You all are so kind Mary- that huge shrub is a rhody.. starting to bloom right now- let's pray all this rain doesnt dash it all to bits this year! I hate that. Gotta Garden.. yes- I am goign to try the larger rocks when i get a chance :) You all can notice the difference? I look at these pics and think- gosh for all that work- it doenst show much of a change! :( Msscarlet- thank you for thinking my home is pretty. It's a little hosue- but i think it's kinda cute.. and i hope i get the cottagey feel across. I hear what you're saying about that blue spruce that blocks the view. it will only get bigger too... but here's the thing.. getting rid of that ONE might not make a difference- as you cna see in the pic- there is a HUGE one next to it and and even bigger one next to that one!!! haha. at first i hated them but I am rather attached to them now.. and this small one is the only one i can attempt to decorate for christmas. haha PLUS- there is actually a VAST amount of space betwee that spruce and the first corner bed by the house.. the angle the photo was taken at it straight one.. but coming from the other direction yu can actually see th ewhoel house.. i'll try to take different shtos for you guys and you can tell me what you think. Now Gladno1.. yours is the silliest question..hahahakeep bermuda grass out of my beds? You make me laugh!are you kidding me? what do you think i do all spring- march to may!! I dig out all the bermuda grass and re-edge my gardens.. it's horrendous. if anyone knows any trick- please tell me.. but i'm with you gladno.. this stuff is eveil. the only good thing is that it requires no water and stays short in summer and crowds out the weeds. however- it is EATING my driveway too.. can you believe it??!!! now you know why i need hired help right? all my energy goes into keepig bermuda grass out of my beds. haha

Good, I'm glad you all seem to concur with my conclusion. I'd hate to give up precious counter space for another smaller sink. Seems like it wouldn't work in my kitchen. I do not like the setup of my frig/oven wall. I will have to work on that when we get to that point!

Oh yeah, homemade ice cream is definitely worth the trouble. I like the mocha brownie chunk, I got the recipe here. Elery loves butter pecan, I make it with brown sugar from another recipe I also got here. I have one of those little Cuisinart ice cream makers that you put the insert in the freezer. 20 minutes and I can have ice cream, or that prickly pear sorbet that Sol pointed me to, or frozen yogurt or a zillion things. Oh yeah, definitely worth it. I seldom top ice cream, although I've been known to make a chocolate malted out of it. The Monkey Princess and Bruvver like fudge sauce for their ice cream, and sprinkles. Annie

No problem, Daylilydayzed. Here it is: Limoncello-Mint Sorbet with Fresh Blackberries Limoncello, the citrusy Italian liqueur, brightens this sorbet. It's nice to have a bottle on hand to splash with soda in a spritzer or macerate with fruit for a quick dessert. 2 cups water 1 1/3 cups sugar 1/2 cup limoncello 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6 large lemons) 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint 2 cups blackberries Lemon slices (optional) 1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; add lemon juice and mint. Cover and chill. 2. Strain juice mixture through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Spoon sorbet into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze 1 hour or until firm. Serve with blackberries; garnish with lemon slices, if desired. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1/2 cup sorbet and 1/4 cup berries) CALORIES 184 ; FAT 0.2g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.1g); CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 13mg; CARBOHYDRATE 39.3g; SODIUM 1mg; PROTEIN 0.6g; FIBER 2g; IRON 0.2mg Cooking Light, MAY 2009 Lori