Well............I met Dennis on line too, through a mutual friend on line. I was given my first computer by my mother. At the time she was 78/79 and had serious health issues. I quit my job in Naples and took a PT job in North Fort Myers for 6 months so I could stay with my Mom and take care of her. In an on-line Care Givers Forum, I met this wonderful lady. It was a hard time for me financially and emotionally. I had no other family here to help us out. Annie was a Vietnam Vet nurse and belonged to the IL Vietnam Veterans Assn. Once my mother's health improved, I took a full time job with a large developer in Bonita Springs. Annie and I became very good friends and even met in person at one point. I was talking with her one evening on line and knowing that I was an artistic type, told me about this guy from the Vets group that was looking for someone to paint a mural on his resort that he was putting on the market for sale. She told him about me, that I loved to fish (he owned a fishing lodge in Missouri-formerly from IL and still a Vet member in IL) Anyway she told him about my situation and that I loved to fish and couldn't afford a vacation. If he flew me to MO, put me up in his resort, I would probably paint his mural just to go fishing a couple of days and to get away. It turned out getting me there was 1/3 the the cost of what professionals wanted to paint his mural. So she introduced us on line, and he flew me in to paint this mural. I have never been married, I wasn't looking for romance, and everything was totally above board. I trusted Annie, and thought this guy sounded sane and nice in our on line and telephone conversations over what he wanted painted on his long wall by the pool. WELL! I get off the plane, here is this guy that looks like Sam Elliot!! He's got rough hands, tender eyes, a ratty shirt and blue jeans. PEOPLE THOUGHT I WAS NUTZ for going. I just wanted to go fishing!! His lodge was in a beautiful setting. Mornings were too wet and dewy from all the mist and fog off Lake Tannecomo to paint the dripping walls...so we fished. Afternoons the sun beat on the walls and was too hot, so hot it gummed up the paint...so we fished. I out-fished this tournament trout fisherman the first day I was there. He was impressed. It felt like I knew him forever-we had the best time! I managed to paint just one urn with plants dripping out of it in 5 days! We had so much fun together. It was like we were waiting for each other. When it came time to come home, we cried, we both knew we were in love and didn't want to leave each other. A week after I got home his resort sold with just one painted urn!! He said...NOW where am I going to live. I invited him to visit me in Florida and see if he liked it here. Two months later, he came back with all his belongings and boat in tow. The rest is history. We are still just as much in love 11 years later! He is my rock, my soul mate, my partner, my best friend and the love of my life! NOW more than ever, I tell him often I love him and how much he means to me. We hold hands longsr, listen closer and love each other more deeper than ever before. PHEW that was long!!!

i have to say, when i saw this paper for the first time it didn't strike me as anything special. i spoke to a vendor and after explaining what i was looking for he suggested the elinor pattern. i saw it on the website and didn't think i'd like it but he wanted me to see it and sent me a very generous cutting. it was perfect. the whole thing is printed with iridescent inks and is very shimmery, without being flashy, like a foil. it really is stunning in person. i have tried to go through several vendors in the UK, including wallpaper direct but they are all out of stock. the pattern in this color is discontinued so i had been searching and finally think i've found someone who has a few roles in stock. no more is available from graham & brown. so my search continues! Here is a link that might be useful: elinor in duck egg

Hey, thanks for giving me some info I didn't have. Like you note, Picasa is ok if you don't need some of the bells and whistles the more complete photo editing programs offer. Next time I need more, I'll have your link from this thread. Thanks.

Sorry..I had company come in after I posted this! That's perfect,Chloecat! I'm so sorry if I neglected to thank you before...but I'm thanking you now, for the other one..AND this one! It'll probably be about a week before I get the block done (gotta get Christmas packed up for another year), but I promise to post pics of the finished block! Thanks again so much. I have a couple of old photo editing programs..but they're pretty limited on what I can do in them!!