> Blog post by the Houston ChronicleÂs ombudsman: "When > Redding, a longtime scout for Playboy, discovered (Anna > Nicole) Smith, the model could barly right a sentence ..." > ... and to think I had an article published in that paper. ;o) Your Al mix is smart idea to all. I am to say this. Is not to hurt feeling or bring eye tear. For organic piece of soils, I use this coconut husk not pine barks to my plants (the Citrus, the Fig, Adenium, Plumeria, Bursera, Agave, the Tea Oils Tree, Lauris nobilis, the many exotic vine, and is still many more). I try both coconut and pine from orchid shop (expensive!). Plant grow same in both, happy in balance in sun life and winter night to dormants. Coconut better to buy for me, big cube pressed. Is last longer not break down fast! Is important! Why because bad drainage happen when pine bark brake down to small dirts. I change coconut huks 2 year sometime 3 (sometime 1 if to repot but is still good for use to other plant). I wash in epsom salt water, is what they say and I am not to argue. Is said important doing this somewhere I forgot. Maybe Chronicle? Is possible but is not Playboy I am sure! ;o)

Love your picture of Poppy. My grandfather on my dad's side was locally know as Grandpa Billy Goat because he would huff & puff a lot but we all knew it was all for show. Underneath he was a big ball of mush. And the quote is one of those universal truths. I think we can all relate to how our parents miraculously became smarter as we got older.

The quip attributed to Michael Shoup (a southern gentleman) about dead folk growing roses brings to mind other southerners' irreverent remarks about the departed that I've found entertaining. When I moved well south of the Mason-Dixon, I was surprised (and kind of fascinated, to tell the truth) to learn that in some quarters of southern society there persists an adherence to certain rigid, rather baroque rules of etiquette -- including funeral etiquette. Among genteel southerners, the expectation is that one always comports oneself, and carries out ALL one's social duties, with decorum. That expectation extends to the rites, rituals and, of course, attention to southern hospitality that must properly accompany one's final exit. As an aid to pre-planning the inevitable, two southern women (Gayden Metcalfe & Charlotte Hays) have written a kind of funeral primer to assist in departing with grace, and with one's dignity and reputation intact for eternity. The title of their very instructive book is BEING DEAD IS NO EXCUSE. It is, of course, written in a very humorous vein. But those ladies are kidding on the level, and don't you forget it . . .

WG2, that's a great quote. In reality, all our quotes are 'borrowed', b/c somebody has already said them! :>) Thanks for supplying the quote for today.