Marian...thanks for checking in! We worry about you; you know? So glad the kids were in to visit with your DS and glad the new stoves suits you better. I was thinking the same as Eden, maybe you could move that air conditioner into your bedroom at night, at least sleeping may be a little more comfortable. How has the weather been for you lately? Are all the pots of color on your deck still making you smile? I hope so! :-) Michelle...so sorry about the dry weather I know how disheartening that can be. Hopefully, the rains will find you soon. It is amazing how quickly things will perk up with a little rain (including our spirits)! :-) Its been dry here too, though weve had an occasional rain, enough to keep things going anyway. And we are expecting more later in the week Im keeping good thoughts about that. When I was checking my weather, I looked up the Davenport area and they are suppose to have some rain this week-end...hope they makes it to you. I *loved* your song...brought back great memories for me; back in the 7th & 8th grade when we use to have Coke dances. Back in the innocent days, when a Coke was a sugary fizzy liquid that you would drink. That song was playing and I was waiting and waiting and waiting for a certain boy to ask me to dance, sadly he never did...but I still love the song! :-) Babs! Thanks for sharing your special moment. It sounds like a wonderful time and you are quite eloquent yourself. Dont think Id make it as a writer or a philosopher though, since I had to check for the spelling of eloquent...LOL! Please, Please, Please...share the ant when you guys are done...I cant wait to see him! :-) LOL Babs & Michelle on the PMS. I can say with almost 100% certainty, that I *never* PMS anymore! :-) At my age I just have to call it crabby! :-) Oh Babs...been meaning to say to you...Do you remember when I posted that lavender colored Clematis that Marie identified as Betty Corning? I notice you were saying you wanted a bell-shaped clematis. Well, it is lavender colored and is "bell-shaped" and I have to say that I am loving Betty Corning. This is only the 2nd year and she has just been blooming and blooming and blooming her fool head off, with new buds opening every day. I dont know if thats normal, like I say, I havent had her long, but if she keeps this up she is going to end up being my favorite clematis of all time. BTW, I use to grow the white one you were talking about Sweet Autumn (or whatever they call it these days) and it is a beautiful thing in fall, with tons of fragrant blooms, but you really need a "big space" for it. Pretty enthusiastic and does re-seed. I *loved* mine, but had to finally let her go when she swallowed my honeymoon swing and the telephone pole and seeded herself all over the garden. It was just too hard to keep her in control, but I sure did enjoy her and I sure *do* miss her lovely late summer blooms. Honey...I agree totally...thats "TRUE LOVE"! :-) Eden I sure hope you can make it, you would be sorely missed, but more than that, I hope that your mom has a successful, uneventful recovery and I will be keeping good thoughts. I cant believe your Graham Thomas...what a knockout! I have him, but he sure doesnt look like yours, perhaps its because hes been moved around the garden at least four times...LOL! Hope everyone in your family is on the mend with the bug thats been going around Thanks Mary, you hit the nail on the head! Funny, that is something DH and I talk about all the time, how "things" can never make you happy (although hubby does love a nice car...LOL). But seriously, we have talked about that very subject so many times. How getting caught up in "bigger, better" only steals your "life hours". We have also both agreed that the next house will be smaller and less expensive and DHs goal is to actually take a step back in the career aspect, something with less responsibility and stress and I will find a part time job to fund my gardening hobby...obsession, I mean. I guess that is probably not uncommon for people our age (DH & me) to think in those terms. The older I get, the more I want a simpler life. BTW, good luck with the essay and promotion. I agree with Babs, youre a sure bet. My special moment today was finding 3 vintage gardening books for my BF Anitas birthday coming up. I was able to find A Womans Hardy Garden, The Little Bulbs, and Elizabeths German Garden...all in hardcover 1st or 2nd editions...and very inexpensively, I might add! Im so tickled because I know she is going to be so tickled! She has been looking for those 3 books ever since she read mine years ago. :-) Thanks for the ID on your Eryngium Marie. That Centaurea is so pretty...your poppy too! :-) Oh and that Petit Faucon what a *gorgeous* color! I think Id like to find a place for that in my garden. Moose tracks sounds really yummy about now. Ive been mulching, mulching, mulching (thats why I havent been back here) and I bet I could still use about 20 more bags...sigh. I will say that spreading by the bag is easier than when Ive had the "pile" delivered here, but its probably a bit more expensive too in the long run. Sue...I laughed when you said "Will it never end?" and then Marie said "Hopefully not." I agree with you both! I know I always want to futz in the garden, its my hangout and my respite, but sometimes I think, just *once* it would be so nice to walk into the garden and think "How lovely and there is not a single thing I need to do, but enjoy it!" Hi V! :-) Ive been thinking about you. Glad you had a reward for all your hard work. I love a good cookie too...sometimes they dont even have to be baked! :-) Your talk of Starbucks has convinced me I need to get over there and get myself a Frappuccino. I deserve it after all the mulching! Well, I guess I best be moving, first to Starbucks and then back out to the garden. "Hi" to all I missed. Hope everyone has a great day! TTYL! Ei The Ink Spots - Java Jive I love coffee, I love tea I love the java jive and it loves me Coffee and tea and the java and me A cup, a cup, a cup, a cup, a cup (boy!) I love java, sweet and hot Whoops Mr. Moto, I'm a coffee pot Shoot the pot and I'll pour me a shot A cup, a cup, a cup, a cup, a cup Oh slip me a slug from the wonderful mug And I'll cut a rug just snug in a jug Waiter, waiter, percolator I love coffee, I love tea I love the java jive and it loves me Coffee and tea and the java and me A cup, a cup, a cup, a cup, a cup

