Bre, Yay for the little green tomatoes! They'll be big and red before you know it. Faerybutterflye, You're welcome. I just wanted all of us to try to shake off the gloom and doom of the past week and find one little beautiful thing to focus on to start our day.....not that we are not constantly thinking of the folks in Moore and Shawnee as well as other areas recently affected by severe weather, but just that we all know the sun comes up and the sun goes down and life goes on. Thank you for the birthday wishes. Helen, That is such wonderful news indeed. I have had Joplin on my mind so much this week, with it being the anniversary of the Joplin tornado and with there being similarities between the EF-5s that hit both Joplin and Moore. I hope that people in Moore can look at Joplin as a reminder that after the heartache occurs and the cleanup is over, then the rebuilding begins. I am a master at ignoring tall grass and weeds. I kind of ignore my flowers too while getting the veggies in, and this week I have been trying to make up for it by catching up on weeding and deadheading. Your garden sounds so beautiful this morning. I am loving the normal May weather. Here where I live, our forecast highs and forecast lows are exactly what they ought to be in May, which is great. Before all the storms hit, we were having 2 or 3 days a week in the mid-90s, and it is just too early for that. Of course, those temperatures made some cool-season veggies start bolting, and there is nothing I can do about that, but now that it is cooler, at least the weather is more pleasant as I remove them and then plant hot-season melons and southern peas in the newly available space in the veggie garden. With the way the cold weather held on so long, I keep wondering how it can be almost Memorial Day already when we just had our last frost 3 weeks ago. Maybe we'll get lucky and have a cool week or 2 or 3 before the June heat sets in. Dawn

Hello all... thanks for all the kind words. I am still trying to struggle through the day. Somedays I am ok, but others not that great. It was her birthday on October 20th. She would have been 64 or "39" as she would have said. We went to the park and fed the ducks... she always liked to do that. I also brought daisys and popped the tops off and placed them in the water. I miss the way that I would call her and she would be willing to go with me on what ever adventure I wanted to go on that day. She was always there for me. I know I am lucky to have a person like that and that it was my Mom, but it hurts no less. I am trying to build a new "normal". It is rough though because everything I do reminds me of her. I started to move around furniture in our house and I was thinking that everything I touched we bought together. She was a great decorator and I have no decorating sense at all. I just wonder when the feeling that I am completly lost and alone will go away. The holidays are coming and I hate it. I think we are going to plan a vacation at Christmas so I don't have to think about it. I don't know about Thanksgiving. Mom used to make the best mashed potatoes. This is so freaking hard. I think I am going to check into counseling again. It is so hard because I put on a strong face when I am out, but crumble when I get to my car or at home. I talk to my husband, but I don't think he really understands. What do you all do for the holidays?? Any ideas on how to get through them?

Ten bucks for all three! If you love MCM finds, you would be racing over to buy this set, at this price. If you hate MCM stuff, you are cringing and wouldn't give a Nickle for it, I know. These are listing this as a *Marble Footstool*. Gee, I've always hated having a comfortable, padded, upholstered footstool for my feet. LOL. I wonder if I could repurpose it into a plantstand???? Anyway, it is only $10! And looks like real marble. ----------- Only $35 and they say no stains or rips! This is listed as a *Church Pew Style Bench. They think they can get $50 for it. They have two of them for sale and only picture one. Is the other one in even worse condition??? The ad says "These benches are perfect for churches." I wouldn't even use this smashed bench for out in the yard. Here is a link that might be useful: Broken Crappy Bench

I want an E. cactus too! I've been into houseplants since my early 20's, and was lucky to work in a local greenhouse during both pregnancies after we moved to a rural area. I'd never lived in the country before and wasn't familiar with what grew here other than wheat. :) One day I took a walk to the pond while DH was at work and found what I thought was a rare plant. Somehow I got it out of the ground and brought it home. Never.again. Hate them with a passion, and they are pests! I haven't seen a Prickly Pear in years. Worse than bullnettle.