin paper for the movers in the hallways, etc. Call the town hall to find out when trash and recycling pickup is (if your town provides that service) and what the rules are. If your town requires you to use special bags for trash, stock up. My town provides recycle bins. Get your trash barrels and recycling bins BEFORE you move because you'll have a lot of packing materials and other stuff to get rid of after you move. (You can also give away packing materials on Craig's List or Freecycle.) Arrange for the utilities and to keep your current phone number (if that applies). Make sure that the house number is visible!

Thank you all for your comments! You hear so many scare stories about Japanese Knotweed - is it definitely not this?