Alameda, Chris could easily be a climber here (and what a wonderful one he'd be), and I just know my trellis isn't big enough. I haven't had the heart to hit up DH again to do a bigger support. The bamboo was difficult for him to deal with. It will take some sweet talking, I am sure. Weeds? It looks good now but I have tons of warm-weather weeds. That awful onion stuff that has underground runners. I use a weeder tool on them in early spring and summer. Once the roses and daylilies grow up big, I can barely fit in there to weed and they start winning out. I am not compulsive enough to do it every day. I need to. Kathy

I wanted to thank all who were involved in the DAT threads and especially Marcolo. I am planning on building a home from a kit home plan in a few years. One I love is a 1924 William Radford bungalow, but we will probably end up with a story and a half bungalow to get a few more bedrooms. I have been researching these old plans like crazy, and they are amazing. I have found a couple with a more 'modern' layout. When I say modern the kitchen only has two doorways (from DR and outside) instead of the four or five I sometimes see here. Marcolo said something in the Victorian DAT thread and again to Lavender_Lass which is where I originally saw it and then linked back. I was trying to figure out how 'authentic' I should go with the house. That comment was (I am paraphrasing) "I like the idea of seeing a vintage kitchen developing over time. It should represent every decade that it has passed." It made complete sense to me, and it is exactly what I want. I love history (I have an MLS and was waiting for a permenant position at the National Archives when the crappy economy hit, and I decided to be a SAHM). Marcolo had also said (and I do believe this was from the DAT threads as well) "Do not just assume the trends and materials used at the time. Actually do the research for yourself." I know it seems obvious now, and especially since I'm still a professional researcher. It took reading that however to think about our next home in a completely different way. I am now creating a back story for our yet to be built home to create a sense of history and to help determine the finishes. Every detail will be planned before we build because everything will be a piece of a puzzle. I hope to share the back story as well as the home when we are able to build. I do hope more people read the DAT threads because they are awesome. I learned a lot and have saved all of them for reference. I came late to GW to participate in those the first time around, but the collective knowledge and creativity in those threads are amazing. Thank you again everyone for putting in some extra time for those exercises. I have learned a great deal.

Hi all -- Diane -- Hope you are being dramatic with language, "If I survive..." Prayers to you that you get well soon. I grow French Lace, and I can say with certainty that this rose seedling is not French Lace, thought it could be a parent - who knows? It's not a seedling I directed. Kristine -- you are making me want peaches peaches peaches. For our faculty retreat, we had an "iron chef" competition. Four professors as head master chefs, and all the faculty divided into four teams. Then each team under the iron chef made 3 dishes, plus beverages. We all ate amazing food. Afterwards, everyone was so exhausted, no one stayed for the film. I am going to bed now. Good time, but hard work. I mention this because one of the iron chef desserts included peach slices, some kind of chocolate ganache in the middle of the plate, and then somethign else on the side. When I got my little plate I had no fork, so just dipped a peach in the chocolate and was VERY HAPPY. No more from me for a while -- very busy week. Worried about my Dad. He may be having "issues" now. Wish he lived closer. Hope all of you are doing well and your gardens are thriving. :-)