I've managed to keep one alive for a few years now, but very slow growing in an optimal setting, although the tree may disagree with this. Fall color is not nearly as nice as A. triflorum, but its also not as big either. I've seen a decent-sized hybrid and wasn't overly impressed with it. The bark was not nearly as nice as a seedling A. griseum, which is the main point of growing it. BTW, there's also a decent sized Paperbark Maple growing at a Squire House Gardens in Afton, MN. A few nice magnolias planted on the grounds as well. Selma's ice cream parlor is across the street. How can you go wrong?

I have the paperback edition of that book. My gripe about the layout with the paperback (and I don't know if this is true with the hardback) is that the recipes are formatted with the basic instruction and times (i.e. Boil for 10 minutes) on the left and all the detailed instructions are on the right. And that would be fine except the pages are not wide enough for that formatting and so the end of nearly every sentence "falls" into the curve of the center fold. Yes, it is hard to keep the pages open, even with something on top of them. I use two big rubber bands. Not pretty, but very effective. You didn't say if you are ordering from on-line or buying from a store. If you are buying from a store, take a good look at both and see if the hardback's spine will allow the book lay open more easily than the paperback and if they allowed a wider right-hand margin.

Thanks, ladies, what lovely compliments from you all. I'm having a lot of fun making things. Connie, when I'm lying in bed trying to fall sleep, I ponder new projects. It lulls me to sleep and when I wake up, I have new ideas or solutions to problems. :)

Finished up Spook by Mary Roach, an in-depth and irreverant look at the world of mediums, ghosts etc. Very funny (as she always is) and interesting, but more of a pick-up and put-down book really so it took a while to finish. Finished The People of Privilege Hill by Jane Gardam, a book of short stories (one or two featuring old characters like Old FILTH etc.). Most of the stories were very well written, but there were a few slightly odd ones in there. I think it was a bit of a vanity project for the author... Then an ILL came in: Fire on the Mountain by Anita Desai, a novel with absolutely beautiful descriptions in it of the hill station in North India where the book is located. There is a crusty grumpy old lady who lives there, glad to be alone when suddenly one of her daughters dumps her own daughter (the protag's great granddaughter) there all summer. It's how the relationship develops (or dosen't) between the two generations. Really enjoying this one bc the writing is just so good. Then, as a NF read, I have another book by Sue Hubbell, a series of essays (I think) about her country living and keeping bees. I really enjoyed her other book, so am hoping this will be similar. I also need to switch off One-Click on ama. It is absolutely far too easy to buy a book right now when I have a slow mo at work...