Hi, I, too, have been a nurse (for 23 years) and am acutely aware of the stress of the career. I took a MG course in '92 (one day a week for 6 wks). We didn't have to apply for the course, just sign up. We recieved a very large binder with all the information that was taught to us during the course for our own use and reference guide. We did hands-on things outside so we could do these on our own after the course was over. We did not have to take a test after it was over, and we had to return 50 hours of volunteer time within 2 years to the extension office. That was easy, because they weren't too picky about what we could do. As long as you were helping someone in need with a gardening problem, it was OK. I usually go to an inservice every fall that they have in different areas of the state because I want to, not because I have to. I always go home learning something new every year. We do have to return a few hours back to the ext office every year, but it's not a great deal of time. I enjoy hearing other's problems and solutions. I have met and gotten to know many people from across the state and it's been wonderful to see them every year. Yes, it is basic for people that have a degree in hort or other landscaping areas. But, if you are going into it just for the joy of gardening, then do it. It's great. I judge for the achievement days that we have every year for 4-H and you find some very young kids that really enjoy the challenge of gardening from year to year. No, you can't get a job in landscaping or design after taking this class, but it sure helps if you're trying to do your own yard (like I have been for the last few years). If you're doing it for your own self-worth and to get a little R-and-R, it's worth it. Our state usually has 3 sites in different areas of the state that you can attend, whichever is closer to you (usually one in the west, middle and east part of the state) Here, you can call the ext agent and request that one of the classes be in your area. (It's not guaranteed that it will be there that year, but it is there eventually.)For me, it was worth the trouble of taking the class. It's help me grow as a person and as a gardener! Weze

Thanks for your kind comments! Trish... I am so sorry that Sandy affected you and your home in such a major way. I hope that things are going as smoothly as possible as you try to put things back together. To deal with all of that with a busy two year old must be especially challenging. I absolutely love my tile and its warm somewhat rustic appearance so I'm glad that you like it too. I did some checking for you and have some info which I hope will be helpful. I sourced my tile from my local Virginia Tile store in Michigan. They would ship to NY but that would be hugely expensive, of course. I googled Edimax distributors in NY and came up with a couple who told me that they don't carry Material Forte and Westchester Tile in Scarsdale which told me that the Materia Forte was being discontinued(!) I quickly called my Virginia Tile rep who had not heard anything about that and was still expecting shipments within the next month. Checking further, I found the AllStone Boston Design Center that carries Edimax tile. The good news is they ship from a warehouse in New Jersey so that might be reasonable to consider. I spoke with Lauren Maggio who was very helpful and suggested that you contact her (lauren@allstone.net) with details about the sizes and quantity that you'd be interested in and that she could order a tile sample for you. Their phone number is 617-737-2200. Depending on the size tiles that you're considering, I wouldn't be too hesitant to order tile in this way. We found that, by doing the usual mixing of boxes, we were happy with all of the large tiles and how they blended together. The 4 x 4's were a different story however because they had much more variation in tones and because they were a tumbled tile with uneven edges... some of them were very, very uneven. We ordered way more than we needed and picked out the best ones to use. I hope that helps... please feel free to let me know if you have any other questions that I might be able to answer. I'd love to hear what you decide to do and look forward to seeing pictures of your room.

Been blessed to have met lots of kt'ers. Nita, husband, Bobby, her daughter, spent two days in my area, and the same week, Donna OH, and sister spent a weekend with me. Then spent few days in OH with Donna and her sister. KT get together here in Al, at LK Grace home, and got kissed by Tadpole in Atlanta with great KT'er's. Spent a week with Gabby, LK Grace, Mexico Beach, FL, at a rented cottage. Linda and I meet often for lunch. Jae, Tennessee, and I had an awesome lunch, years ago. Delightful. Moni calls once in a while :o) Been to Texas, Iowa for KT get together Liz GA and I share the same birthday. Shared an awesome cruise, two in fact with Carole SW Fl Know I am not including lots others, I've met and proud to know I've met so many. Here's picture of when Kathleen stopped by for lunch, with her two. This is picture of her daughter, Kathleen, me and my grandson.

I learned basics from my Mum and she is a competent cook, but her style and range of dishes is limited so I have continued to learn on my own since becoming an adult and I am now a decent cook and baker. Roasts, casserole, pies, cakes and cookies are my strong points. I have done my best to teach my own four kids the basic skills and encourage them to cook - but their responses have all been different. Child 1 (now 22) can cook simple things but is not interested beyond that. Child 2 likes to occasionally tackle complex baking recipes but isn't much interested in day to day cooking. Child 3 took food science as an option at school and did well but never does any cooking at home beyond heating things up in the microwave. Child 4, who is just 14, is an excellent cook and baker who makes e.g. breads, complex pasta dishes, pizza ( including dough), curries, naan breads, samosas, fajitas, complex desserts etc. While she learned basic techniques from me and still asks for advice sometimes, she typically chooses to cook very different dishes than I do. She probably cooks 3 or 4 nights a week as she gets home earlier from school than I do from work. She'll often head to the kitchen late at night to relax by learning to bake something new. She was amazed recently when she was talking about cooking and baking with a friend at school who claimed to be a good cook on the basis of being able to bake a box cake mix. Child 4 was not impressed! Although I took the same approach to parenting and teaching all four of my kids the results have been very different.