Dude, great posting. We have mucho rocks in our shade garden as well. Now, however, I must suggest that you don't need to haul 400 #'ers all the way back from CT to MI! Wait, let's trade! I'm in NW MI and have that size and MUCH BIGGER, willing to trade for rare and unusual Hosta. I might even be persuaded to help with the load. I have an electric gearmotor device that attaches into the trailer receptacle on the back of my pickup truck. The load plate lowers right to the ground, roll, drag, or comealong the boulder on, then it swivels it right up to the back of the bed of the truck to be pushed, drug, or otherwise persuaded in so the door can be closed. This last step is needed as my driveway is very steep, so can't have boulders rolling out the back and on down the driveway. Wouldn't want to hurt the sugarbush down there at the end. Seriously, CT is a long way to haul boulders from. We have plenty right here in MI if ya know where to go, and I have them right here on the property. Some of my neighbors actually 'mine' them for sale!

Thanks for the input everyone! I went out this week and test drove a number of cars, but I'm going to wait until the 2009 Honda Fit and Civic come out in September before I make my decision. As of now, here are my impressions: the Prius, I saw one but could not test drive one. The one I saw was being reconditioned to sell as certified used. If I want a new one, it could take 6 to 7 Months! Some parts come from China so production has been at a standstill since the earthquake. I won't be buying one anyway. The controls look like a rocket ship, and although the visibility from the front and sides are fabulous, it is almost impossible to see out the rear window. I'm sure my height does not help. I test drove the Matrix while I was there but I did not like it. The steering was not as responsive as on our Hondas, and the ride was rough. Next I tried out the Pontiac Vibe. I did like it a lot; it is very comparable to the CR-V but less expensive. It is a bit bigger than I wanted though. I drove the 2008 Fit (which I reaaally wanted to love) and although the steering was responsive, the ride was rough and the road noise was awful. The seat height can not be adjusted and I felt like I was sitting in a hole, I could barely see over the dash! It also looked like the interior was made of cheap plastic, I expected better after driving around in our CR-Vs. They are supposed to be fixing these issues on the 2009 model so I am keeping my fingers crossed. I also tried the Civic Sedan while at the Honda dealer, I really liked it. The ride was smooth, the steering responsive, the blind spots were minimal, it was very nice. When the 2009s come out I might try the coupe out. Unfortunately the hybrid version has a smaller trunk because of the battery. Next I test drove the MINI Cooper Clubman. Boy was that fun! I loved driving it around! Unfortunately it is not very practical here in Illinois as a main car. The first time it snowed I would be plowed in! It is really low to the ground. The last car I tried was the Scion xD. I really liked it! It was exactly what I was hoping the Fit would be (and almost exactly the same size). So now I have to wait until mid Sept. for the new Hondas to come out and I can make my decision and order my car. Depending on the dealer they said between 4 and 8 weeks for delivery (other than the Prius). If anyone else has a suggestion I will look into it. I do prefer a wagon over a car since I do haul stuff sometimes (furniture, wood, etc...). I agree about never buying a silver car again! We have a Silver CR-V and a mist blue (almost a silvery blue) CR-V. Where ever I park there are always several identical CR-Vs! I'm thinking of getting red or blue. There are not that many cars in our area in those colors. At least 75% of the cars in our area are silver, gray, white or black. Joanne

Thanks everyone for the vote of confidence. Sandra, I tend to be a less is more person, but the black pillow alone seems too dark. My thinking with the monogrammed pillow is to add a little brightness to the dark pillow and dark bench. I found a few fabrics today that are closer to the wall color, but I don't want to get too matchy-matchy. I'm on the hunt for something for the umbrellas, but don't want to spend an arm and a leg. There are some gorgeous vintage pottery umbrella stands on eBay, but at $200 and more, they are WAY out of my price range. I found a ceramic umbrella stand at Home Goods over the weekend and brought it home, but I think it's going back. Even tho it was only $15, it's blue and white, has a little bit of an Asian feel and doesn't really fit in with my decor. I had to try it, tho.

I started out with a "standard" American pin, short and lightweight, but years ago in a second-hand shop in Julian, CA (known for apple pies!), I found the American pin grainlady was describing. It's a Thorpe with metal ball bearings. It has some weight, is long, already well seasoned and smooth as silk, and my favorite feature, if you hold it up by both handles and reach a finger over to spin it, it just spins smoothly, quietly forever. Rolling out a pie crust is child's play with this pin. A suggestion for those who don't like the band-type spacers because they limit the size of your dough and can score it, I have used various sized wood strips from the hardware store alongside my dough. As long as your rolling pin is long enough to rest between two strips it works well, but it does have limitations, too. I'm enjoying this discussion, so carry on!