Hi, Don555 and all -- So to quote Hyacinth Bucket, we are unanimous that CJ and its siblings don't need much care. I, for one, will not water mine again, unless it's really obvious they need it, like if we have super dry weather and their leaves start drooping. Besides 3 CJs, 2 CPs, and 2 Bali Evans, I also bought 2 Meteors from SLN. Their advice on watering is a little different from what I read on this forum. From the SLN handbook: WATERING This is undoubtedly the most important [last three words in italics] aspect in establishing any new tree or shrub. After planting, follow-up watering is a must. We recommend 5-10 gallons of water per tree regularly (regularly might mean daily, three times a week, or a good soaking every weekend) for the entire first growing season; especially during the dry months of late July through mid-September. Rain in the forecast does not excuse you from your watering chores. And so on. Looks like the difference between what's advised here and what's in the handbook may be the needs of new transplants versus established plants. In any case, as Don555 says, these cherries were developed in a semi-arid climate. My area actually gets an average of 37.97 inches of rain per year. It looks like young sour cherries may not need any watering. In my determination to follow the directions in the handbook, I didn't look at them critically. Thanks for bringing the excess watering issue to my attention. Don555, your and everyone's comments are extremely interesting and helpful to me. Bernard

I installed shelves into my hall closet and have bins for everything. Labeled them with whatever is in it, toothbruses, paste, mouthwash. Make up was put in one, and I was saving the old large makeup kit for yard sale. Happened to think one day, that old makeup kit would be a good place for my jewelry pliers, pieces and parts for making and repairing jewelery. Now, if I could just remember where I put it. Found a small footstool with lid, changed it into a sewing kit. Found three long skinny storage bins, fit perfect inside to hold spools of thread. Scissors in one, others with needle threaders, thread cutters, small razor knife, etc. Works great, and so much more storage than small kit I had before. Also was able to store old hanks of embroidery thread. They work great for buttons and making closures for bags without one, add a loop of embroidery thread,( all 6 strands) and button to other side. All done, no muss no fuss. I pick up old notebooks and folders at yard sales, use them for project folders or storing important papers, use magazine holders for all the notebooks, and it is all in handy reach on shelf. even have special one with page protectors showing all my cut outs of excercises from a magazine,just flip to one I plan to do, and can page mark them for different days of week, what body part they focus on, etc. clothes pins, paint with different colors, add name with sharpie marker, and everyone has their own "important paper" pin. can also add magnets to stick on fridge. I use two magnets on my sliding screen door to keep from walking into it, just back to back. Also have some on my kitchen window, fruit and vegetables, my kitchen theme, keeps birds from flying into window and scaring the life out of me! Hung an old door knob with plate outside in my carport, holds wipe off board and marker for friends to leave me a note if I'm not home. have a small rolling plastic cart with drawers, topped it with topper of round table, and cloth with glass on top. Those little round cloth tables were so cute, but I needed extra storage space, can't see the cart. A two drawer file cabinet is the right height for the same thing. And serves as a table next to my favorite rocker. Love all your great ideas, hope I've given you some new ones.

Jojo, what did you do with the other animal plates you bought? I bought most of my plates back in 2013 when we got our Maine house. I wanted a collected look to my tablescape, and I paired these plates with my octopi and sardine (?) plates, all from Anthro. It is what impatient people do to get a certain look all at once! I didn't buy the whole alphabet, only the colors and patterns I liked with my dishes. More recently I started to use them as placecards, based on people's first initial. I think I have "x," which is not x-ray ..... it is, oddly enough, "x marks the spot." U is unicorn which is apparently high desirable. I do not know any U people, but I would still like to get a U plate --- I think it is the only one I am still missing. I found a great deal on one but then the seller could not find the plate in their store! Here is how I use mine: The letter "M" is my fave, and this was for my friend Margoth.

I thought of two (budget friendly) gifts I received last year that I can recommend. 1. Hamilton Beach 3 in 1 egg cooker $20. I use it quite often for hard-boiled eggs and they peel perfectly every time. When I hard boil eggs in a pan, it's hit or miss as to whether or not they will peel easily. 2. WIlliams Sonoma Logo Stripe Dish Towels $25. They're Turkish cotton and after using them for almost a year they have not shrunk or stained. My old dish towels always got blotchy after a bit, but not these.