Okay Marilyn, this is the 'possum story. On New Year's morning, about 1 am, we woke up cold. My husband got up to see why, and the back door had blown open (in Texas even locked doors can blow open with our gentle breezes). He shut it and was heading back to bed when he glimpsed movement toward the study. Thinking it was the cat, he kept going to the bed, where our cat was sleeping on the quilt (a watchcat, she isn't). He checked, and there was a full grown possum wandering around the study (looking for something to read?). He started shooing the possum back to the door (shut) and trying to get the door open and the possum convinced to leave. He finally set up a slalom course with chairs to guide the possum out. When he came back to bed, I asked him what happened and he told me. Half asleep, I replied, "Well, thank heavens it wasn't a skunk." He couldn't get back to sleep for quite a while. Your husband would love Texas!

I've made a few comments elsewhere, but I think it is appropriate to put my 2 c's in here. Soilent_green, I've had to wrestle with the same question you've asked as I watched SSE morph into something far different than the organization I joined. Many have chosen to leave there also, rather than accept the changes. I respect their right to decide based upon their own principles, but I've decided to stay in SSE for the same reason I've decided to stay here: Not because I support the ownership, or the policies, or the website, or any of the other trivial annoyances that came with the transition... but because I value the community. I decided that withdrawing my seeds from SSE out of protest would hurt the wrong people... which is the many sincere young gardeners who joined with the expectation of learning to be better gardeners & seed savers. The situation here is no different. I doubt that Houzz will be damaged by those who choose to leave, but there are a lot of great people who would be just a little less informed in their absence. Any harm caused by leaving falls disproportionately on those who least deserve it. And just for the record, Houzz seems to be making a sincere effort to address many of the problems that have been brought up, and to make us all more comfortable with the transition. There have already been several positive changes, and there has been direct communication with many members over their concerns - self included. It would behoove us to consider that this site could have been turned over to far less responsive management. I participate in garden forums because I have a passion for gardening, and hope to inspire some of that passion in others (and to find greater inspiration myself). Sometimes change makes the conversation more difficult... but it is still a conversation worth having, even if it means tolerating situations not necessarily to our liking. A lot of sharing and preservation has happened here, and many wonderful friendships have been formed over the years. Isn't that worth something? Do we cut & run so easily, or do we put up with the inconvenience (changing what we can) and do our best to preserve what has been special about this community? I agree with those who have made the comparison to gardening in spite of weeds, insects, disease, or inclement weather. We overcome those obstacles and frustrations because in the end, what we gain from success makes it all worthwhile. So Soilent_green (and other long-time contributers) why should you stay? Because you have knowledge to contribute, and many friends here who appreciate that. Because I & others have enjoyed your sage counsel, and because if many of those who have contributed to the vibrant community that was Gardenweb choose to leave, then the site might as well have gone dark. It would be a shame to have dodged one potential tragedy - that of a total site shutdown - only to replace it with another tragedy of our own making. I don't care what color the "houzz" is outside, I care about the company inside. I hope you will choose to stay.

Linda, even though I addressed you in agreeing that I like Grover’s advice too, I certainly didn’t mean to make you feel like my comments were intended for you in a personal way. I’m so sorry if it came across like that. —- I’m just fumed up about Houzz constantly changing things and I guess my hope was that they are listening ;)) . Maybe I can find a way to contact them directly, but they don’t make that aspect user-friendly either. — Again, sorry. Nothing personal intended.

Susan, if your email carrier has Houzz marked as SPAM then you won't get anything from HOUZZ, including anything that goes thru their server.... like your seed requests. Have you check your carrier? I know I was surprised to find that mine was just throwing mail away with out notifying me. I changed that so they hold them for me to look at and dicard. I check everyday to see what they've decide is SPAM and there is alwys at least one thing that isn't.