Ahhh, a spot on Luna Month!! Tsk tsk, Don, I admit the Luna Moth is one of the strong performers and a blemish is rare. But, it is among the most enduring of plants in my garden. So is Squash Casserole et al, and most of the fragrant hosta. I really feel for BKay, I did not know you had LOW humidity up that way, I thought we had similar circumstances. Gads, when will the Devil Demon Doglet grow up and sit sedately at your side, not chasing things over the hosta bleachers! I'm so glad I have two low to the ground dachshunds who simply like to dig in the mulch. I have moved pots further apart for the fat one though. They like getting beneath the cover of green hosta leaves and tracking scents. My goodness, I have at least four hosta which are totally heat dormant this year, one with a nice scape with seedpods still standing. The light substanced Bibb Lettuce by Stuart Asch was the first to go. Then I can commiserate with Denis, those fried hosta leaves are a familiar sight here too. I thought it was a zonal problem, but I suppose not. I water regularly and patrol the garden looking for dis ease and disease as well, moving things to get more or less of light and/or water. I decided I simply cannot grow Dawn's Early Light. It doesn't like my garden. This is the third year for it to look like carp, and I'm pretty discouraged by that. Most of my golds are doing fine. But, anything with WHITE, it looks like Denis and Santa's with an alligator bite out of the midleaf, and distinct long chewed grooved all around the leaves. I'm truly reluctant to use any chemicals that might harm pollinators that I encourage to attend the needs of my fertile bloomers. I'm not sure of the NIGHT pollinators I might count on, but whatever lands on me after dark is pretty safe, unless they are scared off by my screams and jumping around a lot. This is two Pathfinder with Half And Half in between. The white seems to melt regardless of where it appears on the leaf. Littler Ice Cream is drying up about to blow away. Or else go heat dormant. I moved it to a different spot with more shade and less watering Carnival is simply dead, it was eaten by something, don't you think? All those HOLES in the crown! This doesn't count any of the hosta which have the bottom layer of leaves dying and drying up. Once they are down, I simply pull them off cleanly. Those hosta are generally making a second and third flush of leaves, I cannot find fault with that. After all, they are not even supposed to be growing here, remember? But don't tell them! I'm wondering if I should be taking notes on the varieties not making it elsewhere, if they are problems here too. If so, I'll be putting some on the DO NOT REHIRE list. Life is too short and planting space too precious to choose non-productive plants. Too many good ones yet to discover. Great thread. I'm late to the party yet again.

Kahlua or wine for those who aren't offended by Alcohol. A nice wool scarf. If it is all ladies, 2 or 3 pair of funky trouser socks. A nice selection of different sized Batteries. Gayle

I host a similar gift swap at a party I do every summer. Out of season right? But the point of the game is to have fun which we always do. I call it the Greed Game, mainly because that's what it was called the first time I ever played it years ago at a Christmas party, but also because that is the whole point of the game: greed! I've found over years of playing it that these things hold true: 1. People LOVE to unwrap a present 2. If you get a low number (one of the earlier pickers in the game) there is a good chance that the game will not be fun for you, in the event that you pick a gift no one else wants to steal. It's not fun to watch everyone else stealing and laughing and having a good time while you sit there with an undesirable gift. So here are the rules we play by, which seem to work very well. Everyone draws a number. Round ONE consists of everyone unwrapping a new gift. Round TWO is for stealing. #1 looks at his/her gift and decides to either keep or steal. If keeping, play moves to #2. If stealing, #1's gift goes on the table and #1 steals from someone else who we will call 1a. 1a can take the gift on the table or steal from another person (1b). 1b can take the gift on the table or steal from another person (1c). 1c must then take the gift from the table. Once the gift is taken from the table, whether it be by 1a, 1b or (forced) 1c, #1's turn is over and play moves to #2 who initiates another round of stealing if desired. Within one player's turn (#1, 1a, 1b and 1c for example) a gift can be stolen only once. However, once that person's turn is over and stealing play moves to the next player, all gifts are again available for stealing. This method allows everyone to open a new gift AND to have an opportunity to steal. The stealing goes on AFTER all the gifts have been opened so that people can decide what they want based on complete information. There is still no guarantee that everyone will go home with the gift they wanted, but that is never guaranteed. The fun of this game is in the stealing, thus the "greed". So when everyone opens a new gift and everyone can also steal, it's the fun of the game that becomes the star instead of what gift you end up with. The gift you end up with is more of a bonus for participating in the game. I will say that the gifts need to be imaginative. If everyone brings a gift card, there won't be much fun in either opening or stealing. And it doesn't matter if the gifts are worth $5 or $50. Again, because the point is the fun of the game and the gift is merely a bonus. I hope you have fun no matter what you decide to do!!

We have these every year we love them. Unless specified they are never gag gifts they are really legit gifts you would want. This year I gave a personal smoothie blender. It is small and has the drink container as the blender top. They fought over it. Another that I got that was fought for was an led battery powered lantern great for when the power goes out or camping or you need a work light. I bought those at big lots. This year the gift I stole was a small battery powered screwdriver/drill that has a handle that bends for easy grip. One year I gave a set of women's tools it was very pretty with flowered handles, they loved it. I gave a set of nice steak knives once and a set of nice kitchen utensils once. I tend not to get to gender specific and not holiday related. I never use gift cards they lack the wow effect which you want at these events. One year the gift I got was a very nice electric fillet knife kit. This is an excellent gift and one I would highly recommend! I gave away every electric knife I had after having that one. You can buy them in a really nice hard case with accessories at Academy sports and in the fishing department in big stores. Best knife ever for cutting up the turkey and ham. That would be my top suggestion.