Bill, I too also plant way too many and then share. You might want to share with people with mental illness living in Assisted Living facilities. I work in such a facility and most of the people there are fine a great deal of the time. Often they are extremly bored and watching and tending for plants and flowers would be an excellent diversion from the monotony. Many mental illnesses, especially bi-polar are cycular in nature. Some people cycle faster or more often than others. Many do well on medication, just need monitoring to take it, and educated intervention during rough periods or when their dosing needs adjusting. Most of the residents where I work differentiate between "really crazy" or "nuts"(their terminology)and off hand comments that the user didn't intend as offensive. There is a symantic parallel between the current connotations of the word "gay". Remember when it used to mean "happy"? TV and movies don't accuratly portray the masses with mental illness. Very few are actually scary. They are generally just pretty ordinary people. In this country serious illness' get ignored, until someone of star status is afflicted, ie Michael J. Fox and Parkinson's disease, Christopher Reeves and head injury, Magic Johnson and AIDS etc etc... When this happens tons of money gets pumped in to research and the general population benefits from knowledge and understanding about the illness. People also realize it happens to others and there shouldn't be any shame in seeking treatment. I sincerely hope Brittney Spears uses her star status to educate people and funnel financial resources into research, treatment and cures. While waiting for the world to evolve we can all spread some cheer with our abundance!

There are plastic fabrics made by Agribon that offer cold protection down to about 8 degrees. There are several differnet thicknesses, and that 8 degree range is the thickest of all. Because the fabric must not be in direct contact with the leaves of the plants, you would need make some kind of half hoop tent or other raised trusses to help hold the cloth away from the plants. Beans, can dry off the vine, and beets can survive a some frost as they will only lose foliage. If the beans arent ready to be dried as seeds, you can always salvage any that are now big enough. You would be surprised as to the size of the beans inside some pods. Pole beans are easy to find as seeds, there are many, and Vermont Bean has more varieties than most bean varieties than any other seed dealer. Buttercup squash will probably not make it, but if the plastic fabric cloth helps to keep some warmth in, it may give you a little extra time. Buttercup not even ripe now, would need at least another 30 days to ripen to hard green color. Over nights are usually when frosts hit, and even in Z5, they are usually only a few nights in a row, then most of the time it gets a bit warmer again, especially during the daytime. Any coverings you plan to use must also allow light through as well as water, so a plain cloth sheet may not be appropriate. The site below offers huge rolls of Agribon, but you should also be able to find smaller sizes. It also is reusable for several years, provided its folded and kept dry after use. I have several thicknesses here, and covered a whole peach/plum tree when it blossomed and we had a sudden frost in full bloom. Only lost a few of the flowers and leaves to frost, but that was because it was just draped over the 25 foot tall tree (try doing that without a ladder in the late afternoon!). Root crops should be fine. Because this product is a non woven plastic, I use an impulse heater to bond two sheets togther to make a larger size or double up on the thickness if necessary. Hope you get well soon! Here is a link that might be useful: Agribon plastic fabrics

The towels that tie or hang on a handle are always useful. Not enough time to crochet tops, but perhaps you could sew tops and ties for them using scrap fabrics. Or maybe you could "pamper" them a bit, and go to Michael's dollar bin for some bottles of lotion. Tie them in a circle of fabric or netting to make them look festive. Flavored coffees or teas are always a good choice too. Plop a bow on them or do the circle of netting idea to make them special. If you have a 99 cent type store, they usually have the small potted plants. Buy some of those and tie or hot glue a pretty bow on the pot. Most women love getting plants. Or since you work in a feed store, perhaps you have access to some birdseed. How about creating a birdseed ornament they could hang in a tree or on their patio? I'm sure you could google for instructions to make them wildlife safe. Luvs

Aura matte is enough of a sheen for how my family lives in and uses our house. I think it's pretty tough stuff - all I ever need to do is wipe it down. Matte is not equivalent to all flats. Each brand's sheen levels differ. There is not a set standard for those gloss levels which means that all flats, eggs, satins are not created equal. Aura matte has a slight bump of sheen. It is not shiny but it is not a dead flat-flat. Most of the time the word "matte" indicates a degree or two or three or more up from typical flat. Even tho there are no standards, I feel comfortable saying that across the board and in all brands matte does not mean the same thing as flat. Both Aura matte and eggshell will touch up reasonably well -- better than most other brands. But, that all depends on specific color and how angles of light fall across the walls. Aura matte or egg are both good bets. Hope that helps. :-)