Yippee! Mariann, I am so happy to hear that you are going to Well-Sweep. Their catalog had lots of stuff I'd like to try - especially the scented geraniums. I'd love to get some of those for my sis. I really hope you enjoy your trip and get some great plants. You deserve it!!! Although the debris in my yard is slowly but surely decreasing, the heat has been unbelievable. When sis got sick and the trees fell, I just didn't have the heart to get into the gardens. I was so sad to see my babies under all that stuff. Thinking about my sis, I just couldn't bear to go out and look at struggling plants. But lately, I've been peeking around a bit. I'm amazed that some flowers are still going strong, and others are recovering on their own. My Ruds are gorgeous as are the zinnias. I have two kinds of JMG that amaze me each time I go see them. I have variagated KMOGG that I wintersowed that is absolutely beautiful! I wish I had sown more. I must figure out how to harvest the seeds. I've harvested some seeds from a yellow 4 Oclock and a broken one too. I also have a vine white lady that is right at the gate that I love to see when I enter each day. Other things blooming away are several types of amaranthus, cosmos, and dahlias. I guess God's been out there doing the gardening for me. Isn't that wonderful?!?! I am looking forward to the fall when I hope to rebuild some beds and get my hands in the dirt again. So, what's blooming for yall? I was happy to see yall posting before our little thread went off the page. Fran, How are you? I see your swap is going strong. I can't imagine shipping anything in the heat we've had lately - over 100 degrees. Bunny, You doing ok? I miss talking to you since I've been away from the computer so much. Kids doin good? Have a great Friday tomorrow and a nice weekend. Nik

Thank you everyone for the kind messages. I'm not so upset at not receiving things, its the fact that I was passed over. I read all the neat messages about the special effort that the secret pals in this robin are going to for each other and the extra thought put into each package and then mine hadn't even bothered to send a note. I just got feeling kind left out. Also mad that someone would be receiving from their secret pal and not bothering to follow thru on the other end. All these nice words have made me feel much better. Debbie I will say that I enjoy getting my packages ready each month (and I hope that I put the special care into them that all the others are doing) I have my August package ready to send. I appreciate you comments but really I do enjoy getting surprises ready for someone else. (Your "guesses" were very amusing and accurate! LOL)

Oh I feel so old.... But suddenly, the invorgating flow of youthful curiosity arose in my veins and burst forth til I actually clamped my jaw shut from its agape position and opened the huge box awaiting my arrival home today. Sue! I can only assume you are getting your birthday boxes out really early and what you crammed in there is just astounding! Did you buy out the whole store? There is a blooming BLOOMING bromeliad in my living room, like it just came off the shelf, yet it travelled halfway cross the country. So pretty. A gorgeous clump of Dracena in a deep reddish green. I have some plain green that I am always welcoming back each spring because I use the leaves in vases for tall greenery: red/green will be equally welcome and go great with my red dahlias. A new hosta for my new shade bed: "gold Standard" green with a strip of gold. Perfect. A host of tulips and crocus- my Spring garden will have reminders of your kindness! A bulb planter to plant them all! You think of everything. There was a dahlia with roots and a bud. A BUD travelled cross country. It is labelled "yellow Floodlight" but I wonder and will watch eagerly to see if it's 'Kelvin Floodlight' next Spring, or maybe this year, but we are so cooling off entering into Fall that I don't know if the bud can develop enough to show its stuff. I am thrilled to add to my collection, Sue! If it's Kelven Floodlight, that will be a bonus as I lost my only tuber of it this spring. In addition there is a lovely maroon and yellow hollyhock, the healthiest I've seen in ages as ours always get rust. I will try to find a spot where these won't. Love the blooms on those. There is a wonderful woven/tin basket with cute little stars cut out of the tin, a set of pot feet in blue and white which will go well with a little white, blue and yellow ceramic pot I have and a mini address book to keep me organized. Last but not least a small pot of mums, yellow and lavender, my favorites in bloom and a jar of "Almost Raspberry Jam" LOL! It looks delicious and we'll try it on almost toast very soon. Sue you are a gem among women and generous to a fault. I am awestuck by how well you packed everything into that box. I celebrate my birthday early and tip my birthday hat to you!

