My apologies, all, I had intended to post this in in the Fruit and Orchards forum. I reposted it there; please reply there, if you're interested, as that's where this info will likely be most useful. http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/fruit/ (Note to self: drink coffee before logging onto GW....) --Jonathan

Thank you both for your feed back it's much appreciated. Beach barbie, I do move the trays regularly by default- my cat keeps drinking the water, even though she always has a fresh bowl available. And I do think it's a tropical variety. BTW I love your name, it creates a warm image. Watergal, I don't see any evidence of pests, but your comment concerned me so I sprayed the entire plant with insecticidal soap just to be sure. On the under side of the foliage I do see some VERY TINY white powder like specs that rub off with the finger, too small for aphids. Any idea what that may be? And am I on target for March to expect new buds. Thanks, Happy Valentines Day..

I used my poor man's walls of water before I got hoop houses. Use 6 liter soda bottles filled with water and lids and ring around a tomato plant and then set a cage around them. I left them on all season and the ones with the extra heat radiating back would come in 2 weeks before the ones that didn't. I also looked for early season that would withstand the cool nights. Some of the earlier tomatoes are gold nugget - yellow cherry, Taxi & Azchtoka (sp?) for yellow tomatoes. Smaller reds are Kotlas and Stupice and Prairie Fire. I say a small ripe tomato is better than a large green one. Good luck gardening.

Cat Mom, Yeah, all those little jobs end up being a lot of work and money, don't they? Over what period of time have you done all of that? I have to rein in my impatience and desire to get everything done NOW. Last year we replaced our aging furnace before it started giving us problems. This year we put in new floors on the main level of our home, as well as replacing all the baseboards and painting all walls. I'm hoping to give attention to the kitchen next year. Unfortunately, other than needing to replace most of our appliances (all over 20 years old), it will be a mostly cosmetic update, as we will not be getting new cabinets or making any structural changes. I am hoping to replace our countertop, sink, and backsplash. We replaced the faucet this year, so we will reuse it. However, we also think that we should replace our roof next year, as it is aging and we want to do so BEFORE we have problems. It's hard to wait for updates to the house when I'm already planning and even gathering some of the small ticket items when I find them on sale and can't wait to make the changes. On the other hand, I value following our budget and not going into debt over getting things quickly. When I know we haven't exceeded the budget and have saved ahead for what we are doing, I can actually enjoy the changes when they are made instead of worrying about the cost. Julie, YES! You do understand. In fact, when I read your post I realized that you were mentioning things that I hadn't even connected to my more streamlined (i.e., paring down on possessions everywhere). In fact, lately when someone mentions that they REALLY like a piece of jewelry I'm wearing, I've often taken it off and given it to them right then. (I'm not talking about someone casually complimenting something.) I have more than enough jewelry, so if I can give it to a friend and have it wornmore often, so much the better. Tinan, I certainly don't count books as clutter, either (unless, of course, they are permanently piled on the floor around the room). I consider books necessities. I have pared down my collection of cookbooks, but I still have plenty. The rest were donated to our county library system so that, if I suddenly remember I gave away a book wtih a favorite recipe that I hadn't made a copy of, I can just borrow it from the library. I also agree that your home looks quite cozy and very welcoming. Lavender, I agree that I don't want too sterile of an environment. All main living areas, as well as all bedrooms, have at least one throw to wrap up in. In fact, that's one thing I'm missing in my living room right now and I'm planning to either find one I already have or go get another to use in there. I also like pillows. I have to admit that I choose pictures to go with the decor, rather than fine art. I appreciate fine art in museums, but I find that I like to concentrate on making all elements in the room, including the pictures, cohesive---not matchy-matchy, but each item contributing to the overall look I'm envisioning. Now I'm just trying to do that with less stuff than I've used in the past. I'm beginning to relax and feel that it's coming together and won't look too sterile, as I add the finishing touches (especially after seeing the photos people have shared here). I am still in the process of deciding what artwork will go on the walls in my living room. After painting the walls recently, I'm wanting to put less stuff up this time, both in terms of reducing the visual clutter and making fewer holes in the wall. Lauren, Thanks for the support and reassurance. I appreciate hearing from someone who hasn't put a rug over their hardwood and finds that it works well, without sacrificing comfort. I am also coming to realize that I don't have a contemporary home, nor do I have a traditional home---but I do have elements of both. I don't have anything really ornate, but some of the furniture legs have a more traditional shape. My upholsered furniture has a bit softer edge than I see in most contemporary homes, a few curves, but still mostly clean lines. I find that I'm enjoying just that little extra room to navigate through a room, by not feeling I have to fill every nook and cranny of each room. Glad to hear there are others who feel the same way.