I hope EVERYONE had a very nice Thanksgiving. I wanted to get here yesterday, but was soo busy with the cooking .... and then our company forgot they had homes and staid until near 11:00, so I crashed as soon as they left. We had a rally good meal & a good time. I'm not used to all that noise though. I guess it's a sign of getting older. ;-) Technico - the physical characteristics of the products you asked about that make them suitable/unsuitable as a substitute for Turface are their size and structural stability. They need to be primarily in that 3/32-3/16 size range (preferably closer to 1/8"), and they need to retain their structure after you freeze them in water. You don't want something too large/small, or something that turns to mud after you incorporate it into a soil. JJ - You should name your turtle Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Sugar Ray, Tommy Hearns ...... after one of the famous boxers. ;-) Take care everyone. I hope that if you're out shopping, you're taking advantage of some great deals, and if you're not, you're having a relaxing day. I think I'm still full, and I didn't even have breakfast. Only in America would they legislate a day when gluttony becomes a patriotic duty. ;-) Al

When at school we did 'Domestic Science' which was really just cookery. I can well remember my first lesson was 'rock buns' which certainly lived up to their names. Second lesson was pastry-making. Not easy as I had never cooked at home, only used to being my Mother's skivvy washing up, peeling spuds etc. My brothers did the usual woodwork, tech drawing etc at school. Nowadays little proper 'cookery' or needlework is taught I was expected to make beds, dust, wield the 'hoover' etc and didn't enjoy it. I really think parents should make children 'help' in the house and not sit about being waited on like little Emperors, although this probably goes against the grain of modern parenting where kids must be entertained 24/7. How many of you notice a change in attitudes towards the amount of 'help' men give around the house. When I was a young child (late40's50's) my Grandfather lived with us and did nothing except eat, sit and read the paper and sleep. My Mother claimed when she first 'joined the family' he was unable to get clean clothes out or put stuff to be laundered. His sisters and Mother had waited on him hand and foot and even cleaned his football and cricket boots! Difficult to believe he had been quite a sportsman in his day. He would let the fire go out rather than put a shovel of coal onto it and used to get me (aged 3-4) to make phone calls on his behalf . . . My father was able to cook 'basic' meals and was good at noticing what needed dusting/cleaning and would drive my Mother mad by telling her about the wives of friends, all paragons of virtue, who were up every day at dawn polishing, cooking vast meals, cleaning the oven every week . . . and apparently telling everyone about it. My DH is able to cook and makes excellent bread but is less interested in cleaning and is the world's most untidy person who never throws anything away. My older son and s-in-law are very domesticated and can do as much, if not more than their wives, from child-care to ironing.

An update: the sun is shining but it already feels like Autumn and the water levels have gone down leaving many homes with layers of sludge and a terrible smell. Many of the shopping and tourist area have been badly hit as, without a water supply pubs, bars, cafes and shops had to remain closed. Even our mobile library had not been able to pick up its supply of 'new' books from the city HQ. We hear that water is now more or less reconnected everywhere but it is still not suitable for drinking or cooking . . . only washing and flushing. Farmers, both arable and dairy are not happy as much of their harvest has rotted and even in this area where the fields look green and healthy, underfoot is still a quagmire and far too wet for tractors, harvesters and so on to get onto the ground without damaging the soil. I didn't know until I heard it on the BBC that there is never any insurance cover for crops . . . only the hardware . . . machinery, tools, vehicles, buildings, houses and their contents. Btw we have seen the terrible pictures on TV of the bridge-collapse over the Mississippi. Does this mean that all other bridges of similar design must be checked?

There is more money flowing around than is good for people in our area, and that money is not evenly distributed, as you would imagine. Young women of means frequently go on bachelorette weekends to Las Vegas or even Miami. Even if the host families can afford it, it is a financial burden for some of their guests who feel left out if they don't along with their friends. I have no problem with bridal showers, in fact I think they are a lovely custom, but this particular extravagance bothers me. I think it is part of the Bridezilla trend. A considerate bride would consider what her friends can comfortably manage, and do something that is a pleasure for all.