Rosebush- veilchenblau is one of the very easiest i have to root. It's extremely vigorous (up to 20' canes!!), moderately thorny, scentless and only blooms once. But it covers itself when it does and it's a unique color. Plus it is very carefree- the jap beetles do gnaw some, but it bounces right back. Blackspot is never an issue for me. If you come to the swap, i'll be happy to bring some, or you can email me and we can meet up separately somewhere sometime. You'd be welcome to come here when they're all blooming- which should be 2 or 3 weeks at most. If you haven't made it to a swap yet, though- you really need to come!! Alicia, thanks for the thoughts on the roses. I guess it amazes me because even though they are glorious when they bloom it's fairly brief and it's not as though they're that interesting as foliage plants, though i do love the winter spring color. Most people seem to be so much more into repeat bloom and the more formal shape of the teas. The ones i have really are easy- i have never sprayed for anything- don't really do much but occasionally give them espoma, and prune when needed. Most of them only get about 4.5 hours of sun and have done well (the fence ones get more like 5- 5.5). I wish you could see Betty's spread. I doubt it'll ever be open for another open house because of their health. Knock on wood- so far the deer have left the roses alone since they're up front.

RE: declawing . . .when my husband's cats started ruining everything (we had plenty of acceptable things for them to scratch), we talked to a cat clinic about declawing. We said we would abide by what they said regarding whether or not to do it. They said it as long as the pain management was good, it was fine. Our cats didn't change AT ALL. They were just as perfect as always. I've read plenty of sad stories on a cat forum I was on where cats where having behavioral issues . . .and they were not declawed. However, as a compromise, I now only adopt cats that are already declawed. I'd be willing to get one intact, but DH is not. It really limits your options this way, though. I would rather just walk into a shelter and pick out a friend vs. pick among the ones w/o claws (front). My friend, a vet, says if someone is going to declaw, she thinks it should be done early in life. She says cats can start with destructive behavior at any point, too. One of my friend's cats was like this-- she only started destroying things when she was about 9! Our cats have never had litterbox or behavior issues. Temperament seems to be key in that department, along with health.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone and the kind comments especially about my rescue pooches. They are the sweetest! I am so sorry about the big pictures but have not as yet conquered the downsizing of pix on photobucket. I was successful once at downsizing and thought I had it but then they came across like this!!! Really sorry. I know it's a pita. The 5th photo down is of the seam they did. I thought they did a really good job with the seam. There are two other tiny seams in front and back of the cooktop virtually invisible. The only big seam is the one in the 5th photo that is to the left of the sink. I should have written on each photo what they were of. Some people have asked lately if it's ok to do a chrome faucet with different color hardware. I did and never even think about it. My backsplash was already in. It was installed a few years ago. Doesn't look too exciting in the pictures but it was expensive tile from Home Expo when there were still around and I just couldn't take it down. They are handmade and had a lot of pieces to accent with. It looks better in person, lol. It's not easy to change a backsplash. The last time we did they had to cut out the drywall and reinstall new, tape and mud, sand and then put in a new splash, big mess. I think it will be awhile before I can get DH to do that again. Also, blew the budget on the granite! I was told the rough on the surface could have been from the cutting of the granite at the fabricators. They run water over the stone as it's being cut and there is lots of dust from the stone. It mixes together and makes a gritty film on the stone. If they don't clean it off it can feel very gritty and that is what it felt like. Really awful, I'm not a wimp when it comes to cleaning and I am being honest when I say it was REALLY rough. It is so much better now since I did the steel wool polish on it and have been using a granite polish on it every few days. So if anyone has this happen it takes some effort but it can be made better! Thanks so much again for the helpful comments!

I completely agree that growing kittens, like Muffin, need to be fed an appropriate amount of high quality food to insure proper growth. If Muffin is pregnant, her nutritional needs are even more critical and must be properly met. I do not, however, equate that with necessarily offering food free choice. It is quite easy to provide proper and adequate nutrition without leaving food out 24/7. Dustin most certainly does not need constant access to food, esp. if he has a tendency to overeat and hold too much weight. Some cats can maintain proper condition on free-feeding, and some can't. Those who can't certainly aren't being done any favors by being allowed to get fat. Lest there be any misconceptions about switching free-feeders to scheduled, portioned meals, let me assure you that my cats do NOT follow me around begging for food all day. They know when they get fed, and they eat enthusiastically at those times. I have no doubt that they'd eat anytime I put food out for them, but that is not in their best interest. I have already most likely permanently damaged the pancreases of a number of my cats by allowing them to spend years of their lives overweight. They are and always will be at increased risk of developing diabetes and other weight-related maladies, regardless of the fact that most of them are now at healthy weights. "Eating all they want" is NOT a recipe for good health in cats with a tendency to overeat. Of course if a feline caretaker is suffering from anorexia and is incapable of accurately assessing proper weight in their cats, then there might be a problem with withholding adequate nutrition from the animals and starving them, but I'm certain that is NOT what we're dealing with here. Sweetchastity's vet would no doubt be saying something if her cats arrived at the vet's office in emaciated condition, so I think we can put that issue to rest. As far as feeding homecooked meals is concerned, I'm unfamiliar with that practice so cannot speak to its potential risks or benefits. The only thing I know about cooking meat is that it tends to cook out some of the essential nutrients that then must be supplemented back into the food after cooking. That's why I have chosen the Raw Prey Model diet as the basis for my cats' evening meal. The guidelines of this diet call for raw, uncooked meat and bones at an approximate proportion of 80% muscle meat, 10% bone (never, EVER feed cooked bones to any animal - raw only), 5% liver, and 5% other secreting organ. These percentages are based on the approximate proportions of these elements in the bodies of prey animals. These proportions are not exact and allow for considerable adjustment based on the cat's (or dog's) individual responses. Also, the proportions do not have to be met at every meal, but rather should be achieved over the course of a week or longer. In other words, if more bone is fed one day, then more muscle meat should be fed the next to level things out. The only supplement I add to this diet is fish oil for omega 3 fatty acids. I do, however, utilize as many different types of meat and organs as possible (chicken, turkey, pork, beef, venison, mutton, etc.) to fill in any nutritional deficits that a particular meat may present. Also, cats can be infuriatingly finicky. They can refuse one type of meat and hope for something more to their liking at the next meal. If you spend time researching raw and cooked meals for pets, you will find endless information on an endless variety of diets. Some are cooked, some are raw, some are just meat and bones, some include vegetables and/or grains, some are based on a single meat type, some advocate variety. It can be overwhelming trying to decide what you believe is best for your own animals. That's the challenge, and good luck! As far as feeding commercial food is concerned, I firmly believe that low-carb, high protein is the way to go for healthy cats, eliminating as many grains from the foods as possible. I suspect that if you read the labels of Iams foods, they will be packed with useless grain fillers that do absolutely NOTHING nutritionally for cats. Also, canned food is much better for them than dry. I see no value or need to purchase canned and dry from the same brand, unless it's the best food available. If you want to feed commercial foods, you might want to consider Innova Evo and Wellnes Core. Be forewarned, though, that both Evo and Core (dry) are VERY calorie-dense and must be strictly portioned or your cats can become obese very quickly. Remember that my cats get only 1/8 c. of Evo dry in the morning in addition to their raw meat and bones meal at night. Laurie