Hi Martie! I dont know if youÂll be reading this and IÂve been hesitant to say anything, but I could tell by your thoughtful post to Marian in "Mea Culpa" that you have been hurt by the email experience that you had and that it has affected you. It just bothers me thinking of you carrying this upset with you. When someone says unkind things, itÂs upsetting, more so when you can see no good reason why they would choose to hurt you. But, Marty, it isnÂt about *you*, itÂs about them. I find that when people *purposely* hurt others it's because *they* are unhappy. In their pain they mistakenly believe (whether consciously or unconsciously) that if they hurt someone else, bring someone else pain, it will somehow take away some of their own pain. It may for the moment, be a release for their frustration, but in the end they will still be unhappy....maybe more so. While I really try to be kind, I can think of times when IÂve thoughtlessly said something to hurt someone else and IÂve regretted it....the very moment I did it. In fact, I can recall those times as clearly today as when they happened. The negative things we do chip away at our soul, little by little, piece by piece. My very wise parents had two basic rules for their kids; to be honest & to be kind and IÂve found that when I follow those two rules, it makes all my life decisions easy ones. ItÂs not by bringing someone else pain that we find happiness, but instead it is in bringing joy to others that we live in true joy ourselves. ItÂs a truth that some may pooh-pooh, but all those maxims youÂve heard in your life; "beauty is as beauty does", "love your neighbor as yourself", "treat others as you would be treated", well they are well known and often repeated because they bear a fundamental truth. The way to be happy is to be kind, not for the sake of reward, but simply because being kind really does put us in the right place in our hearts and in our world. I believe that what you put out "there" comes back to you and not only does it come back to you, but it gets passed along to others. Therefore, I choose joy and kindness. There is an old Native American saying: "Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect." Chief Seattle. Whether you are talking about the environment, humanity, or spirituality, it is a profound truth, I think. Martie, I donÂt know if I've made you feel any better, but I hope so. Please try not to let someone elseÂs ugliness poison your life...change who you are...how you walk in this world... or how you see others. And, just don't open any emails from people you don't know...I've learned that too! :-) Okay, now on to the lighter stuff! :-) I *loved* that Sly song...thanks for sharing. In fact, Sly & the Family Stone are a secret guilty pleasure! :-) Who knew they were so philosophical...LOL....I just liked their music! Sly & The Family Stone - Everyday people Sometimes I'm right and I can be wrong My own beliefs are in my song The butcher, the banker, the drummer and then Makes no difference what group I'm in I am everyday people, yeah yeah There is a blue one who can't accept the green one For living with a fat one trying to be a skinny one And different strokes for different folks And so on and so on and scooby dooby doo-bee Oh sha sha - we got to live together I am no better and neither are you We are the same whatever we do You love me you hate me you know me and then You can't figure out the bag l'm in I am everyday people, yeah yeah There is a long hair that doesn't like the short hair For bein' such a rich one that will not help the poor one And different strokes for different folks And so on and so on and scooby dooby doo-bee Oh sha sha-we got to live together There is a yellow one that won't accept the black one That won't accept the red one that won't accept the white one And different strokes for different folks And here's my favorite Marvin Gaye song for Chelone: Mercy, Mercy Me (the Ecology Song)by Marvin Gaye Ah, mercy, mercy me, Ah, things ain't what they used to be, no, no. Where did all the blue skies go? Poison is the wind that blows from the north and south and east. Ahh ahh Mercy, mercy me, Ah, things ain't what they used to be, no, no. Oil wasted on the ocean and upon our seas fish full of mercury, Oh, mercy, mercy me. Ah, things ain't what they used to be, no, no, no. Radiation underground and in the sky; animals and birds who live near by are dying. Oh, mercy, mercy me. Ah, things ain't what they used to be. What about this over crowded land? How much more abuse from man can she stand? Finally, hereÂs a link to a song that has been a long time favorite of mine. Funny too, there are no words, but the music is so beautiful and so moving to me, that there were many times I couldnÂt listen to it without crying! :-) Hope you enjoy the music and the amazing photography! :-) Ei

