Ok, ok..I am givning in! I am on the prowl for either those birds or a couple of green singing finches. Jojo, you just made me realize how much I miss hearing the singing of birds in my home.lol It made winetr go by so much better than the dead silience in my home. I think I know who named those birds..lol. Such cute names that only a kid or two can come up with. I would love for you to raise them along side of us, all the way to the brood, hatchlings, and babies. I would love that Jojo since I have a thing for birds. Just love them and you have yourself such a beauty of a pair! Hi Al, Jodi, Josh, Jodik, and Laura! I missed all while I was sick.;-) Laura. I have been sooooooo sick and now that I have got better nergy, it's time to catch up onmy e-mail. I am sorry about the delay bust just know that I appreciate you and the rest of the bunch here. I am SO BLESSED to have such great friends as you all. Love you all! Mom, says to send a group hug to you all! Mike

Ruthie, you are my hero! Way to go, Lady! My sister had cancer some years ago and beat it. She still gets her checkups. I have terminal melanoma and take treatments for it. Just don't want to leave my wife of 20 years... lol Couldn't make it without her. One of the tumors is in the rear part of my brain which they say controls motor movement. I have learned to live with it, just not the stares of the people in the restaurants as I come staggering in.... lol ps. I still garden too. woopee ty yie yippe yippie yaa for Ruthie! Shot

Babs, your comment on the 'photo' thread, about no holes in my Kale....I had other Kale starts in 2 different beds that were eaten down to stems. Not sure why the Kale in the photo was unmolested. As for the Smoothies, we usually have it for breakfast a few days a week, especially on busy days and a substitute for lunch is a great idea too. Anyway...The Sausage Soup recipe, is a take on the soup you can order at Bertucci's. DH really liked their soup so we tried to find a recipe and found one that is a healthy version of it. Bertucci's-style Sausage Soup Ingredients 1 cup raw Brown Rice 3 links Italian turkey sausage, sweet or hot, casings removed 1 large onion, diced 8 cloves garlic, minced 6 cups low-sodium, fat free chicken broth 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, no salt added 6 oz. baby spinach leaves, washed, dried and torn or chopped coarsely (substitute Kale) 1 Tb. minced fresh basil leaves 1 tsp. fresh coarsely-ground black pepper (or to taste) 8 Tb. freshly-grated Parmesan cheese Directions Prepare the brown rice according to package directions but omit the butter, use extra water and cook it for only 25 minutes on the stovetop or only 17 minutes in the microwave. Not all of the water will have been absorbed, so drain the rice. When the rice is about halfway through its cooking time, heat a stock pot with as small an amt of olive oil as you can get away with. Crumble the turkey sausage meat into the preheated pot, add the chopped onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the turkey loses its pink color. Add the minced garlic. Continue to cook and stir for another 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil, stir in the partially cooked rice and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 5-8 minutes or until the rice is cooked to your desired doneness. Add the spinach (or Kale), basil, and freshly-ground black pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes longer, just until the spinach starts to wilt. (You want the spinach to be wilted, not cooked.) (We cook the Kale to soft and tender) Serve with 1 Tbsp. of freshly-grated Parmesan cheese per serving. Makes 8 servings Nutrition Info: Calories: 209.0, Fat: 6.8g, Carbohydrates: 23.6g, Protein: 13.5g

If you're in or willing to travel to northern NJ, Newton, to be specific, I think you might be interested in what Valley Fall Farm has to offer. I don't know of a direct email address or web site, but you will find location and contact information on the Local Harvest site. I purchase my garlic planting stock from Roman Osadca at Valley Fall Farm, and have purchased other products as well. Wish it wasn't so far ... an over an hour and a half from my home ... but worth the trip. Here is a link that might be useful: Valley Fall Farm via LocalHarvest