I now have clematis all over them. Vines like wisteria and honeysuckle get way too big, but the clems are perfect, and I have lots of different kinds. From Clematis From Clematis From Clematis From Clematis

Oh my dear...... I have about 4 patches of Immortality.....groves maybe. It is definitely scented and like many irises (and lilies for that matter) it may be described as having a strong scent, especially in the sun. Another one that comes to mind that can be a bit much is Bosenberry Buttercup and even I don't like that one. I guess it is individual preference. I think Saturday Night Live smells like Dr. Pepper! And really like oriental lily Conca D'Or but can hardly tolerate the scent! ??? So if it smells like corned beef to you, I would suggest you leave it in Mom's garden. :) Ginny

Hi, it's me - Tricia. Great advice. I agree about the birthdate. Birthdays were not celebrated like we do today and many immigrants lived in countries where vital records were either not kept at all or were sketchy, at best. Church records are baptism dates - not usually birthdays. Result - many immigrants simply did not know when they were born. So, because it was required info they made a date up and, sometimes, didn't remember what they had put on each different form. Then, to further confuse the situation many immigrants were not literate or spoke dialects using just phonics and each person from the same village spelled the same word differently. Now, add in the problems on the other end in the US (lack of ability to understand foreign languages, poor literacy rates, equally poor spelling) and mistakes were more the rule than exception unless your immigrant came from an English speaking country. I agree to check other points of entry besides Ellis Island. Remember, to a non-English speaking person Ellis Island meant nothing. But, over the years it became the place most people associated with "immigrants" so they said that is where they were processed. T'aint always so. Even if they write Ellis Island on their official paperwork. My own grandfather is a good example. All of his official paperwork read Ellis Island. He told everybody Ellis Island, including me. I spent 10 years looking for him. Nadda. Hired the National Archives to search. Nadda. I'm a contact person for the German-Russian Historical Society for the village of Norka. Got an email one day - from a women searching for one of my aunts who immigrated with my grandfather. She said, "Ellis Island? Gee, that's funny. My aunt always said they arrived through Portland, Maine." With the correct point of entry - Grandpa was easy to find. Fifteen years old and towing behind 3 younger sisters. Sometimes, there no better genealogical research than dumb luck. :) I also think a membership with ancestry.com is a good investment if you're just getting started. But, I warn you - BE CAREFUL! People are idiots. They just copy what somebody else has written with no further research on their own. So, mistakes get passed on and on and on and on. LOTS of them. I use whatever I find on ancestry.com as a clue, nothing more, until I've confirmed the info by independent resources. Also, the Mormon church site is notorious for mistakes. So much so I could not with good conscience even recommend using their data bank. But, if you do - proceed with caution. My goal is always 3 separate confirming documents saying the same thing. And, I get copies if possible. I've got tens of thousands of hard copy records. I set an annual budget for vital records and such because it does get expensive. I had my second book, "Thunder on the Steppes, a genealogy of ______________", edited this past spring (while we were rebuilding from Sandy). I was especially nervous because I've written a novella inside the book to bring my German-Russian ancestors to life for my grandchildren. My first attempt at fiction. My editor loved it and said I should seek a publisher believing it has a broader audience than immediate family. I'm thrilled. First though I need to publish the entire genealogy and not get sidetracked. I'm so close to being finished - just got to sprint those last 200 meters and cross the line. It's taken over fifteen years. At that point, I'm going to call my genealogy project finished. Genealogy is never truly finished but after nearly 3 decades of research and two books each exceeding 800 pages and going back to the mid-1200s it's as complete as I'm going to take it. I'll leave it up to future generations to carry on. Have Fun! /tricia

Here you go. Haven't met anyone that didn't like these. Decadent Caramel Rice Krispies Squares Regular Rice Krispie Squares (thicker version) 1/2 cup butter 400 g Marshmallows Pinch of salt (optional) 1 tablespoon vanilla extra 9 to 10 cups Rice Krispies Melt butter and stir in marshmallows and pinch of salt. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and rice krispies. stir until well coated. Pour into buttered 9 X 13 inch . (I use a pyrex glass) cake pan. The idea for these squares comes from another blog - Pots and Pins. Nan, makes the rice krispies squares the normal thickness and pours her caramel over the top. Because her squares are not as thick, some of the caramel sits on top of the square forming a separate caramel layer. In my version, I used my caramel sauce which does not contain corn syrup and because my squares are thicker, the caramel funnels it way through the whole square. Caramel Rice Krispie Squares Prepare rice krispies squares. Set aside. Caramel Sauce 1 cup butter 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup white sugar pinch of salt vanilla Coarse Sea Salt ( I use Maldon Salt Flakes) Place butter, cream, sugars and pinch of salt in a heavy sauce pan. Simmer until caramel reaches the soft ball stage. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Pour caramel over rice krispies squares. Caramel sauce will slowly seep down through squares. Sprinkle with sea salt and refrigerate until cold.