Today is an absolutely beautiful day!! Not a cloud in the sky. There is a nice breeze and the temps are in the 60s. Hard to believe that just yesterday, there was water, water and more water everywhere. I ran errands today and saw lots of remnants of the flooding. Gravel and mud on roads, water still laying in low spots, creeks running over their banks, and lots of hillsides with furrows and water still running down them. But we are supposed to have nothing but sunshine for the next 5 days, so hopefully everything will dry up. Our electricity did go out last night for 2 1/2 hours, but I curled up with some candles and some crossword puzzles and passed the time. All I had were scented candles though, and I was burning 3 different scents upstairs and DH was burning a 4th scent downstairs. The combination made a rather unique odor though and I was getting slightly nauseous by the end of the night! LOL QOD - Once. I had just graduated college and was working as a store manager in the mall (I majored in Fashion Merchandising). The district manager and I didn't see eye to eye on something and I mouthed off to her. I was subsequently let go (big surprise - lol), but maintained that it wasn't my fault. Of course, the adult in me now knows that I was completely wrong and had every right to be fired, but my pride wouldn't let me admit that then. I have been doing a program by Prevention Magazine called, Firm Up in 3 Weeks. I have walked 20 out of the last 21 days and either lifted weights or done Pilates 20 of those 21 days. I have eaten sensibly, snacked on healthy foods and even splurged occasionally on "Indulgent Treats", and I can say I never felt deprived or hungry. I slipped into a pair of jeans today without using a shoe horn and I feel great. The program was designed to be done for 3 weeks and then can be modified to fit one's needs or even repeated for another 3 weeks or as long as needed to reach one's goals. I am going to continue the sensible eating (I like having my food choices laid out for me) and will continue to walk 4-5 days a week and do weights and Pilates as often as I can so I can maintain. I loved SSing when I first started, but I just couldn't get back to basics again. I tried over and over again to get back the momentum I had when I first started SSing, but it just wasn't there. With this program, I am eating more carbs, but I am making sure they are whole grain carbs. I am eating nuts, peanut butter, honey and some sugary treats but all in moderation. The book lists hundreds of options for meals, healthy snacks and "indulgent treats" and I can always find something to eat that satisfies me. I tried to stay away from sweets while SSing, and I always ended up eating something "illegal" and going on a binge afterward. Then the whole cycle started over again and each time it was harder and harder for me to get back on the wagon. But I think I have finally found my "groove" with this program from Prevention. I'll post the link to the book in case anyone is interested in taking a closer look. Later, Marci Here is a link that might be useful: Prevention Magazine's

Mtnwomanbc, it was the hotel St. Louis-Marais. The staircase in their picture looks wide, but it's actually very narrow and kinda slanted. The carpet on it was filthy. We weren't too far from the river and Notre Dame. Danielle, that was the girl's room. Three of us stayed in there. The boys had their own room on the main floor. The only rooms in Europe that accomadate 4 people are the youth hostels. They occationally had triple rooms, like this one so to make it cheaper, Judy, my co-worker shared with me and Lauren. I don't ever plan on going back. The whole area where we stayed smelled like urine. It was gross.

That slug is GROSS! Oohh Harry Potter posters in the theatre! LOL The bloats are very cool. Danielle

Linda, thank you for directing me to the comments about Mme. Leon Pain on HMF. I had only looked at the pictures. From some of the detailed descriptions I'm virtually certain that my rose is MLP, and to tell the truth I am getting rather fond of her. Not a speck of disease, does well in the heat, in its own way quite lovely and in a place where a rose taller than La France is an advantage. Your lovely comparison of my garden to Moorish gardens makes me very happy, because I've always been fascinated by them, both those grown in earlier times in the Middle East and those in Spain. The descriptions have always been haunting, describing the creation of a "paradise" in the midst of rather harsh and hostile surroundings. Virginia, my Bride's Dream has never deigned to grow in the slightest, never mind blooming, so it will be scant sacrifice to witness its demise when I (hopefully) will plant the correct La France in its place. From pictures I've seen I very much agree with your right-on description of "insipid". Sometimes a mistake can turn out to be serendipitous. Anyone who would like to have Mme. Leon Pain has only to order La France from the ARE! I'm now glad that I have it, thanks to the comments here which made me look at this rose in a new way. I'm continually amazed and warmed by the kindness here.