Gdionelli, thanks for the tip on the music store - as a member of MTNA, I'll get in touch with the South Carolina chapter when I get there, and that will give me a networking base. As far as amending soil goes, that's been in the works here for several years - my soil is good part sand, and underneath that, rock, so compost is the name of the game. I have heard about the clay in the Carolinas. Any possibility I'll escape Japanese beetles? Susan, plants have priority over clothes in this move, LOL. I'm hoping to take a piece of that Bluebird hibiscus that I gave Tiffy seeds from a few years ago (has that bloomed yet, Tiffy?). I also have some hydrangeas (one that bloomed beautifully after a 7-year wait, waaaah) I bent and pinned branches down to root in the fall (serendipity?); I hope that was successful and I can cut them loose and pot them up in the spring. Rich, that something that will remind me of my NE home has to be a rosa rugosa - I have successfully grown them from seed from Planting Island Beach (how appropriate is that?), and I will try some alba seeds from the bush my Mom gave me when we moved here in '96 as well. Mary and Tiffy, the other thing I'm taking in lieu of clothes is my overstuffed seed box. And I'm still trying to figure out a way to take the compost. Thanks for all your support, folks - this has been a bit of a rough week. I announced the move (via email) to my students, and the feedback I'm getting is that they are pretty devastated about it, especially the younger ones. And because this is a small town, by the time I arrived at school for the concert today, the music teachers already knew. When I get teary about it, I remind myself that not everyone is sad - there will be a couple of neighbors doing the happy dance when I go (this is true, and not a huge deal :))!

I have several and all of my family members have them too, being Cajun we eat a LOT of rice so having the rice cooker comes in very handy, and frees up one more burner and pot for all those big meals. Can I cook perfect rice with out it, I sure can so can all my family, it is one of the first things we learn LOL but do I love my rice cookers I sure do and use them almost daily. They do so many things besides cook rice, if you do a search for rice cooker cookbooks you will be amazed and they are good recipes. Most of the ones I now own are Aroma brand I also have a couple of the microwave type and like those too, they are especially handy for steaming veggies. but they work equally well at cooking rice. I appreciate technology and consider the rice cooker a nice step.

I think the idea of a frame or base wallhanging that can be altered with the seasons is a neat idea. Although I think I'll be starting with a Spring theme, the idea that's floating around in my head is to do a doorhanging in a landscape scene with some little patches of mesh overlay so I can slip Scrabble letters into it, arranged in phrases. Because it would be changeable, I could change the phrase as needed. "Happy Valentines Day", "I'm in the garden", "Welcome, McNeeses", "Happy Trails to You", "Rain rain go away", "Happy Birthday, Jim!" whatever. Fun, right? I've been collecting Scrabble letter tiles for years so I'll have enough letters if I ever get to this particular project! I'll use the blank tiles to add punctuation (Sharpies write on anything). Does anyone need a Q? Kate

Wow - Christine - you need to come back to MI - we had snow yesterday - seriously! Beautiful weekend last week but has been cold since then. My front yard is starting to pop including my Japanese maple (hopefully not too much damage from 2 very cold winters) as well as my trillium and Solomon's seal. One of my friends used to come to A2 each year for a conference and we would hike in the Arb and look at the SS and the false SS. She loved how the little flowers under the leaves on the SS. She passes away a few years ago at a much too early age. I found some SS at the farmer's market last year. It will always remind me of my friend. Christine and others - have you planted any epimidium? I have one in my yard and thinking of getting more and planting under my tricolor beech tree. It is a very slow growing rhizome. I am not even sure where I got the one on the side of the house - I love the leaves(they turn colors as the season goes along) as well as the tiny shooting star type flowers. Not that you can meet someone with your armoire but in our area, the local Sheriff's office is encouraging CL exchanges in their lobby. Mtdoug - hope your mom is adjusting well. DM is in a continuium of care place. She moved out of independent living into assisted living about a year ago. She had a nasty fall in the elevator and broke 3 ribs and split her knee open and has been hanging out in skilled for the past month or so. I think she will go back to AL in another week as she just got her walking papers back. Schick - I will have to look up holly ferns. I have a few fern varieties in our yard and hope to add some more unless bambi likes ferns and then I would be tossing my money to the deer.