You are all so sweet! I will stay in touch on the weekends and I'll be asking lots of questions. I've learned so much from all of you :) Lilyfinch- I think I will try spring sowing, after talking to some of the "cold zoners" on the winter sowing forum. They said for many things, early spring sowing works better. When I have more of my beds ready, then I might try winter sowing some hardy perennials. I have a lot of work ahead of me this summer, but I keep thinking how nice it's going to look and how much more fun it will be designing and planting the gardens.

Oak, I love shopgoodwill.com and ebay. And have learned how to win bids the last 45 seconds if I want something and price is ok with me. Shipping sometimes seems high, other times I know its very fair. I will say that the folks at the online goodwill stores can really pack great. I've gotten some very delicate, breakable things from them. Our local Goodwills can get some neat stuff, and are kept pretty nice. Tho I think the ones in other parts of the country get some neater stuff most of the time. I can see where you thought GW meant Garden Web. It takes awhile to pick up all the abbreviations here. And some have double meanings like DF...dear father or dear friend? I usually just say my Dad as I know it can get confusing. Some of the gals get such wonderful things at yard sales and estate sales. I keep wanting to try them but am so shy about going alone and have no one to go with here. :o( hugs, Karen

Hi stinky. No, it was not fun at all!, and kept me from wanting to,post at first. That, and all the strange text that occurs on this new contraption. Of course it"s not mug skills!. Oh, and see the "mug" there? That's an example of auto spell,correct ,,which I thought I' d turned off...( as well,as all,the extra commas...sigh). Forgive me for being too,lazy this a.m. To correct. It's nice to still be her, whatever the name. It endlessly reassures me of the innate goodness of people...plus, it's fun!

My husband gave me a beautiful string of pearls with a saphire clasp for christmas last year...guess I'm old lady :) But then my newest piece of jewelry is probably 1950 with most of it being 1880's...so perhaps I"m just an old lady at heart :) I love jewelry with history. Sell it and enjoy the vacation...and know that the person who buys it is probably someone like me who will cherish it as much as the original family member of yours did. As to purging...well frankly, I like stuff :oP I love all the stuff ya'll donate to charity because I haunt the goodwill and habitat store looking for it. I use it daily and it makes me feel good. But that said...I rather enjoy purging too, but perhaps that's linked to the fact that I bought a huge house full of someone elses "stuff". I happily donate items to habitat. I like the tax deduction, and I love the feeling of doing something positive for a charity I support. I also do put things outside with a "free" sign (because I think it's cute how people will take ANYTHING!...no one does that in Alaska) but most of those are children's things (which must be taken during school hours so DS does not see it LOL). That reminds me...I have a slide for free to put out tomorrow when he's napping LOL My one hoarded...hang on, I don't know, thing is my son's cloths and cloths I purchased for a set of twins we lost. I thought we were going to adopt or have another child and now that we've give up on that I have to open the boxes. I have literally dozens of large boxes full of lovely cloths, regular stuff, and brand new things for the babies we expected. I know I have to get to that stuff...it takes up a huge amount of space, both physically and emotionally, but I haven't quite gotten into the zone to be able to do that one. Maybe we should make a pledge...those of us who have some purging to do...I'm peronally going to get through those cloths and give them to someone who needs them within the first quarter of 2011. Jak...maybe you should empty the barn by then LOL Ok that's probably asking too much heh heh