Tornado in my neighborhood yesterday, lost some roof shingles but didn't blow away the aphids, so I started spraying with insecticidal soap :) As for the mites, I did go look and saw a couple of spiders, which I guess are actually spider mites. I did notice spider webs almost immediately after planted but thought that was a good thing, to have spiders to eat insects. But I guess if they're mites that's a different story.

Patti, think of it this way....the dark green stems are left on to protect the tender part from damage and dessication. I've heard some TV cooks remark about freezing those stems for use when making stock. I've not done that but it sounds like a good idea. I save shrimp shells for stock! I love plums and always look forward to seeing them in the markets. I agree that this 'lemon plum ' is special. Plums don't have a very long shelf life, sadly, and bruise so easily. They shouldn't be picked when they are still little hard because they don't continue to get sweet once picked. They'll soften up but taste mealy and bland. They are picked much too early to withstand the rigours of the commercial market. I haven't gone exploring in the right grocery stores (lately) to find something new to me. I taught a college course one year about exotic, tropical, and world foods and for a fun assignnent challenged the class to find, research, and prepare for eating something that fullfilled the assignnent. It was a night class, so conducive to sharing a little meal. What fun! I had never tasted starfruit until that night....delicious. Students sleuthed out really neat grains, spices, fruits and vegetables. Luckily, our little city was multi-cultural....and larger cities very close by.

Electrical: 1. Two-way switches at top and bottom of each stairway iucluding basement stairs. 2, Two-way switches inside house and garage to flood lamps lighting driveway. 3. Outlets on ends or sides of kitchen island counter. 4. Extra outlets in basement. There should be 2 to 3 outlets in the laundry/water softner area. There should be outlets along each basement wall. If you know where your basement workbench will be, install a couple of outlet boxes there. 5. Phone jacks in almost every room and one in the garage. Omit phone jacks in bathrooms and powder rooms. Nust have locations for phone jacks are entry hall or location of your primary phone, kitchen, each bedroom, basement, and garage. Structure: 1. Make sure that a back stoop is included. Often, these are on the model home, but not included in the owner's house plans. It may be an extra, and if so, you won't get one unless it is added. The best time to build a stoop is during basement wall construction. A beam and footing is built into the basement wall below the frost line to support the stoop and keep it in register with the house. 2. Pay attention to the ouside design of entryways, especially the main front entrance. The front step become hazardous in winter if the roof dribbles water and melting snow on the stoop. The stoop becomes iced. Rain gutters are no protection. Figure that gutters will fill with snow and drip over its edge. A cupola over the stoop or a recessed entrance is nice in northern climes. A sheltered entrance is a plus. One caveat: On a two story, the design of the entrance cover should not interfere with ladder placement to the second story roof. 3. Add anti-ice dam sheets on all lower edges of the roof. The best time to install these is when the roof is first built. This sheet is cemented to the roof board. Also, add the same to all roof valleys. 4. Consider the method of attic venting. Older constructions used vents through the roof with soffit vents. Some new constructions are using ridge vents in place of the roof vents. 5. Seal the garage floor before moving in. 6. Add chimney caps to keep birds and vermin out. 7. Inspect the framing before the siding or brick is installed. make sure that all holes are blocked, especially places where wind might penetrate. Typical places were unwanted openings may occur are at the ends of the second story floor joists, and places were the upper floor changes direction or cantilevers over the lower wall. 8. Pre-stain the interior finish wood before it is installed. You'll have to work with your builder and finish carpenter for this. The carpenter may not like to work with stained wood if the color is too dark. Woodwork finishing is easier and faster when the wood has been pre-stained. Its a pain to stain wood after it has been nailed on the walls. Its tough to keep from getting stain on the walls. 9. If there will be decorative ceiling beams, paint the ceiling and pre-stain the beams before these are installed. 10. Carefully plan where the furnace will be located if it will be a high efficiency, gas fired model. These vent through the sidewall of the house and do not use a chimney. Plan the location of the furnace and vent. If the furnace does not use the chimney, a chimney liner may be required for a gas water heater that does use the chimney. (A gas water heater does not warm the chinmey sufficently in winter to prevent condensation.)

Wonderful work. I can create beautiful hand embroidered or cross stitched pieces but I surely cannot sew with a machine. I would love to learn how to quilt or sew to make beautiful items like Flamey's or Sandy's. I still use the book jacket cover and the bag holder you made for me. Everyone's pieces are beautiful.