We have a local pediatrician that does di-chro jewelry. He wears pins and stuff everyday at work and has given lots of it to his nurses and receptionists, who also wear it frequently. He gets lots of questions about the jewelry, and people always want to know where he gets it (most of what he wears is very whimsical). Several years ago he began to have an open house at his own home in early December to sell his jewelry (he and his daughter make it all). They invited their co-workers and friends and just served cookies, crackers, cheese, and punch. They told everyone to bring friends. Every year it has grown and last year they probably had a few hundred people go through their doors. I love his stuff and do lots of gift buying there every year, buying about 20 pieces per year. They now have picture frames, serving utensils, sculptures, and lots of jewelry priced mostly from $10-100, but some a little more. People get there early, waiting outside, to get first pick of everything. Most everyone there purchases at least $100 or more. I get compliments on his jewelry all year long and tell people where it comes from and they ask how they can get invited to this "exclusive" party. I just tell them to call his clinic and they will give them the date and time.

That is close to how we played it. In our version the first person says Ships a sailing, second person asks what's your cargo, first person names something, second person has to name something that correlates in some way to the first. If the second person's suggestion is not acceptable he is not allowed to go on the ship and is left in the ocean (has to sit on the floor.) This continues over and over with those not naming something acceptable, joining the others in the water and you may have several people in the water. Often players realize what the connection is to the two objects and therefore don't have to get down on the floor. Guess it sounds silly, but it really is fun, especially when some of the "smartest" people are not making the connection. I'm going to keep thinking, and maybe it will come to me. Thanks for jogging my memory to this point. Merry Christmas. Sue

Looks like an Euryops daisy. It is common practice to cut them back after the growing season, so feel free to remove the remaining bare branches. They are generally considered relatively short-lived and are usually inexpensive to replace. Some growers just plan to replace them every few years, but in some growing regions they remain viable for much longer.

I'm not sure if it's the lighting or not but it looks like it may be getting a bit too much water. The leaves may be displaying signs of oedema or edema (whatever you want to call it). Again, it could just be the lighting though.