Pat, Destined to see is a gorgeous bloom! I love it. Leaf streak is what it looks like to me. I followed Rita's advice and put fish emulsion fertilizer pn them and alfalfa meal, (but I added some other fertilizer at different times, so maybe that would work) This is last year: Same plants this year: It looks better, but if you look, you'll there is still some leaf strak on these plants even though I have worked to solve the problem...it wont kill your plant, the foliage is just so pretty as we might like. kay

Deedles, you will have a good time in your new 2br house. One thing though. I'd lived alone for 32 years before I remarried my college sweetheart. We are both retired. And, while you might not need two FULL baths, at least two toilets are a MUST. Think about ways you can add a half bath or make a Jack and Jill bath with a his/hers half, and the sinks and shower/tub shared. It helps keep a bit of personal privacy. The wall space for pictures is an issue with me too. I love artwork on the walls. If you have a hallway, think about making it your "gallery." I think Pottery Barn has many good ideas for hanging things in groups, and then HOUZZ and Pinterest are also good places to check out the subject. RosesStink, (love that name!) I went through that with my mother's things, then with my DH's things from his deceased first wife. That was a ticklish issue, and over the last 6 years I've tried to keep everyone happy....except his daughter who thinks I am satan personified....and now we are just about totally done with moving personal treasures around. To his son, we gave their mom's everyday china, and to the other daughter we gave her good china and silver and Christmas ornament collection. And, of course, the gifts they gave to her over the years. Of the old old stuff, my DH wanted to keep HIS mother's china...which I was pleased to do. We will be doing a remodel of the kitchen here, knocking out a wall to join the dining and kitchen, as well as the back porch. We had to add a second bath and walkin closet in a bumpout to the original house, because the one bathroom original to this 1950s house was about to fall through the floor, and it had mold, no floor under the tub, etc. Now it is a nice quiet little house with an enclosed sun porch, a separate garden shed 12 x 16, a 20 x 25 Teahouse which was a garage, and we are very happy here. We are both getting too old to do heavy projects much longer, so it is good to have a contractor we can trust. He's done two of our remodel projects so far, and will be doing the last one. Probably next winter, unless we can get him this spring and summer. It will have to be at a time we can move everything in the house out into the Teahouse. A kitchen job messes with the power, the plumbing, and the exterior walls as well as roofing and flooring.

If you like the store then go work for it part time. I did. It was a dream come true. The people are hired because they know the merchandise and are users. You get big discounts and that is why most employees are there. Everyone is part time. Throw in your cooking stories and you will have a ball. The staff is made up of people like all of you who will become life long friends. As you see them as a sales person is truly who they are.I have been to them all over the country and I know you all agree. They knew me as a customer before I had cancer and when I got cancer and was bored they said come be with us and pick your own hours. They begged me to. I did and gave cooking demonstrations. I was so alive and happy doing that. The best customers in the world go in there and there is no pressure. I was too sick to stay but it was my decision to leave. After I was done with cancer I celebrated in many ways and one meaningful way was with them. You betcha. At this time of year I do think of my dear, dear friends who are working very hard and I go in to give them a few hundred quick kisses and hugs. I hope one of you does work for them.

Love seeing all the lights. Thanks for sharing. @nini804 in the house we lived in for 20yrs, I had the electric candles with three candles in all the front windows. I miss those. Here is a house (article and video) near a family member's home. He hired a man that worked for NASA to help with his lights. Nothing says Christmas like white lights in palm trees, right? Our first Christmas in our little corner of the world. The string lights stay up year round. Everything is on a timer. In the past, one of my favorite things was to see the snowflakes and angels the city installs on the light posts. So I bought my own snowflake several years ago. I plan to add more next year. ETA: I ordered two more, various sizes and shapes.