Looking again at the Forums page, I think the Subject Areas should be left for use by occasional visitors who need to know what's available on Garden Web. For frequent users who want to get to a forum quickly, you need a comprehensive list that doesn't involve a lengthy scroll. In my case I check "Building a Home", "New England Gardening" and "Soil, Compost and Mulch" every day, so these appear on my bookmarks menu along with the "Garden Webs Forum" page (and some non-GW sites). If there's something interesting going on in a particular forum I'll keep a tab open for that forum. I avoid using the main Forums page because it's annoying to have to scroll down. Claire

As I mentioned earlier, I think that a tithe of $20,000. annual income is somewhat different from a tithe of $200,000. annual income (let alone a million). I don't regard the 10% rule as hard and fast, I guess is what I'm saying. Stages in life have a bearing on the issue too, I think. In my earlier years, when establishing a family, etc. (and I did not have to provide my own home, though my annual income somewhat reflected that fact) I gave less than 10%, and a larger proportion of the total contribution went to the church. After being dismissed from ministry, in what seemed to me a somewhat unfair manner, I seldom attended church or was involved in its affairs for a number of years. I now regret that I did little to support vital overseas relief and development work through those years. More than that - I am ashamed of that record, despite having had low levels of income, at times. To be honest, I do not regret having not supported the national church during those years - they were getting along reasonably well. In the intervening years, I contributed, as I was able, to socially helpful agencies and have continued to follow that pattern, as well. Now I contribute to churches to which I was related as a youth and to some others where I ministered (including the one from which I was dismissed). Now, being single and retired, I have adequate income and, as I live quite frugally, have personal need of a smaller portion of my income. My total givings are more than 10% - I don't know offhand whether my current giving to the various congregations (and my seminary) is up to 10%, but I'm fairly sure that it isn't. I don't see my relation with the church as seperate and distinct from my connection with the world in which I live. But it isn't just that - I don't see my relationship with God as I saw/see that Being represented in Christ as in a different compartment of life than my daily life. Christ was criticized for being somehat unserious, as I recall. Or rather, too much so for the "religious" bunch at the time. Keeping the wrong company, for one. Sometimes I wonder whether, should He appear again today, we would treat him much differently than the religious gang, who felt that they had religion all tied up in a little box, did before. I think that they felt that there wasn't room in the world for their way and his - and his was the one that had to go. On the other hand - many would ignore him. Perhaps especially we who live in the Western world, who have lived quite comfortably for a few generations, leading many to consider that they are doing all right on their own, thank you very much. As a matter of fact - I rather think that He is here now, in a way. Remember the folk in the Old Testament who, having heard that God's representative would visit them that day, while rushing around to clean house, cook, etc. turned away a needy widow, a crying child and possibly a leper, etc.? Then sat wondering at the end of the day how come God's rep. hadn't showed. To be told that indeed such a rep had visited - and that more than once. Sometimes I think that we rather underplay the potential influence that the Holy Spirit might have, not only in our individual lives but in various issues that are part of our Christian agencies, communities and nations. How awe-inspiring - and humbling - that God should have granted us the great boon to be co-creators with Him of the world of tomorrow. Good wishes as you seek to know and grace, courage and strength to follow, God's will. ole joyful

Geraldine, The Fun and Done has a template you can use for cutting and placement/arrangement for each block. (I bought it because it was much easier than to measure all the squares.) The batting is cut about 1" smaller than the backing square and centered on the backing fabric. The strips are sewn directly to the backing and batting. Then you trim the strips down to match the batting size. You will end up with a block where the backing is 1" bigger around than the batting and front fabrics. Sew the blocks together close to the 1" seam so that the raw edges are facing up (your batting will all be next to each other, so no batting gaps). Then turn under that seam to create what looks like sashing and sew it down. You first assemble a row, then put the rows together in the same manner. The tricky part to the whole thing is starting and stopping your seams so they only show where you want them. For instance, when you are sewing down the top strips , if you sew into the 1" backing fabric, that seam will show when you put the blocks together for a row. I used a contrasting thread, so that made mine a little more difficult. I've probably not explained this very well, but I'll try to answer any questions if you have any. Robbi

Adding to my post to show you it will come up if I add a word to the subject. Hope this helps. I had to learn this by trial and error.