Annette, I think you deserve all five. Ana, I don't think I can email my puzzle. I used crossword-making software that is free to try, but you can't print with it until you buy it. Maybe I could email a screenshot. I'll check it out. Cynthia, I'll bet it's not beyond you. I could never make a crossword puzzle all on my own, and I'm amazed by people who can. I'm using a program that makes the word fill a lot easier. It will give you a list of possible words for whatever position you need to fill. You pick one, and go on. When you get the grid all filled in to your satisfaction, you write the clues, which is the fun part for me. It still takes time, but not nearly as much. You can even have the software completely fill in the whole grid for you in about one second, but you'll end up with lots of odd words and abbreviations. I think the pros almost all use this kind of software now, though they probably don't have to. TM

Well, good for you all!! It is the cross-word puzzle. Not as ancient as I thought!! The title for the world's first crossword puzzle is disputed based on whom you ask. The first puzzle that was called a "cross word puzzle" was written in 1862 by Our Young Folks in the United States. The first "cross word" was "dream". Crossword puzzles are said to be the most popular and widespread word game in the world, yet have a short history. The first crosswords appeared in England during the 19th century. They were of an elementary kind, apparently derived from the word square, a group of words arranged so the letters read alike vertically and horizontally, and printed in children's puzzle books and various periodicals. Although Maleska is usually credited with the first crossword phrase in The New York Times, an 1862 puzzle in the Lady's Book had phrases that are considered modern such as the expression "I did it". Crossword-like puzzles, for example Double Diamond Puzzles, appeared in the magazine St. Nicholas, published since 1873. Another crossword puzzle appeared on September 14, 1890, in the Italian magazine Il Secolo Illustrato della Domenica. It was designed by Giuseppe Airoldi and titled "Per passare il tempo" ("To pass the time"). Airoldi's puzzle was a four-by-four grid with no shaded squares; it included horizontal and vertical clues. On December 21, 1913, Arthur Wynne, a journalist from Liverpool, England, published a "word-cross" puzzle in the New York World that embodied most of the features of the genre as we know it. This puzzle is frequently cited as the first crossword puzzle, and Wynne as the inventor. Later, the name of the puzzle was changed to "crossword". In 1925, the New York Public Library reported that "The latest craze to strike libraries is the crossword puzzle," and complained that when "the puzzle 'fans' swarm to the dictionaries and encyclopedias so as to drive away readers and students who need these books in their daily work, can there be any doubt of the Library's duty to protect its legitimate readers?" The first book of crossword puzzles appeared in 1924, published by Simon and Schuster. "This odd-looking book with a pencil attached to it" was an instant hit and crossword puzzles became the craze of 1924. So, for Annette, TM, Bobbie, Cynthia and Garden Gal: Thanks to all for playing, see you all next week!! Nancy.

Rita, No I have 2 fans with a bloom on each fan,which is one of the blooms in this post today.The 3rd fan has a bud on it,and it had already bloomed a few days ago,and wasnt a pretty bloom so didnt take a picture of it.Both blooms todAY looks exactly alike.well, maybe these fans need some fertilizer. I didnt get my usual picture of Wonder Of It All.It just had one bloom today and it never did open all the way.Its been so beautiful,I guess it has earned a bad day.It still has buds yet to open. I was just fixing to try and go out and start watering them, when my daughter called me to see if the man got my ac fixed and working now,and I told her yes, and its really putting out cold air now, but,I need to go get started on watering,and she came unglued and told me to not even think about going out right now,Its much to hot out there, 104,she told me to wait till the sun gos down,and even then will be a bake oven out there.I forgot if Oktoberfest reblooms or not.Have to check and see,and if it reblooms, maybe if I put fertilizer around it, the next blooms will be the orange color. hope so. Jean

you stlll got some beauties blooming.FEAR NOT is always so pretty. I really like it.I don't remember seeing CLOUDS OF KISSES before, but its a very pretty one, too. SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER is always a beauty. That's my favorite today.I'm not that fond of orange flowers, but, ORANGE VELVET is a very pretty one. I do like that one. IN HOT PURSUIT is a beauty, too and looks like a big bloom. jean