Sounds like a great package deal......though I heard the only thing anybody grows in Arkansas is poke salat and turnip greens.....hehehe....(I'm of east Tennessee stock myself)......I figured if several of the folks coming in from out of state were to bunch up, we could share suites at the Indigo or nearby, and likewise share a rental car to lighten the load on all concerned.....make our own package deal of sorts.....free up loads of dinero for those rare plant purchases likely to occur.....

I don't, but I wish I could reach more people to help them know what they have and to teach them what they SHOULD get rid of. Here in the south, I have a theory that the reason people think natural vegetation is ugly is because what they usually see is NOT native stuff. The rural roadsides here are choked with privet and honeysuckle. It looks like a rats nest! Add to that the abundance of non-native weeds that infest any cleared areas (like the road shoulders) and is it any wonder that people think it looks bad. And that, my theory is, is what people consider "native vegetation". So, double whammy: they falsely perceive non-native vegetation is native (one) and therefore they clear out what good stuff they may have and replace it with shrubs and trees from the big box stores (two). Unfortunately, the big box stores, while they do carry some natives for those of us that know how to recognize them, mostly push large volumes of non-native plants. Then, there is the vicious circle: because everyone else is buying non-natives (burning bush, loropetalum, nandina, waxleaf ligustrum, etc.), the next round of shoppers go out and buy it as well. The copy cat mentality in full force. I told one person they should plant natives just because it is more of a challenge! Many people don't care about gardening. It is just one of the chores of homeownership that must be handled and "please just tell me what works with the least amount of effort on my part". They'd rather be shopping, watching TV or some other mindless act of consumerism.

Nana, her DGD looked at the bows I painted on the front and said "they look like they are real bows, not painted on!" She was very interested in how I did that with paint. Creek, we have had a great time together with the projects. Punk, that is so fantastic that she appreciates the work you put into that painted stand! Karen, she had shown me a picture she found of a drop front secretary type of desk and said she needed something like that as her DGD's room did not have enough space for a large desk. I found this desk a few days later and had a 50% off coupon, so I called her and she said "buy it! For that price if I don't like it, I'll donate it again." But once Carol saw it, she LOVED it. Jane, each DGD has loved that they received a piece that was customized just for them! OA, if you lived closer or I did, we would definitely be BFF's!! We would have so much fun doing projects together! BTW, were you anywhere near the fires? My youngest stepdaughter and the baby and 5 yr. old were trapped on El Camino Real for 4 hours!! She could see the flames, and it kept getting hotter. Her temp indicator went from 110 to 114 to 117!! Jeanne, the cool thing about chalk paint is the piece does not need sanding before you paint. It sticks very well to the surface. Thanks everybody. Candy

I am a secret tacky-Christmas-letter lover. When we get one where all the writer does is brag, I laugh and find it entertaining. Also feel a little pity for the poor souls who are in such denial of the real world. I really do enjoy hearing about people's lives. Some friends of my husband (people I have never met) send letters and now I feel I know them personally. We started writing one about 6 years ago when we had a disaster home problem (broke in half, condemned. sorry wrong forum) and everyone wanted to know every year how it, and the law suit was progressing. I got so tired of writing all the details over and over (especially because I have arthritis in my hands) so I just typed it all up, added a little info on our work, told about the dog's activities and sent it on. The first year, I changed the name at top and added a personalized paragraph, but since I print it out at work (sshhh) and use fancy Hallmark paper, it was taking up a lot of time. So now I do the tacky-Christmas-form-letter and hand write a small personal note. This way I can go in to work early one day and run them off before anyone knows. I absolutely hate getting a card from someone with just their names written on it. Even worse is the name stamped on it with my name and address typed on a computer label. I feel like I am just a nuisance that people feel need to be taken care of and do it in the quickest, less painful way possible. I am also very busy but start at Halloween and address just 1 or 2 a day. It's easier to add a personalized note when that person is the only one I need to think of that day.