Here is a cut/paste and my editing of the original list from way back in February! Back in the days when Mellen, Earthly, and Jan were a year younger! Sue, as hostess with the mostess can you just edit this so we are all up to date on our participants? Many thanks- you are doing a terrific job here. Here's the original list, updated from emails I've got from wonder hostess Sue\- and ready for editing as needed: Aprill 17th \- mellen May 22 \- earthly delight June 17th \- plantlady July 9th \- your host (skohler) TA DAA!!! Aug 30th\- Gardeningwithbaby out//bears15ne aka Ronda now in, then OUT. OMG! Djm Doris\*\* is now taking August! I think. Sept 3rd\- beth\_b\_Kodiak\-asks that boxes arrive 9/12\-15th. Oct 3rd \-Rewards1 Nov Hija\_de\_Lamdre Out// What's going on here? Holiday name drawing/exchange? \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Dec 23Rd \- Gardeningnutinva out//Creekmom in\_\_right? Jan 16th \- Becksterca out/ Hummingbirddaisy aka Tina now in Feb 8th \-Shellyraymom Mar 19th \- poochella\- oh so patiently waiting : ) That's my editing of Sue's original signer uppers. Please update us if that's wrong. \*\*I think DJM's city needs to be changed to "Mt.P..." from "My P..." that I got in email. A thousand thanks for keeping us going Sue! Poochella

hi gals had to let you all know i recieved a very nice box from shelbyraymom today by ups :))) inside I found a very nice tropical canna plant, A mini rose :)) to add to my collection , an unknown grass but I will find out from my gardening buddie yung mi , also was purple fountain grass , a wondering jew plant, anyone tell me do I bring that one in also for the winter in z 5 ?? best of all some bamboo I can't think of the name right now but I know you all know the type I mean love have wanted to get it just put it off thanks a bunch :)) tammy Tammy also sent a welcome windchime have it hanging on my back porch a hand towel with sunflowers on it so cute , a nice pack of jobes fertilizer spikes for my plants , and then she topped off the box with 10dutch Irise bulbs, 6 anemons , & 6 freesias , tammy you did a wounderfull job sending the plants all arrived is very good shape it is cool today so going out to get them planted before the rain :))) what a great bunch of galls thank you all . sue

Hmm. I've been in several book clubs for over 20 years. A lot of what I'm reading here sounds familiar. I have a different point of view. I want to read well-written fiction. I don't care if it's depressing or delightful. I don't care if it's historical fiction or science fiction or fantasy or mystery. What I care about is that the author can string words together in a way that draws me in and makes me care about the characters and what happens to them. I hate to see discerning readers discard the Oprah picks just because they were downers...or just because Oprah picked them. I read a fair number of her choices before she ever discovered them, and I was glad to see those authors getting the recognition I felt they deserved. (Fall on Your Knees, by Ann-Marie MacDonald...an exquisitely written novel about an incredibly awful family. I didn't want it to end.) Stories without conflict....not much to write about. Not much to talk about. Shakespeare knew that dysfuntional families and star-crossed lovers brought out the audiences. Tragedy or comedy....there has to be a hook. Someone asked about Broken For You. Loved it; my book club loved it. A downer? In some ways, yes. But also a story to lift the spirits as well. I think the best writers do that. A writer who makes me think. A writer who gives me insight into the actions and motivations of others. A writer who gives me a new perspective on my own world, and on the worlds I will never experience. A writer who challenges my mind; a writer who delights my mind. These are the writers I want to read, in or out of a book club.

Thanks for following up, I've been meaning to do that! And Bonnie, that is such a kind thought, it makes me feel good just to know people like you are out there. :o) (I live in IL, but the disaster site where my folks live is in MI.) Anyway, I arrived here a couple of weeks ago to help with the final house clearing/move duties, and as I'd feared, by then all signs of life had left the daylilies' poor little bodies: I knew I wouldn't have much time to spend on the matter but I did call around to local nurseries, and struck out on finding mature stellas. Then that landscaping service I mentioned finally got back to me (after much following up), and someone came out for a look. He said he would seek three stellas mature enough to bloom soon. Originally it had looked to me that there were five or six -- three main spots, but with clusters in at least two of them. However, by that point I'd decided that I'd be satisfied with even mere improvement. Happily, he found some, which when planted last week were pretty small and weren't showing signs of blooms yet. But here they are now -- quite measly in comparison to their forebears, but better than nothing... He told me to water them for 10-15 minutes per day for two weeks, so I've been doing that with a manual sprinkler. These pics were taken late in the day; when it's earlier the blooms seem to be more open. My mom has been over at their new apartment for several days and hasn't seen the daylilies since they sprouted a few flowers, but I'm sure she realized by their size when planted that there was no way they would become anywhere near as full as the originals. I hope she won't be disappointed, but she probably won't tell me if she is. And, she has sooo many other things on her mind these days. Now, if I told you how much I paid for these plantings you'd say I was certifiable. It just didn't feel right to leave the beloved old family house that way, like it would be some kind of omen lol. :-O Wouldn't it be something if after all this, the new homeowners dig the stellas up and do something else with the landscaping!? Maybe I should ask them for a heads-up if I meet them (haven't listed house yet but will very soon); if these things can live in pots I'll insist that my brother put them on his balcony! ;-) Thanks so much again for all your help and for talking me through this!