WOOOOHOOOO I got Kym's box yesterday!!!! BUT I didnt want to post until I could get the photos to work FINALLY today Kodak and I got the software to load, tried to yesterday but what they told me to do didnt work. WOW KYM!!!! OMG, I love it! (You know who got the Chocolate lol!) WOW OH WOW KYM SENT! Strickers! She KNOWS I LOVE stickers LOL. Assorted Jumbo Fairy WALL STICKERS! Chocolate Hearts Candy Reese's Peanut Butter WHOPPERS! Yummy! LOL A Pocket Packet of Hydrangea Tissues (you know these will not be opened!) Ceramic Cow (it got broken) Ceramic Sheep Terra Cotta Garden Marker that Says: Gardens Know the Best Dirt Sun Flower Candle Holder Chocolate Scented Candle from the Chocolate Farm! A Flower Shaped Flower in a tin Flower Pot Decorative Sunflower Stake cute! A grow me flower pot cute The Cutes Little Garden Trowel, trying to figure out how to make this a Keychain! LOL A PIG PLANTER OMG, IT IS SO CUTE, I will get a pic of it by its self it is too cool! A Butterfly Wind chime this is gonna get revised, those darn strings keep coming off, I will be putting fishing line of these! LOL Kym made a BEAUTIFUL HANDMADE CARD she quilted it! YES SHE DID! She also made one for Marie in the Cupid swap! WOW!!! FLOWERS Bulbs: Anomone Dahlia Peaches and Cream Brodiaea Acidanthera Peacock Orchids OMG THANKS I WAS GONNA ORDER SOME! Caladium White Queen Caladium Carolyn Whorton Crocus Kit that includes: Jeanne d Arc, Pickwick, Remembrance SEEDS: Mawnature Sunflower (?) Tomatillo Gigantic (YEA) Dipper Gourd (THANK YOU!!!) Pepper Sigaretta Dolce Pasilla Bajio Culinary Pepper Red Corno di Tojo Rasso Franchi Pepper Giallo di Asti Yellow Pepper Pepper Greek Pepperoncini Tomato Giant Belgium Pink Tomato Red Cup Tomato Pomodona Red Noid Pink Columbine Sunflower Autumn Beauty Mixed Sunflower Feverfew Virgo Hosta Hydrangea Oakleaf Moonflower Bush Noid Coral Bells Mixed Sunflower Kyms Beautiful Handmade Card Close up Even closer of the HAND STITCHING ON THE CARD! This is the paper she included in the package I liked it too! This is one of the many wrapped packages she included in the box!!! SEE THE PIG PLANTER IN THE BACK> WOW OH WOW, I LOVE IT! The cow got broken :(! This is the butterfly Wind Chime and in the corner of the calendar pocket is the hangy things that goes at the bottom, and the fairy's are the Fairy Wall Stickers! This is a close up of the Candle holder it is the green round thing, the Flower Candle is the metal thing on the corner there, and the little cute trowel thing is sitting in it! Isn't it cute?! Kym girl WOW, what can I say? You out did yourself! Thank you so very very much!!! I LOVE THE PIG planter, I will get a better pic of it alone it is so darn cute, I hate the cow got broken what a bummer! AND HERE IS MARIANN'S WREATH!!!!!!!!! :) Fran

1. Is it a perennial??? yes (tender above zone 7?) 2. Does it have colorful or unusual foliage? NO (NOT COLORED FOLIAGE) 3. Are there many varieties? No 4. Does it bloom more than once a year? Yes 5. Does it grow taller than 12"? Yes 6. Is it a shrub? No 7. Is this plant valued for it's flowers? Sometimes 8. Is it collectible? YES, not by groups per se 9. Is it considered an Herb? NO 10. Is it a tree ? NO 11. Does it get taller than 36" ? NO 12. Does it bloom in spring? YES 13. Does it grow from a bulb? NO (not a bulb) 14. Can it grow from seed? YES (from what I have read) 15. Does it grow from a tuber? YES 16. Does it bloom all summer? YES 17. Does it come in red colors??? YES (?) Nope Bunny, guess again, I love callas. This is a plant I would LOVE to have too....I know doesn't help much... :) Fran

