Here's a simple rule of thumb...hill them when the vines are one foot above the ground. Don't cover them completely...leave 1/3 exposed (ie. approx 4 in) Carefully mound loose dirt (or mulch) around each mound or row (?) When you have approx 12 inches of growth above your hill...repeat the above step, always leaving 1/3 of foliage above the dirt or mulch. You will do this 3-4 times until you hilling won't take anymore without sliding down. BE CAREFUL...do not break stems in this process Seach "hilling potatoes" on youtube for video help. GL

Hi Vicky, just a few things I want to add. - You say the upper layer of your soil is loamy - we have loamy/rocky/sandy subsoil, it seemed plenty stiff when we dug the pond, five (six?) years ago, and we slightly angled the sides and made the various levels level. Since then we have had major rain issues twice. Even though we ourselves are not in a flood prone location, the ground got so waterlogged that the water pressure outside the pond pretty much equaled the water pressure inside the pond. And the loam/rock/sand shifted. All surfaces are now sloping in, nothing is level, it's slippery and in-the-pond maintenance is fun, but a little dangerous. I lost my brand new cell phone last year when I lost my footing and slid in face first... couldn't get a grip to get out right away... green in my hair etc etc... we laugh about it now but it was pretty frustrating, especially when the phone never recovered. So, when we put in a settling chamber along the side of the pond two years ago, we invested in concrete blocks, and build straight walls with them. They are hollow, you know them, two squarish opening in a rectangular concrete block, and we put soil and rocks back in those openings. Rebar through them from top to bottom. And we slid back every row an inch or so, so there ends up being a slight back angle of sorts. This construction has held perfectly since. Wasn't too expensive, and easier for laymen like ourselves than a concrete collar. - I also recommend a bd (bottom drain) on an external pump. Much easier to maintain than a submerged pump and filter box. - I think planting pockets are the way to go. Make them different depths so you have multiple options. In the corners is a great idea, there are liner folds there, and a plant pocket is a great way to put that to good use. We have a 2-inch plant shelf and it usually has a potted hosta and a potted daylily on it, they love always having water available. And one of our froggies calls that shelf home. Our other plant shelves are so slanted now that we have to hunt for a place to put the pots with them not sliding down... But, we manage. It looks very rustic. - For the heron, Ms. Slomo likes to stop by here and stare into the pond, so we have a fish line strung a foot above ground around the pond. This trip line confuses her enough that she doesn't actually go fishing. The dog also does her best to chase her off. The dog, of course, really is a bit scared of a bird that large, and merely looks like a threat, but Ms. Slomo is long gone before she finds out. Heehee. :) Mary

Induction with knobs???? Is that form or function? I don't understand. I get the appeal of knobs on controls on vertical surfaces. On a horizontal, they seem like a liability - I love my wolf cooktop but the knobs are the weak link it seems to me as they are the part of the unit that become the hardest to clean. Not that I use it tons - but still. I also don't get beagles' point about form over function in a kitchen. I don't especially like to cook - sure I do use the kitchen but I'm no power user and I make do with salads and other healthy stuff (key reason I use my kitchen rather than all takeout all the time). Still, I only enter the kitchen when I have to. I don't get the point of a set-up kitchen if you don't care to use it. Waste of energy, dollars and real estate to me. Heck, if I "didn't cook", I honestly wouldn't put in a stove of any ilk. I'd put in a wine fridge and a wine cabinet, a power point for an electric kettle (for me tea) and a DW (to wash the tea cups and wine glasses) put paid to the rest of the kitchen! I don't get that advice.

Thank you all for the many responses! I was out all yesterday, but didn’t make it to the library. I thought I'd get there today, but the weather is keeping me home. Adellabedella, they had children, and I was able to track the two sons. But the other five were all girls. Thanks so much for the Chronicling America link. I used that a lot years ago, but had lost the bookmark in a computer change. I love that site, even if I’m not looking for anything specific. Those newspapers have numerous references to my grandparents, opera singers who performed all over the country. Rusty, it’s true that the Ellis Island site starts a year later than what I was looking for, but it’s a great site and I’m glad to know about it—thanks! I discovered FamilySearch recently, which is where I found the Census reports. I remember years ago not many of these were available. Lindsey, I'm always interested in the knowledge you share. I had no clue about Italian and German names. Seniorgal, our local Historical Society has a nice genealogy section, but all my family came from NYC. I'm sure the city has excellent resources, but it's a little vast. (That must be an oxymoron.) lol I haven't lived there in years. As some of you know, I’m a volunteer gravestone photographer for FindAGrave. Yesterday I happened upon FAG memorial pages for two of my children’s ancestors, and asked that management of the pages be transferred to me. I was happy to send the links to my kids and granddaughter. It’s funny that my 26-year-old granddaughter has a strong interest in family history that I thought she wouldn’t develop until much later. Thanks again!