they definitely sell topsoil around here...by the bag or by the truckload...it sure looks pretty but it's definitely garbage. don't throw things at me though...because i just used some in my mom's yard. her soil was too rich for the type of garden she wanted...xeric. she had added so much compost over the years..i just knew the heads of all of her echinacea would be flopping over in no time! so...i had to basically cut the quality of her soil a bit. sad..huh? i added only 6 cubic feet...i'm not sure if it will make a difference or not..but i wasn't going to add compost! when i put in my raised beds, i ordered something called planter's mix. i think it was a 70% topsoil 30% compost mix...and i STILL had to add TONS and TONS of compost and manure to get that soil fertile enough to grow good plants. the soil was horribly hydrophobic too! anyway..in horticulture class..my professor warned everyone against "topsoil." he said it has no organic matter and will not support plants on it's own. in my soil class...we learned that silt makes great soil! so edie...just start adding compost and you'll be happy with your soil in no time!

Okay now, come on confess, all of you, WHAT DID YOU DO TO ANNOY THE WEATHER GODS!!!!! As I stated in the best place to live post, I have been out weeding, raking and burning brush. Nice enough today to burn, raining now. Best March here in years. And as you call us the frozen tundra, yeh "what is the point"? LOL Remember Hosta are tough and a little bit of snow will only do them good. I bet your hosta this year will be the best yet. Don't worry, be happy. All the moisture in the ground. They say we are supposed to have a dry spring/summer here this year. Now you can sympathize with what we usually go through, and whose to say, we will probably have snow in April. Won't be the first time. The only thing we cannot control is the weather, no matter where we live. By the way, the golfers have been playing on the greens since last week. Sorry, just had to say that, they are such a happy bunch. Betty

I went to the employment office today - boy, is that place busy!! I met with a counselor and asked about training for a medical coding & billing career. I am a displaced worker - you need a layoff letter, which I have. I am meeting with another guy on Sept 2nd to see what other jobs I would like. I guess the place has had several architects and designers come in looking for work. I brought my resume into a furniture store today, another straight commission job. I don't think I can do that. They sell furniture from custom homes, nice stuff and good prices. They had several customers while I was there but I saw no purchases, just lookers. I never heard back from my ex-employer when I emailed him asking him for an explanation of why I was no longer there. That lack of response is typical for this guy. I must say that Direct Buy place was very strange. And from what I see they cannot beat every price point, like on some of the cabinets. I think I am supposed to have my colonoscopy test this coming Monday. I have not received the appt letter yet. Oh, I did have my interview on the phone with the health care people to continue my coverage last week. Then the gal sent out a letter requesting copies of my bills, etc. I sent those back right away. Then today I get a letter saying everything will be cancelled because I did not show up for an interview. What? The interview was on the phone. So I called and left a message at the DES and also drove over there to ask what that menat. The worker says the computer spits out an auto response but she saw in the system that the interview had taken place. So I was not cancelled. Talk about giving me a scare. So nowadays I am a radio listener, play solitaire on the computer, read the bible, go to church, and sit at the library computer reading email, applying for jobs or coming here. Once a week or so I work at Dillards. Well, thanks again. I am going to start searching for another place to live. Cheaper. I may have to store a lot of my furniture.

Malls are definitely not on their way out around me, in suburban DC/Baltimore. Where I live, in a large tourist town, we have our downtown/Main Street shopping district with its touristy shops, boutiques and restaurants. Unfortunately high rents and parking issues mean lots of turnover and some businesses fleeing to our huge mall a few miles away, as well as a Towne Center (funny it's called that b/c it's not the center of town!) just down the road from the mall and an additional large strip mall another few blocks from there. Our mall has been around since my childhood and has expanded several times in the last 30 years. The anchor stores are Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor, JCP, Macy's and Sears. It also includes Crate and Barrel and all three Pottery Barns. I almost never go to the mall though my teenagers do. Not to hang out - my dd17 loves to shop and ds16 will meet friends for a movie. Our Towne Center is huge as well with a high rise high end condo complex as well as Whole Foods, Target and stores like lulu lemon, and Anthropologie and numerous restaurants. Kohl's is a stand alone store across the road from there, then TJ MAXX is at another strip mall across from the Towne Center. A couple of blocks from these shopping areas is yet another large strip mall with Nordstrom Rack, Barnes and Noble, Fresh Market and a movie theater as its anchor stores. I used to love shopping but since having kids, it's more of a burden. When I do shop, I tend to hit the strip malls rather than the huge mall b/c I typically just want to go to one or two stores and then flee. ;). I rarely buy shoes or clothes online b/c I need to try them on first. I will if I already have the item and just want a replacement, or it's something where I know the fit won't be an issue. I do often buy my kids clothes online, esp my boys. I do use Amazon Prime but not really for clothes or shoes. I also try to buy from locally owned stores as much as I can. But all that said, I don't see our mall going belly up anytime soon. Our anchor stores never seem to be the ones to close when retailers announce they are closing some of their locations.