Woody Allen

Robin Williams

Tom Hanks

Chevy Chase

Great answers, but none of them are correct.

Got my package from Susan today! All I can say is...WOW! Totally blown away. Her package included plants (!!!) of a surprise lily and grape hyacinth with a cool history behind them. She also included some great heirloom seeds (snapdragons, dinosaur kale, romaine and bibb lettuce, and onions), as well as a Farmer's Almanac and some chocolate!

This is my first time trading in a long time as far as group swaps go, and you ladies have really inspired me with fun new trade package ideas! I love it!

Lisa

That is a nice package you put together Susan. The Farmer's Almanac is so appropriate to the theme.

Amy, I am going to be out of town until March 1 so will not get your package until then. Just wanted you to be aware that there will be a delay in my acknowledging it and didn't want you to think it got lost.

Game 5:

Day 5 clue:

His life could be the stuff of legends. He and his bodyguards were once surrounded by guerilla soldiers, and he managed to avoid capture by yelling.

Members of this swap get one guess today.

Anyone who has signed up to be an OBF hostess for 2017 get one vote today.

Any member of OBF gets one vote today.

Holy cow! I'm completely boggled by "Game 5."

Guess 1: Ross Kemp

Sorry, Erica. That is not correct. You have two more guesses if you want to use them!

1st Guess: Christopher Walken

Emily -- Oh my goodness! I received Bolita beans today from Baker Creek. I can only assume they must be from you! Thank you! Thank you!

Sorry, Lisa, but Christopher Walken is not correct.

Erica, glad you liked the beans. Yes, they were from me. It was your second prize. I was going to send the Landreth beans as that was the closest I could get to LL Bean, but then I saw that Bolita beans were on your want list so I went with that instead.

2nd Guess: Jean-Claude Van Damme

3rd Guess: James Franco

Guess 2: Bruce Lee

Nice guesses, but none of them are correct.

Maggie, those are really nice seed envelopes. And I love the victory garden reference!

Game 5:

Day 6 clue:

He collected gold and went on two very successful gold finding trips.

Members of this swap get one guess today.

Anyone who has signed up to be an OBF hostess for 2017 get one vote today.

Any member of OBF gets one vote today.

Thanks Emily! Those are the #1 coin envelopes (you can get them at Staples, Walmart, Office Depot, Target ...), stamped, and because my handwriting is HORRID, labeled (Avery 8195 size, off-brands also come in that size). Computer nerd here - so I'll share for folks who'd rather type, than write (and you can save, edit and reprint your files - my Christmas card mailing list is safely stored in Avery's design program - save to your computer OR their site or both - free. And, I can choose to print just a few labels and not a whole sheet, which I do often). Avery.com has a really simple program for typing into their labels, nice font choices and also images (more images for the larger 5160 size). I did download the free Design and Print program (you can get lost in all the free templates) http://www.avery.com/avery/en_us/Templates-%26-Software/Software/Avery-Design--Print-Online.htm?int_id=topnav-templates-DPOstartpage . If you use it - be sure to note if you're on the "edit all" labels tab (good for a sheet of all one label) OR edit one tab - do each one of a sheet separately). I had a rubber stamp company ~20 years back, most of the stamped images are from a sheet of flowers I used to run (people who like unmounted stamps would understand, I also had the blocks for folks to glue on themselves).

The dragon is a lace pattern stitched on my embroidery machine. Pretty neat in that you keep stitching rayon thread then wash away the soluble stabilizer and you're left with just your thread lace.

And, since I do fundraisers for my Master Gardener group, I'd saved all kinds of Victory Garden images - the copyright free .gov sites have quite a few - some on my Pinterest boards might be copyright, but it's just a reminder to me to see if I can find the original somewhere else. Of course, sharing this board with you all means there won't be as many surprise images in swaps moving forward, but I'll share anyway ;-) https://www.pinterest.com/ceodraiocht/victory-garden-and-vintage-posters/ 

California is pretty dry, so paper coin envelopes for seeds are popular here - here's a photo (not mine) for the local seed share event today by our adjacent county Master Gardeners and local Sustainability organization.

Oops, I'll add that there are tables set up for folks walking in with their seeds (free entry for 10 packets of seed, otherwise $10 gets you $10 packets, some farms and local growers also had free bowls of seeds out - see last years pic. Above is just the Foothill Sustainability table (those first 2 boxes are both beets!). Sharing as seed lovers (we're a small group) will appreciate! (Let me know if this is too much off topic!!!! - thanks, just excited).

Post person brought my sweet package from Erica yesterday. I love everything. I'm excited to try the Oca and very happy to have all those seeds from my want list that also fit the criteria for this swap so well. And what a sweet little poem book......

1. Lou Ferrigno

2. Bill Murray

Nice guesses, Ruth, but they are not correct.

Maggie, thanks for explaininga about the envelopes. It didn't occur to me that the envelopes were rubber stamped. Nice idea. Love the seed share event.

Erica, that is a nice package you sent. I have always been curious about Oca. Does it really taste like potato?

oh these packages are so nice and personal. Very nice this month. Now for this game

Harry Carey

Lionel Barrymore.

Nice guesses, Susan, but they are not correct. You have one more guess today if you want to use it.

Thank you Shirley! Your package arrived safe and sound. The seed choices are so perfect for me! Shirley sent hand crochet pot holders (the owl and the pot handle cover) - perhaps crocheted by a friend, handmade by Sue Bryson tag on the back, plant tags that I desperately needed, a little seed sign, sewn drawstring bag with the quilt look on the front and a bar of very scented soap. Playing in the dirt today and prepping containers as I have to plant these fun babies!! Shirley matched all the colors I'd said I was looking for. I was going to buy more alyssum today! Love it - I put it in the veggie garden to be sure to get the bees over there as well as tucked in around the part shade flower beds and pots.

