Well what a great report from you, pitimpinai!! The last I heard you were still very low in energy and still on a ton of medication and little appetite, and listen to you, helping the neighbor till up a lawn! LOL What a nice neighbor you were to plant tomatoes and Dahlias. :-) I am happy to hear that you've also benefited from a shorter work day. Great that you had all that time off saved up. I bet you really needed it to get your energy back. We have gotten pretty much back to what is normal for us here. The weather has been stupendous in the past month! I have never seen the cover crop in the veggie beds so high. We've also gotten all the leaves mowed and collected in bins, ours and three neighbors. [g] We have gotten somewhat cleaned up for the year in the garden, but I keep adding to my list of what I want to get done before the weather turns. Still have a small amount of bulbs to plant and three shrubs to get in the ground, some pots to clean and put away and that will just about do it. I am actually looking forward to a break from the garden. Not that we don't get outside and enjoy it, but it's nice this time of year, to focus on other things. During the gardening season, the garden seems to push out other priorities. [g] I enjoy the winter garden and by the time spring comes, I am just itching to get back to a new growing season. Glad you are able to enjoy gardening again and hope you stay well this winter! :-)

... All the time. I never seem to know when to stop, even with hubby calling out the door "Time to come in now". When it's hot I pin a pillow slip with crushed ice in it around my neck. When it gets dark I turn on the outside lights, but try to come in by 10 PM so the lights don't bother the neighbors. I'd rather be outside than inside any ole' day and gardening gives me an excuse to be there. Incidentally, for insect bites Bob happened to notice that HEB brand antibiotic ointment has a topical pain reliever in it so it stops the itch of mosquito bites very nicely. Maybe other brands have it too. Well, almost time to put the rolls in the oven. My computer is right next to the kitchen so it's easy to take a little rest from cooking in that chair :-) Wishing you all a blessed Easter Sunday ...

Not one thing you said is untrue... It is sad that we live in a world where "In the best interest of the children" Now means "What I want" and yes bio-parents find it really easy to turn their kids against the other. I know this is hard, I know your husband is tired as well as in pain. She knows she is causing this and it probably brings her satisfaction. However in the long run the children one day WILL open their eyes and see what has happened. (It may take much therapy and money) But they will see how she turned them against their father. And matter of fact is if the tables were turned and it was you driving this wedge EVERYBODY including bio-mom would be up in arms ready to lynch yo for being the "evil step mom" Keep going, keep being there when they need you and DON'T let BM know that it bothers you. If she takes you to court oh well... Outside of the court room don't mention the on going battle. Don't let her draw you into arguments. Keep conversations short and ONLY about the welfare of the children. If she doesn't get to see the frustration or hear about it, it might just take the wind out of her sails...

"If anything I find my tastes are influenced negatively here, not in a bad way really, just differently. I love funky bohemian combined with traditional and modern but don't feel that love from most posters so sometimes I second guess myself. There are some canvas prints at Pier One I am crazy about yet they are cheap. Will I hate them because they look cheap? ($30 each btw) Will they make my decor seem too wild? Cheap? As an artist, most other artists abhor this kind of thing and usually are quite snobbish about having only originals in their house. They would not buy a cheap print from Pier One! So, can I over come this pressure and the pressure here (subtle however) and actually get what I love? I do not like the vast majority of art people choose for their home so I would never ask anyone here "what do you think of this print?" I'm rambling but I guess it's all about keeping myself true to me." Bumblebeez, I feel your pain, really I do. :) Something that would truly *speak* to me, would be a gliclee of Monet's Sunrise. It was a work that was derided by critics in its time and I had the opportunity to see it in the Monet Museum in Paris. It would have much more meaning to me, and to my husband, than something I bought off of Etsy or Ebay. At least you, as an artist, have the pedigree be able to get away with buying what you want (not that you should have to make excuses). It's the same way about furniture. If it's not heirloom or CL, there will always be detractors. I just try to suck it up and decorate to the best of my abilities.