"After much thinking and considering, I decided that I'll spend however much I please on my garden. What's more, I don't care whether it's the right thing to do or the wrong thing to do. I spent a large chunk of my life doing the "right thing" because there is no "somebody" to do it--there's only you. I'm done with my efforts to save the world. I like gardening. If anyone else on this planet appreciates or gains from my efforts in the garden, great. But if they don't, it doesn't matter. Gardening helps me to deal with and recover from my efforts to do the "right thing". Gardening fascinates me, and keeps me busy mentally and physically. Gardening amuses my cats. So I'll do and spend as I please for and in my garden." I'll add an AMEN! to that. I give a great deal of time, effort and energy to several charitable causes. I don't have one bit of guilt about what I spend on my yard. I'm actually working part time and, while we're finishing the landscape overhaul, pretty much everything I make goes to the yard. This week I'll be buying stone for the stone patio- doing my part to pump up the economy I guess. Obviously I'm fortunate that my husband can support our family and the money I earn is for the extras. I'm also fortunate to work for a landscape contractor so I get all my plants and materials at wholesale cost which helps a lot.

Mindy et al, I got that tall blue pot I had my eye on. It might have been $200 marked down to 40 marked down to TEN DOLLARS. I also got a big metal/copper bucket marked down from at least 150 to $37.50 (I don't think she did the math right. I'll have to check in the morning. I had wanted something like a watering trough near the bees, and this might fill the bill. Or we can use it for logs. That magnificient green pot. I met the nice guy who works the floor. I told him what I wanted to pay for it and without my knowing it he called the ?manager? anyway a woman, and she no way was she going below $160. I think the problem is there was no pink marked down price, so it was 75 % off 699. I really don't want to pay that much because I know I won't move it in freezing weather, and it may break. I'm only willing to risk 100 or less. If anyone can talk them down to $100 or less, I'll take you to LaPatisserie for lunch or Quebrada in Arlington for a cake. Could also do Lakota for a dozen cookies. There's a challenge for the bargainers out there! I'll pay you back in cash and could even meet you at Mahoneys to load and transport pot. Mindy, I saw two "maroonish" pots (one upside down, the other on top) on the pallet, next to the sky blue tall. Are those the ones you are talking about? If there was a salmon pot in the "transition room" I missed it entirely. I'm not looking at your post right this second, but I thought you said it had some branches dispayed it it. I'll look again, maybe when I check to see if the christmas tree is marked down. I wasn't too offended by the look of its branches. But then I had pots on my mind. Marie

Thanks Sylvia! If the deer stay away I could still have a few odd blooms here and there up til New Yr's. So hopefully I'll be posting some more throughout the next few weeks. Yeah, I think I caught her true persona in that pic!! "Pistol" is the mildest word I can think of for this little stinker! Thanks Jim, Ingrid and Irisgal!! Thank you Florence. I love Christmas too, but it tends to get to be too much anymore. I used to love to decorate inside, but our house is so small, and with my older son moved back in, everything is so cramped. And little Miss Lola and her two buddies (we have two other cats) just get into everything, so it's just not worth the hassle. That's why I concentrated on the outside. And I know it's a bit early to put up the lights, but I'm glad we did it, because it's going to start raining this weekend and possible snow just a few miles above us. And I'm beginning to see a few houses around town lighting up too. I love it! Connie, TWO new kitties?? We almost adopted another one last week. One of the employees at a shop across from my craft shop came over looking for someone to take this adorable white and grey fluffy kitten. But I was good and resisted! I love those plastic ornaments. I have lots of them, but I just know they'd be all over the house! Our other female cat Ginger has a huge collection of toys all over the place. We're constantly stepping on them or kicking them around. Sometimes she collects them all under the dining room table, or under my computer desk. She cracks me up. I love cats! Oh, and Lola has been smacked a few times by the iguana. She just keeps going up and messing with him anyway tho. And, that ATV.... I could just "kill" my husband. He's a garbageman, and he drives me crazy with all the "good" crap he brings home. The ATV was given to him by one of his customers. It isn't running right now. It'll sit there for the next several yrs til I make him give it away to someone else. Just like the old engine-less Camaro he had sitting in the upper part of the backyard for 4-5yrs. I finally had my son put it on the free list on Craig's list, and some guy came the next day with a lift and took it away! Now that spot is where my main pot ghetto is!!!

Thank you Annz. One of the installers called me back so he is the one I will use to install the floor. He is the middle of the price range and he told me he will take a break from the job he is on tomorrow to come by to let me know exactly what we need but from my description he feels I need 2 T-moldings (88" long and I need 4" more than this from my measurements for the two areas) and the reducer will not be good if the area is only a 1/8th difference. But he will see for sure and bring a floating pad and a 1/2" board. He also will let me know the exact number of reducers we will need since they are not returnable I just found out. He feels we have enough extra waste for the wood and he is very good at not wasting wood and is good at what he does. Hence, I guess I will wait for him to arrive tomorrow. Truehardwoods.com has been so patient with me and will give me a few more days (they have the order in the system but it is not yet sent to their distributor) to be sure about what I need as well as let me know which glue I ordered to allow me to change the wood glue to waterproof glue between the seams. Another installer just called me back and had no idea and that is not a good sign. So if the installer comes by tomorrow that called earlier, he has the job. I guess I better get back to my work and get a good night's sleep tonight and see what the installer has to stay that is stopping by tomorrow.