Seeds

Alyssum White Tiny Tim

Basil Purple Ruffles

Gourd Birdhouse

Gourds Ornamental Wings & warts

Marigold Kilamanjaro White

Hibiscus red

Morning Glory Blue Sky & TriColor

Flax scarlet

Hollyhock Summer Carnival red

Dianthus Siberian blues

Pepper Jalapeno

Ageratum white

That owl is adorable. So nice to see everyone's creativity in putting together their package.

Swap partners update:

Emily (gardengirl37232) sends to Amy (Amybabyboy3) Sent/Received.

Amy (Amybabyboy3) sends to Emily (gardengirl37232) Sent/Delivered.

Erica (EricaBraun) sends to Ruth (ruthz) Sent/Received.

Ruth (ruthz) sends to Erica (EricaBraun) Sent/Received.

Maggie (Maggie M.) sends to Shirley (britneysgran) Sent/Received.

Shirley (britneysgran) sends to Maggie (Maggie M.) Sent/Received.

Lisa (PaperFinch) sends to Susan (skyblue52) Sent/Received.

Susan (skyblue52) sends to Lisa (PaperFinch) Sent/Received.

Serena (Serena Morgan) sends to Jeanne (sandlapper_rose)

Jeanne (sandlapper_rose) sends to Serena (Serena Morgan)

Amy's package is in my mailbox according to the tracking information. I will post a picture of it when I get back on Wednesday.

Serena, I sent you two messages this past week but have not heard back yet. Can you get in touch with me please? Thanks.

Game 5:

Day 7 clue:

He was part of a golden age before he was part of a golden age.

Members of this swap get one guess today.

Anyone who has signed up to be an OBF hostess for 2017 get one vote today.

Any member of OBF gets one vote today.

Guess 1: Humphrey Bogart

Guess 2: Clark Gable

Guess 3: James Dean

Nice guesses, Erica, but they are not correct.

John Wayne

Dean Martin

Steve McQueen

Nice guesses, Amy, but they are not correct.

Since it's officially Monday on both coasts, I'll go ahead and use two of my guesses.

Guess 1: Frank Sinatra

Guess 2: Bing Crosby

Game 5:

Day 8 clue:

He played games in Paris.

Members of this swap get one guess today.

Anyone who has signed up to be an OBF hostess for 2017 get one vote today.

Any member of OBF gets one vote today.

Erica, those are good guesses but are not correct.

Guess 3: Johnny Weissmuller

George Raft

Howard Hughes?

Yea, Erica! You got it right with Johnny Weissmuller. You probably knew that already because all the clues fit together when you get it right.

Some information/explanations:

He won a total of 5 Olympic gold medals, 3 in the Paris 1924 and 2 in the Amsterdam 1928 Olympic Games (clues included collected gold, two very successful gold finding trips, played games in Paris, famous for something before he was a famous actor, part of the golden age of sports (1920's) before he was part of the golden age of Hollywood). I really didn't think about one's golden years until I saw how that clue was interpreted yesterday. I thought someone would have googled golden age and found out about the golden age of sports.

The US Olympic committee calls him swimming'a first superstar.

I really thought someone would have gotten it with clue 5. He was a legendary swimmer, and he starred as Tarzan, the legendary lord of the jungle. Further I used the word guerilla soldiers on purpose since it sounded like gorilla, and he managed to avoid capture by doing his Tarzan yell and then the soldiers recognized him, were big fans, and escorted him safely back to the hotel.

Great job, Erica!

This concludes the Blast from the Past Password game. Thank you for playing, everyone! Erica, I will get your prize out to you. I will post my package from Amy when I get back on Wednesday.

Emily -- Holy cow, that game was soooo hard. I literally spent 10+ hours over the course of the game researching and trying to figure it out. It was actually my hubby who figured it out for me today. When he heard the last clue he knew it was Olympics and went from there. Great games. Definitely had to think/research. Thanks for the win and thanks for keeping us so entertained this month!

I admit that was the hardest game of all of them. I admit I didn't want it to be so obvious that it was the first thing that popped up on a google search. Great job on your husband's part, Erica!

Hello My swap for March is up. OBF-0-20 Spring

Thanks Emily for a great Blast from the Past 2nd month.

I just got back to an absolutely terrific package from Amy. Amy, you must have been dying to see what I thought of it. I absolutely loved it!

Amy sent two vintage cookbooks. One was.a Better Homes and Gardens one on Barbeque and Picnics. Nice to see what was popular back in the day and Better Homes and Gardens usually has good recipes. Other other one was The House of Chan Cookbook. I love this one and never knew there was such a thing. Definitely some stuff I plan to try. She also sent a pretty vintage style brooch and Prince of Peace ginger candy (haven't heard of this brand, but I really like ginger candy. A great thing to aid digestion). Seeds included Hungarian heart tomato (Haven't heard of this one but sounds good), Paradicsom Alaku Sarga Szentes sweet pepper (hadn't heard of this one but sounds good too), Long Island cheese squash (I have been wanting to try this one), Musquee de Provence squash (haven't tried this one yet but wanted to), and Waltham butternut (love butternut). In fact, I love C. moschata in general. Thank you, Amy for such a thoughtful and personalized package!

This concludes this month's swap. Thank you everyone for participating and for playing! Onward to March and Susan's swap!

Emily, I am so happy that you like everything! I was so excited when I saw the House of Chan Cookbook and had to get it for you! Thank you for a super fun swap! Amy

Emily -- I received my prize seeds today from Baker Creek. Thank you so much for the Zuni beans! I'm excited to get to grow them.