I came home yesterday and have been mostly sleeping since. I feel better today than yesterday but its still kind of rough. I have my little netbook computer so I can follow the forum posts without getting up but my typing skills are not too good while I'm laying down so I'm not posting much yet. I've been paging through the May/June Fons & Porter quilt magazine and drooling over every page! The little retro tablerunner quilt on the cover is adorable and one I'll have to make! I already have several retro fabrics with cherries so I think I can put together a black/white/red/green version. I can hardly wait! Thanks for all the encouraging words. I know physical therapy is the most important part of my recovery and it's good to have that reinforced. It would be easy to put it off because it HURTS, but I know I can't. PT was supposed to start today but they can't make it until tomorrow, so I was a good little patient and had DH help me go through the exercises we learned at the hospital. I don't want even one day of delay. Hugs to all! Kate

Here's an even bigger hug Shelly!!!!! (((((((((((((((((HUG))))))))))))))))))) I know what you mean about how life can change so quickly. Our whole married life my DH and I have made about the same yearly salary which was great when we first got married and it was just the 2 of us, but not as great when you have 2 kids, mortgage, and you have to pay for your own health insurance. It was a struggle! When we merged our company, for the first time we were getting almost twice as much money, plus our health insurance was provided and we didn't have to pay anything except our co-pays!!!! That's why we ended up moving. We had a cute little ranch home (dining room part of the living room, small kitchen) so we finished off the basement and that is where we would have family gatherings. But 2 sisters and a niece were diagnosed with MS, my brother was in a car accident over 5 years ago and used a walker (at that time) to get around (now he is in a wheelchair), my dad passed away and my mom is getting older and it is harder for people to go up and down the steps to go into the basement. With our bigger salary, I always wanted a house with a dining room for entertaining so we bought a bigger house. I have a bigger kitchen, a seperate dining room and a family room which I love but it also came with a much bigger mortgage!!! When I was depressed I kept focusing on the fact that if we hadn't of moved our lives would be easier because the cut in pay put us back to what we had been making. After awhile I realized I can't change anything, we can't sell our house and get the money back that we put into it, we have great neighbors, we are in a better neighborhood than we were and I love all the room I have in my colonial! Normally I am upbeat and believe that humor gets you through a lot of bad spots. After 6 months I realized I couldn't change things so I just have to accept it and move on. It kills me that my kids have to help us pay bills but I am proud that I raised them right because they don't complain about it!!! My hubby does compressor repairs for some of his old customers so every once in a while he surprises me with a little cash and tells me to use it just for crafts, either garage sales or glass because he knows I enjoy doing them. Your hubby does sound like a wonderful person, I assume you have been married about 10 years or more? I've been married 27-1/2 years. I'm sorry you don't have a good relationship with your parents. Do you have brothers or sisters? Remember what they say, "You can't pick your family, but you can pick your friends!" I would say my family (I'm the middle of 5 kids...1 boy & 4 girls) was a lot closer before my dad passed away but that is a whole other story! LOL Barb

And Happy New Year back at'cha! Wish you all the best in these next months. :) Pit Update: Saturday a friend of a friend came and took both of them. She's mature, got a good job, owns her home with a big yard. She's keeping Bobby (aka puppy-boy) and her neighbor is taking sweet Maggie (aka puppy girl). These were the happiest, sweet dogs. Turned out to be clean, trained, house broken, curious, and just joyful. Someone dumped them, I'm sure, but they were house dogs. Perhaps breeders, but definitely house dogs. It was interesting. All the time they were here, they never left the yard. When I went out, they were right beside me. Bobby, would play catch with a 6' 4x4. Throwing it in the air, standing on it and trying to pick it up. Made it difficult for me to sort out a load of reused lumber, which had nails in it. It had to wait. He was a JOY. What a energetic puppy he was. He'd sit and kinda roll backwards with his feet stuck out in front of him, like puppies do. Didn't quite lift his leg. Hasn't earned his man card yet. Although they always wanted to ride in my car, they didn't want to go with her. (Leaving me? Awwww) But once in the car, they settled in, with their heads poking out between the seats to look out the window. The only time I'd see Maggie get excited was when wheels turned. Cars, trucks, bikes. She'd bite at them from underneath the door, vs. from the front. Scared me she'd get a tooth stuck and be crushed. I mention this, because the week before I had to get 2 new tires. Saturday night when I came out of work, I had a flat. Grrrrr. Had myself towed to my car place. He called me the next morning and asked if I'd hit anything, or was out in the field, etc. [wait for it] There were 2 puncture marks, one torn, in the sidewall of my new tire. So.... I guess Maggie is successful in her mission of killing All Things Tire. Got my living room painted. It is Beeeuuuuttiful. Even moreso without the crap stacked to the ceiling. Ceiling is Glidden 'Natural Wicker' and the walls are Duron/SW 'Tinderbox.' I just picked up the paint for the bookshelves. All this room needs is trim. and maybe some curtains. Well, maybe not. So I have 2 rooms done, -trim. This is very, very exciting! Leaves 7 rooms to go. Drywall, finishing, paint, trim. As a dear friend once said, "Baby Steps." Well, it's only 10 years this year from that stupid fire! Baby enough? Have a great, warm day. Eat those beans and rice if that's your thing, or just watch football. (Got my MI State U sweat shirt on, just for my sisters.) Take care!

The Tango mandarin I bought from FWG was on the struggle bus when it arrived with tons of yellow leaves. I pulled it out of the 8" deep soil, and only the top 3" of soil were colonized by roots. After this picture was taken, it shed about 1/3 of its leaves... but since then, it's flushed out a lot and turned 50 shades of gr(een) darker. As long as the plant survives the initial transfer into new soil, it should be okay. As Silica said, though, I wonder if the owners have changed. We used to be able to order bare-rooted trees, but alas, that seems to have changed. Upon arrival before shedding leaves: After: I can tell that it has anchored down into the 5-1 (I leave out peat) mix because it stands up to wind like no one's business! -Tom P.S. The cat isn't fat, but it looks like she is! She isn't mine, I promise... or so I tell myself.