Meredith (naughtykitty), here is the starter list. :-) I haven't compiled the list from 2012 and early 2013 yet but it's coming. :-) Will list the upcoming 2013 books as we read them. 1998 Eva Perón Fraser, Nicholas and Marysa Navarro A Cup of Tea Ephron, Amy The Notebook Sparks, Nicholas A Change of Heart Claire Sylvia; William Novak A Yellow Raft in Blue Water Dorris, Michael Divided Lives Elsa Walsh Divine Secrets of the YA-YA Sisterhood Wells, Rebecca The Color of Water McBride, James The Horse Whisperer Evans, Nicholas 1999 The Chin Kiss King Veciana-Suarez, Ana A Year In Provence Mayle, Peter All The Pretty Horses McCarthy, Cormac Falling Leaves Yen Mah, Adeline Memoirs of a Geisha Golden, Arthur Snow Falling in Cedars Guterson, David Stones for Ibarra Doerr, Harriet The Fencing Master Perez-Reverte, Arturo The Reader Schlink, Bernhard; Carol Brown Janeway The Song of the Lark Cather, Willa; Doris Grumbach 2000 A Prayer for Owen Meany Irving, John Gap Creek Morgan, Robert Laguna Heat Jefferson Parker, T. Midwives Bohjalian, Chris Prodigal Summer Kingslover, Barbara Red Light Jefferson Parker, T. The Blue Hour Jefferson Parker, T. The Slave Girl Emecheta, Buchi We The Living Rand, Ayn Where the Heart Is Letts, Billie 2001 Before Women Had Wings Fowler, Connie May Chocolat Harris, Joanne Fortune's Rocks Shreve, Anita Guests of the Sheik Fernea, Elizabeth Warnock Left Behind Tim F. LaHaye; Jerry B. Jenkins Silent Joe Jefferson Parker, T. The Bone Setter Tan, Amy The Haj Uris, Leon The Ladies Auxiliary Mirvis, Tova The Red Tent Diamant, Anita 2002 Drowning Ruth Schwarz, Christina Good in Bed Weiner, Jennifer Managing Ignatius Strahan, Jerry Sister of My Heart Divakaruni, Chitra Banerjee The Fig Eater Shields, Jody The Fourth Treasure Shimoda, Todd The Girl With The Pearl Earring Chevalier, Tracy The Makioka Sisters Tanizaki, Junichiro; Jun-Ichir-O Tanizaki The Painted Bird Kosinski, Jerzy The Shipping News Proulx, Annie 2003 Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Sijie, Daj Blue Shoe LaMott, Anne Embers Márai, Sándor I Am Madame X Diliberto, Gioia Lovely Bones Sebold, Alice Mrs. Dalloway Virginia Woolf; Maureen Howard Running In The Family Ondaatje, Michael The Da Vinci Code Brown, Dan The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency McCall Smith, Alexander Unsolicited Kaewert, Julie Waller 2004 Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons Landvik, Lorna Caramelo Cisneros, Sandra I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Angelou, Maya Reading Lolita in Tehran Nafisi, Azar The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Haddon, Mark The Lady and the Unicorn Chevalier, Tracy The Miracle of Edgar Mint Udall, Brady The Namesake Lahiri, Jhumpa The Secret Life of Bees Monk Kidd, Sue The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax Gilman, Dorothy 2005 Death Comes for the Archbishop Cather, Willa Dreams From My Father Obama, Barack Having Our Say Delany, Sarah L. ; A. Elizabeth Delany Heart Full of Lies Rule, Ann The Chinese Gold Murders van Gulik, Robert The Cold Sassy Tree Burns, Olive Ann The Cruelest Miles Salisbury, Gay; Laney Salisbury The Kite Runner Hosseini, Khaled The Sunday Tertulia Carlson, Lori Mari The Tender Bar Moehringer, J.R. 2006 Devil in the White City Larson, Erik Don't Lets Go to the Dogs Tonight Alexandra Fuller Hallbaloo in the Guava Orchard Desai, Kiran How to Read Literature like a College Professor Foster, Thomas M.C. Beaton Mystery (member selection) Beaton, M.C. Me Talk Pretty One Day Sedaris, David Snow Flower and the Secret Fan See, Lisa Sweet Diamond Dust Ferré, Rosario The Memory Keeper's Daughter Edwards, Kim The Mermaid Chair Monk Kidd, Sue 2007 A Thousand Splendid Suns Hosseini, Khaled Infidel Hirsi Ali, Ayaan Jane Austen's 'Read Alikes' Various Memory of Running McLarty, Ron The Ginger Tree Wyland, Oswald The Glass Castle Walls, Jeannette The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio Ryan, Terry The Thirteenth Tale Settersfield, Diane Unpardonable Lies Winspear, Jacqueline Waiting for Snow in Havana Eire, Carlos 2008 The Shadow of the Wind Ruiz Zafon, Carlos Body Surfing Shreve, Anita Bel Canto Patchett, Ann The Day the World Came to Town Defede, Jim Water for Elephant Gruen, Sara Hundred Secret Senses Tan, Amy Three Cups of Tea Mortenson, Greg Life of Pi Martel, Yann 2009 The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loan Eco, Umberto Plain Truth Picoult, Jodi Kids from Nowhere Guthridge, George Rabbit Run Updike, John The Cure for Modern Life Tucker, Lisa Winterdance Paulson, Gary Obscene in the Extreme Wartzman, Rick Down River Hart, John Outliers Gladwell, Malcolm Molokai Busnell, O.A. 2010 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Larsenn, Steig The Help Stockett, Kathryn Travels with Charley Steinbeck, John Sarah's Key de Rosnay, Tatiana Olive Kitterdge Strout, Elizabeth The Weight of Heaven Umrigar, Thrity The Season of Second Chances Meier, Diane South of Broad Conroy, Pat An Inconvenient Wife Chance, Megan The Home for Broken Hearts Coleman, Rowan 2011 Murder on Astor Place Thompson, Victoria Cutting for Stone Verghese, Abraham The Lady Matador's Hotel Garcia, Cristina You Know When the Men are Gone Fallon, Siobhan The Poisoner's Handbook Blum, Deborah Crocodile in the Sand Bank Peters, Elizabeth Mink River Doyle, Brian Daughter’s in Law Trollope, Joana Middlesex Eugenides, Jeffrey Kosher Chinese Levy, Michael