Xtal. welcome to the wonderful world of clematis obsession. Just a word of caution about clematis in your zone. You would be much better off growing type III clematis than the large flowering hybrid type IIs that Nelly Moser falls into. The type IIIs are much less likely to succumb to clematis wilt and are less likely to brown out in the middle of the summer than the type IIs. In my zone 7a garden in the middle of NC, all of my type II clematis turn disgustingly brown in the middle of the summer. This however doesn't mean that they are dead, but that the leaves desicate in the hot summer sun. My treatment of type II clematis as a result is that they are treated as type IIIs and cut back severely in the winter or early spring to within 6 inches of the ground. They will flower later in the year and then by midsummer turn brown and ugly. At that point, they are cut back once again like in the winter, kept well watered, and given some fertilizer and they bloom again once it cools down in the fall. Another option is to do as gardengal suggests--only trim them back to remove deadwood in the early spring, they will flower sooner than if cut back as severely as I suggested, and then cut them back severely in midsummer after they brown out to get another round of blooms in the fall. Although the type II large flowering hybrids are the ones mostly likely in bloom and present in the garden centers in the spring, think outside the box and try the many different clematis that bloom later in the season and that fall into the pruning III class. I think you will have a much better first experience with clematis! Good luck!!

Jeez, Deanna, I read that header and thought, "Am I in trouble again?" I felt like the kid heading to the principal's office. The recipe is my all-time favorite shortbread (and I am, unfortunately for my figure, a shortbread connaisseur). It's very delicate and crumbly, not a whole lot like you might think shortbread might be, but it is a great great cookie. Well, enough accolades. Don't want to keep you in suspense. This comes from Alice Medrich's book, "Cookies and Brownies." It's out of print, unfortunately. Note the absolutely absurd used price on Amazon. As if. She did a lot of experiments for the ultimate cookie in each category and discovered bleached flour does make a difference with some types. This is one of them. You decide. I know most people don't go the bleached flour route, but I buy it specifically for a few of these recipes. Nut Shortbread Categories : Desserts  Cookies Entertaining and Holiday Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour -- (bleached preferred) 1/2 cup nuts -- (pieces - toasted) 12 tablespoons unsalted butter 6 tablespoons sugar pinch salt 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 teaspoons sugar -- (for sprinkling on top) Pulse flour and nuts together in food processor until finely ground. In saucepan melt butter. Add sugar, salt and vanilla. Stir in flour/nut mixture. 9-inch round or 8-inch square pan or 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan, greased or lined with foil. (Not necessary with stone pans.) Pat shortbread in pan. Refrigerate at least two hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 300°. Place rack in bottom third of oven. Bake shortbread 65-75 minutes. (A few minutes less for tart pan.) Sprinkle with sugar. Remove from pan and cut into pieces while still warm. Cool thoroughly. Keeps well in a tight tin or can be frozen. Description: "Alice Medrich's Cookies and Brownies page 25." Carol Here is a link that might be useful: Grotesquely Overpriced Used Book

OMG just found this Glenda! I didn't get in til late Sunday night and yesterday was a blur. I haven't even picked the camera up from where I put it when I got home. Washed 14 days worth of clothes yesterday and am still unloading the suitcases. The trip was excellent, 7 days on land moving by boat, bus and train. Went to the Alaska St fair the last day on land. The cruise was great too. Holland America. It's a long way from SW FL to Anchorage, we were the last ones to arrive and the first to leave. Carol

I actually saw it in previews, along with some of my high school friends from brooklyn. It was very entertaining and enjoyable. There was a lot of singing obviously but it wasnt so much like someone trying to impersonate. If you like her music you will enjoy it. I know all of us who saw it did enjoy it and it's been on broadway for a few years - I say go for it.