Morning!! Margo, it's not as bad to take care of as people think. I think because its bigger, its pretty self sufficient. I do need to get in it every month or so and weed. My water plants reproduce so quickly they would cover the whole top if I didn't. What's nice is I put all the pulled ones in a wheelbarrow and bring them down to the veggie garden. Pile them up and let them dry. I about a week they are bone dry. So dry they crumble! I use them for fertilizer. I don't know if its the pond water, fish waste or what but those plants work almost like miracle grow ;) Shirley, we have a Master Gardener's plant swap usually every year here around Mother's Day. I say usually, cause this year we didn't have one? I was so busy at the time, never asked why, and till you just mentioned it forgot all about it :) My fair swap has been growing a little every year by 1 or 2 people. :) A lot of the same people come every year once they get hooked. The like the variety of different things I bring every year. What's awesome is that it all comes from the gw. :) The seed swaps in the fall produce nice little babies for my swap. This year I tried a bunch of Dianthus.... I have Ipswitch, Black Adder, Yellow something I can't remember, Black Magic, Fire Witch...as you can see I got most of these from the Halloween swap last year :) I also have some different Althea's that I can't remember right now, lol. The turtle is officially done. He's not a fancy turtle, but, he does look cute. ;) The kids are so excited I hope he wins. Taylor was looking through the entry list for ecology classes. She's entering photography, art (painting and sculpture), sewing, flower arranging (gee, wonder where she's gonna get those?), and house plant arrangement. I have 1 house plant in my house. Taylor's zebra plant. This thing has produced 8 babies! She took my tea cup planter and planted them around in it. She then used one of my old spoons and stuck it in. Made a tea bag tag to tie to the spoon, " Taylor's Tea" It came out so cute! Billy is entering art. He made the most beautiful pastel drawing of a fish this year in kindergarten. It won an honorable mention at the school art show. I framed it. He's also entering the house plant arrangement too. We didn't have any house plants for him, but, we did have some hen's and chicks. So yesterday we got a pair of his old sneakers, washed them, and filled them with hen's and chicks. They are so cute!! Little blue sketchers!! So adorable!! My neighbor saw them when she was walking her dog and asked if they were going to be at the plant swap...lol! I have to get a photo of them. Have a great day!! vina Here's a weird one...found this double gaillardia. It looks like a science experiment gone wrong, lol.

I think I might be the only person who hasn't added there stuff yet so here goes. I really don't like summer at all. IT's hot and muggy and I get sunburned everytime I walk out the door. Oh and did I mention it's hot. Then there's the fact that the kids are out of school and drive me completely nuts the whole time. I love'em I really do but I am so glad when fall comes and they go back to school so I can have a bit of a break. I love the fall and the winter it's my favorite time of year. I hate coffee, tea, crystal light. I like lemonade but usually only the fresh made stuff. I love absolutely love flavored hot chocolates. As for fabric I really go thru stages of what I like. Right now I am collecting reds and blues for a red white and blue quilt for my bed. bright ones, that pop, not the darker tones that go better with tans. Oh and I also love homespun plaids, or really any plaids for that matter. I would love some tan or cream on white plaids I have such a hard time finding the light plaids and I could use some for mixing with the darker. But I like pinks and blues and yellows too. Really I don't have anything I really favor, I just love what ever I am working with at the time. Oh and I am not really a novelty fabric kinda gal. I like some florals but most of what I pick out for myself is blender fabrics, like marbles or mottled. Hope all this helps my partner. I love to cook too. But simple stuff. It needs to be fast, with 3 boys I am usually hoppin trying to keep up with them and need stuff that doesn't take alot of time. We do grill out alot so grill recipes are always good. I don't do really any other crafts. I do hand quilt as well as machine. I love flowers and hostas. I like to have a garden but I don't do to hot at growing it, but my DH does so I just pick the weeds for him and he grows me the flowers. Right now we have petunias, roses, lantana, pansies, verbena, tomatoes, mums, some suculants, hostas, star gazer lily's, some day lily's, and another flower that I can't remember the name of right now but they look kinda like a gerber daisy, oh and some Vinca's on my balcony upstairs. So seeds are always good, I love trying to grow new flowers. I think that's about it. I really hope all this helps my partner put together the perfect swap gift for me. Amy

Just a follow-up here re Heirloom Roses. I ordered two from their website, then two more from their website, then changed my mind twice and changed my orders! I got the first two - in one gallon pots (far from the bands I got from the former Heirloom folks). I re-potted both of them into 5 gallon cans for later fall planting. I was very impressed with the roots fully holding the soil, but not pot-bound. Stems looked healthy. they are already growing and leafing out, even though I got them in the midst of a record heat wave for us. I had also found an Heirloom rose I wanted on Amazon, so ordered it there because I coudn't be bothered to go get my purse and enter my credit card info for the Heirloom site. I got the Amazon rose right away. My other two from Heirloom that I ordered a couple of months ago come tomorrow or the next day. The Amazon rose also looked great, and when I re-potted it to larger can the roots seemed perfect. I talked with someone at Heirloom who explained that Amazon requires immediate shipping - so that's why you get them right away. AND, I learned that with Amazon you get a 30 day guarantee, but direct from Heirloom you get a one year guarantee (or warranty?). Via the Heirloom website you can be part of the buds and blooms, but not via Amazon. So...if you want rewards and a one-year guarantee - shop the website. If you need to "hide" your rose purchases, shop Amazon. So far, I couldn't be happier with my Heirloom purchases. As I say above, ask me after a year if I still feel that way! :-)