Oh yikes, many people have bad experiences with landscape fabric. I tried using it many years ago - maybe they've improved the material - but it was awful, and this seems to be a common opinion. It isn't that easy to lay down, it bunches up, it gets punctured and weeds grow through anyway, AND last but not least, it doesn't break down for a long time. By that time, lots of roots have grown through and it ends up being difficult to remove. If you want to move your perennials around, then it's real fun dealing with that mess. It's better to use an organic mulch in the long run. Cardboard or newspaper along with mulch gives you pretty good weed control for about a year and you can smother sod or weeds or groundcovers underneath at the same time, all of which are quite the effort to weed or dig out. Breaks down eventually into a nice organic matter that enriches the soil. The worms actually love the paper. Not that I don't still dig garden beds, I just dug one last fall - wanted to plant it right away and I fuss and muss with placement so much. They say you can't be too thin or too rich, but I think you can't have too many flowers. :)

Hi Charlene, Welcome home from your "trip"! Great story! I bet that honeymoon suite hasn't seen too many couples there with their kids! LOL And glad you're safely back home. I feel so sorry for all the people that are still at DIA---and probably will be for days yet! I'm a flight attendant and had been getting really down because I've been stuck down here on the ground for over a month now because I had surgery on my elbow, but when the blizzard started for real, I was so happy to be "stuck down here on the ground!" It's WAY better than having gotten stuck at the airport and winding up sleeping on the floor up in the domicile---which happened to a whole lot of people (not me) during the March blizzard of '03! Here's my Thornton blizzard story! Since I'm off I didn't need to worry about going out in it, so on Wednesday I just watched the people at DIA on TV all day. Then late afternoon I went out to try to shovel the 12" of snow off my sidewalk thinking (mistakenly) that it would make it easier to shovel the next day. Since I'm not supposed to be lifting anymore than 1 lb. with my left hand, I shoveled it 95% using just my right hand. Never knew you could do that, but you can! Except---one time when I got the shovel full and bent over to pick it up to empty it, I got too much "twist" in it and did something BAD to my back, so I decided to go in the house for a little bit to rest, but when I tried to take a step it hurt too much so I just stood there till it felt a little bit better--and I could move again--and started shoveling again. On Thursday I discovered that blizzards are no respecters of shoveled sidewalks, and when the snow finally stopped around noon, there was 14-16" of snow on my "shoveled" sidewalk, so I put on my eskimo suit and went back out to do it again. My back and the muscles in my right arm were so sore from the day before, that I decided whether I was supposed to or not, I was going to have to use my left arm. The city requires that walks be shoveled within 24 hours, so I was planning to shovel a one shovel wide path down the walk---and that was all. Right after I started, the neighbor across the street who was shoveling his drive started talking to me, and I mentioned that I had had surgery and wasn't supposed to be using my arm---and he went in and got his BIG 15 year old son out and told him to shovel the walk for me. He had it finished in less than 10 minutes---it would have taken me at least an hour like it had the day before! The neighbor asked if I needed the (hip deep) snow on the driveway shoveled, and I told him I didn't--that I didn't need to leave for a week and was just going to wait for the sun to melt it off---this is Denver, after all, and my driveway faces south! Then, early this afternoon I was at my kitchen window--which faces the front of the house--when I noticed that the snow on top of my roses didn't look "smooth" anymore. I can't see my drive very well from inside the house, but I went in the living room where I can see part of it, and the whole drive had been shoveled! I couldn't believe it--and started to cry! I waited until I was sure they were home this evening and went over to verify that it was them---they have two BIG teen boys--and to thank them--and started to cry again! It was so-o nice of them, and was the nicest Christmas present anyone could have given me. It means so much when someone does you a random act of kindness! This summer I'm going to take them some perennials and some produce from my garden. I can hardly wait! I'm sorry you didn't get to Mazatlan, but it's great that you were able to have a fun time anyway. I hope you are able to get your trip refunded--I know United is offering full refunds to anyone who had their flite cancelled. Merry Christmas, Skybird/Dee

Here's my little snow bunny! I had to pull on boots over my bare feet and a coat over my PJs and go rescue her this morning. Later I shoveled a path for her and my other dog. Didn't lose power - yet. Some evergreen shrubs are split or laying on the ground covered with snow tho. :( Thank goodness I don't have to be anywhere and try to drive; but can never resist getting bundled up and taking a walk and look around after a big snow. Plus, it's still snowing! Tami, I don't remember the names of the grocery stores but they were right on the main drag through Lorain, mostly small family run stores. Had the greatest deli cases too with delicious Cuban, Puerto Rican or Mexican dishes all cooked and ready. We usually stopped at two or three before heading home.

We have many basketballs bouncing in our driveway. I have asked neighbors on both sides, to please let me know if there are more/less inconvenient times when they'd prefer not to hear it. I'd accommodate reasonable requests, if they ever made any. I don't let our kids play in the driveway past 9 or so, just because I think that's unfair, despite the neighbors having never complained. The purpose of basketball hoops is to bounce the ball and shoot the ball. On many, many streets and culdesacs all around us, there are almost as many hoops as homes. So, I don't see how to avoid it much, except that when you go looking for a home to purchase, shop elsewhere if you see a bunch of hoops nearby! But I agree with others that it's temporary, seasonal, and the kids grow up. So here's what I'd do, if I were bothered so much. I'd consider meeting the family. I'd take them a pie or something, and tell them about some connection with sports that I remembered, and I'd ask them about the kids' sport. Do they play for a school? Do they have a club team? Perhaps understanding what they're doing might make a smoother acquaintance-ship. In sharing this, perhaps you share that you were once a kid, and wished you had a better jump shot, etc. For me, the key is a balanced relationship/acquaintanceship, where instead of being the grumpy guy who only communicates when you have a complaint, perhaps you are the guy who offers to bring in their mail and keep an eye on their house when they're out of town, and waves when you see them, and asks the kids how their basketball season's going and did they make the high school team? When they're a bit invested in YOU, they are more likely to care about your needs as well.