Good Friday all, Lynn, good to see you post. I think the actions of your co-worker are juvenile and I think you should tell her when you are calm and unemotional that you really appreciate her being in the "spirit" but we are at work and it's inappropriate to hide under a desk......geesh, I am trying to visualize this whole scene in an adult setting. Don't bring in crickets.....sorry, BJ, but why should the poor little crickets suffer. Let us know how you choose to deal with it. You should not be embarrassed!! What adult is going to think someone in the office is going to jump out from under a desk???? Hello?? BTW, I love letting my freak flag fly................I love the song that expression originated from too! IN my case however, I really do let my chickens out and it helps me let my hair down!! LOL Maddie, good for you coming to NY! I hope you guys have a blast. I am trying to figure out how I can join you but the time frame is so small for the miles I have to go. Still, it could happen! Besh, GO SOX!! I know your part of the universe is coming to life......or is it death? LOL BJ, thanks for the menu idea. That sounds delish and totally fattening! I will let you know how it comes out. The weekends are the hardest for me too. One of my strategies for staying on track it to have my meals planned ahead and stick with it. I am sure it's hard to avoid having fattening stuff in the house with kids around. I can only suggest that you make a designated area ( a cabinet) for the snacks and goodies for the kids and don't go in it. I have heard that works - out of sight - out of mind - usually! The temptations are everywhere and you have to just make up your mind to avoid them. Since you want to post your menus how about posting tomorrows menu today and stick to it??? That's what I do even though I don't post it here - it helps. Raeanne, when do you leave for your wine trip? I hope the fires are under control soon. I too am thinking of Tikanis and hope she is okay. Maybe she will check in with us soon. DH is heading to some part of CA in his truck...on the road again.........I don't know the name of the town, I forgot to ask last night! Tomorrow I am heading out to Woodstock, VT for the weekend and will be home Monday afternoon. I cannot wait. This is one of my favorite places to ride. There are hundreds of miles of horse trails. It's a very horse friendly place to visit, not to mention stunningly beautiful. The link below has some nice photos. I hope we hear from everyone today. Here is a link that might be useful: Woodstock, VT

mollymcb....I take offense at what I believe to be harsh judgements made by people here. I read responses to other peoples situations and feel that they are judged harshly at times also. I may be reading nastiness into postings or reading between the lines, I admit that it is difficult to get an accurate reading on things at times. I wear my heart on my sleeve and tend to get my feelings hurt easily. I am very emotional at this time due to other things so although others may not consider that, I know that I can over react to little things and make mountains out of mole hills. I have not considered that my teenagers give SD30 gifts. To me that doesn't make much sense, perhaps I am way off on that as well. Yes I know that my DD is 20 but she was a teen when we married. I am not willing to discuss this with SD30. I feel that if I were to do that she would take it her grand mother, my MIL and a huge drama would ensue. I am not willing to be labeled the evil step mother. I would rather bring it here than to take it to her. If people think that I am greedy because my feelings are hurt over something like this then they do so without knowing me. I do acknowledge that there are people here that understand my point of view. I have been slighted many, many times in my life and so have my kids. I maybe just feeling sorry for myself and my kids. Having other people over look my kids is not something that I get used to. I know others don't see it that way. They seem to always be the invisible children. I just wanted to vent here as is the case with most people. What would Jesus do? He would be understanding of my feelings. He would encourage me to move past them, which I am doing. He would want me to not cause others to feel as I do. Things have escalated in another area of my life that puts the gift thing so far off that I really could care less. I have a concern for the life of DD20. She is suffering terribly with an issue explained on the parent forum. I'm not looking for attention in bringing that up I'm just letting you know that no gift matters to at this point. I may not have even posted anything about gifts if I wasn't falling apart due to her situation. It is interesting to me however that SD30 has been told about our situation and has offered no comments to me about it. Whatever....she is just not that type of person I guess. I have other things to concern myself with. I will continue to be as kind to her as always....again....I was venting.....I am try to get over it.