I just tried yard long (brown seeds) and Fortex for the first time this year. In years past I have grown Lazy Wife. And earlier than that I grew Kentucky Wonder and Blue Lake because my parents always grew KW and I noticed the canned green beans that I bought were always Blue Lake, so I figured they'd be good to can. I was new enough to gardening that I didn't know there were SOOOO many kinds of beans to choose from. A home grown bean is always so much better than the canned ones you buy, whatever kind it is. I don't remember much about the Kentucky Wonder and Blue Lake. Seems like the Kentucky Wonder got woody pretty fast. Lazy Wife was a good bean, the pods grow two or three together and so they are easy to spot and pick (hence the name). The flavor is good. They are climbers, will climb 8 feet or more. Beans are stringless and meant to be enjoyed when young. Once the seeds begin to bulge, they are stringy and tough, though. And when the weather gets hot, just pull them up because the beans after the hot spell is over are short and fat and get woody before they're any size worth picking. The Fortex that I grew this year have been a disappointment. The pods are really small and picking is time-consuming. I haven't noticed the flavor being better than Lazy Wife was. The Yard Long bean has been fun and prolific. Even through the heat of summer, they produce. I have them growing on an arch made of a long stock panel and the long beans hang down and are easy to see and pick. The beans are flavorful, tender and stringless. I can't tell you how tall the vine grows because it has gone to the top of the arch and mingled with the vines coming from the other side so I don't know where they end. I tried to grow Dragon Tongue, which is a bush-type yellow string, but I only had 4 seeds and only one germinated. I hadn't planned to eat any of them as I was growing the plant for the seed, but I mis-judged when to pick and ended up eating them because they hadn't made a seed big enough to plant. They were tender and good, but I didn't get anything I could plant next year and the bean beetles or something got the rest. I garden pesticide-free so I end up letting the insects take what they intend to take most of the time. I have noticed something's drilling holes in the Fortex, but they don't bother the Yard Long. However, I seem lately to have an infestation of black aphids on the Yard Longs that tend to all gather on the same bean and its stem, covering it like sequins on a ball gown. I've been waiting for the ladybugs to notice them and that hasn't happened, so today I just went out there with a wet paper towel, folded it over the bean and went the length of it, smushing every bug along the way. I also planted some Tiger Eye, I didn't know if they'd be pole or bush, and I GUESS they're bush but they tended to want to climb a little bit. This apparently is a dry bean as the pods filled out really fast and were really easy to open to get at the bean. So my favorite this year is the Yard Long. That Red Noodle sounds fun. I'm trying George's Tennessee Cutshort next year. I've never had a bean that was still tender once it got fat so it will be a new experience for us. George may have a convert! I might see if I can get some Insuk's Wang Kong beans to try next year, too. So Jim if you have some to share send me an e-mail. --Ilene

The grandsons are coming here for Mother's Day and their uncles' birthdays this coming weekend. I think I will make them some flubber if I can find the big bottles of Elmer's at HD. That should keep them busy at the kitchen table.

Hi marksteelman, I don't have any suggestion to offer to deal with your problem, as I've never had a PayPal account - nor eBay, either. I think that your possibility of getting a reply to your question may be better if you start a thread of your own, so that people who may be interested in your topic may see it. Also, you may find a reply over in the "Computer" forum. While your kid may or may not be making a better return on his invested dollar than you ... ... it looks as though he's more adept in the use of a computer. As are most of our kids. I hope that you're enjoying your week, otherwise. ole joyful

The time will fly. The kids will be in their own home and hopefully have age appropriate toys. Most three year olds love to show off their things and their skills to new people. The one year old will probably be entertained just watching the 3 year old and manipulating his/her own toys. Between feeding, diaper changing and nap time the 1 year old will be fine. One year olds love to observe the world around them. Singing/being sung to is something both will enjoy. One year olds like picture books and simple rhymes. The three year old can hear a story or watch a video during one year old's nap time. The day should divided into active periods and quiet periods of time. If the 3 year old naps it will be a short one at that age for most kids. I would never do a wading pool with a one year old I am not experienced with. Kids of that age could do a face plant and drown in a minute. All it would take would be the distraction of a phone ringing etc. Too risky. Had a friend whose little sister drowned in a wading pool in their yard. Toddler wandered into the back yard through a door left open by an older child while mom's back was turned. Tragic.