I appreciate your post, because I've always had that 'dream' in my head, of living in the country, which I've never done and this is a reminder of the reality of how challenging it is. I don't know how you do it. I just wanted to share that we have a dog and it has not been a problem in the garden at all. This dog is not a digger at all, She enjoys the garden. I have a shrub border edged by grass on 2 sides of the back that she can wander through and look out the back post and rail fence at the next yard. And we have a 30ft mixed border with perennials that has a rock edge, that she was very easy to train to stay out of. She will chase squirrels when she sees them, and that has cut down on their mischief. So the right dog can be a workable solution and a joy as well. Maybe you have friends or family that might consider taking the dog when you go away? You might have to drive to them before your trip, but on the plus side, you might see them more often. :-) Maybe you have a friend with a dog that you could borrow for a weekend to test out how it would work out? We have never had outdoor cats, we have allergies in the family. But if I had rodent problems like you do, I would definitely get some cats right away. There are so many cats in shelters. But you might want to speak to someone about how you judge whether a cat is a good mouser. You said you have raised beds, I wonder if you added hardware cloth to the bottom of them? I would look into that. We just finished building new beds and added 1/4 inch hardware cloth to the bottom. I've been told that makes a big difference. I haven't had a lot of problems. I definitely have a mole in the yard, but not sure about the voles. So I did it as a precaution. It was expensive. I've also had it suggested to me to plant my bulbs in little baskets made of hardware cloth. On the Hosta forum, there was a suggestion to plant Hostas in wire wastebaskets that you can get at the dollar store. I've also seen people build chicken wire tops for their raised beds to keep animals out, although I haven't heard how successful that is. Good luck!

I am not a big Oprah fan either and I do agree it's annoying that she is on the cover of her magazine EVERY single month...BUT...Nobody's perfect. Every single human has good and bad qualities. Same goes with Oprah, although I would say her good qualities probably far outweigh her bad qualities. I think she genuinely cares about making the world a better place and has done ALOT of good with her time and money, probably more than most people, so I admire her for that. I think she tries to inspire others to give back and that is main reason she talks about how she gives, she has certainly received enough kudos to last a lifetime. Even though we all know you should give just for the sake of giving, everyone likes a pat on the back and a "job well done" sometimes, even Oprah. Yes, she can be full of herself, but it would probably be a little hard not to be a little full of yourself with her life. All in all, I truly believe Oprah is a good person who tries her best to better the world the best way she knows how and I respect anyone who does that. I also think it is wonderful that people try to improve their lives or themselves in any way that works for them, including this class. I say whatever works for you...go for it!

I hope 2017 is a better year for you...and all of us. I am sorry the relationship didn't work out and sorry for the loss of your friend. Hugs to you on both accounts. 2016 wasn't the best year for me either....although, I admit, I have had worse...or, some pretty bad years anyway. My husband was in the hospital for 3 weeks, Thanksgiving, 2015. Then he couldn't work for six months. Throw in some boat break downs...more out of work. His brother died in July. They were very close...close in age...11 mo apart, and close in every way. A few months ago, his deckhand fell over board and was in the water for about 30 minutes before he missed her and found her. The water was very choppy, and the net swung around, hit her and knocked her over board. Thank goodness she used to have a pool and is an excellent swimmer. I would have drowned as soon as I went in the water. A couple of weeks ago, he was coming in from shrimping, coming across the bay, at 8 a.m. Had a good morning...on his way back to the dock early. Hit a pipeline that wasn't adequately marked. The buoy was the size of a basket ball and should have been about 4' in diameter. Got a rope and a cable in the propeller and hit so hard that it broke the bell housing off of his transmission. He has had a hard time finding a used one to buy. New is about $2900. He filed a claim and the oil company will pay but from just before Christmas, to after New Year's....they are shut down. So, we wait.......... Well, it sounds like all the bad luck befell my husband, but it all affects me too. Plus, I hurt my shoulder when one of the jacks reared up and I held on to him and then he came down and his hoof hit my back, right where my shoulder joins. I was leading him by holding onto the halter (without a lead rope) and I shouldn't have done that. I don't know when it stopped hurting....it just dawned on me today that it doesn't hurt any more....but now my hip is very bad and I am in constant pain from that. Likewise, can't get a hold of my doctor until after the first. So.......I wait. Yes, I will be glad to see 2017!

The castigation can end over the wrong word choice. A quick word choice perhaps better replaced with something else. Let's call it an "annoying, unwanted nickname" that for whatever reason is disliked. Your name is Allison, you hate being called Ally, and your siblings do so when they want to annoy you. I think that's what's happened in this thread. I didn't make up the issue, it's there. I pointed out that it was odd for a local to use it. Those making a weak and childish effort to be annoying by insisting on finding multiple instances of use (that everyone knows about) are welcome to do so. It's not particularly clever but the word doesn't bother me. Call me Ally if you want. Like most people around here, I don't use "Frisco". If you want to, go ahead. What is annoying is people making an effort to be annoying.