Thanks all - thought you'd enjoy the color. My bad though - the ones at the bike are purple dome asters, not sure what I was thinking calling them mums. Too many late nights getting ready for my 6 straight weeks of craft shows, I guess. I've never made anything with the crabapples, they are very hard - even the birds can't eat them. They usually hang on the tree all winter and then in the spring, the robins clean them up. I guess they soften up after being frozen. I noticed a blue jay trying to eat them the other day and he gave up. We have 2 trees of them and they are both really loaded this year. I don't fertilize at all. When we put the beds in back in 2003 we did haul in top soil and mixed mushroom compost with it. Other than that - all I do is plant stuff. It goes crazy on it's own. I think it's the mushroom compost but I would think by now it would all be leached out of the soil. Arlene

You're only suppose to use the print postage for the day it is being mailed. If you print postage for the box you are sending and then print postage for the same amount to include for your return the PO can and probably will refuse it. I had someone send me preprinted postage sticker dated for the day they purchased it and I asked the Postmaster if I could use the stamp to send it package back, they told me no and the reason is: if you purchase the postage preprinted their way of thinking is that it is THEN used because it is supposed to only be good the day of purchase. It is best to send stamps in the amount you need, the have all different ones: 3.95, 4.95, up to I THINK they told me 16.95. OR you could just get 1.00 ones then add the smaller amounts to get the total you need. Tammy, Carmen, Amy....I am sorry but I am such a ditzoid. You know how when you tell yourself NOT to forget something over and over and over, and THEN you usually forget anyway? Well when I was packing plants Monday all day I kept telling myself NOT to forget the Thalia, well I was out watering today and I realized I forgot the Thalia. SOOOOOO if we are in another swap together I will remember I owe you all some and include it then, even if we get partnered in a swap or something I will remember to include it. I am sorry, I haven't been feeling well and I wanted to make sure I got that package shipped Monday and I busted my hinny off to do it and my SO even helped me this time which just does NOT happen. It just slipped my mind by the time I had the box what I thought was ready to ship, UPS closes at 6:30 and I got there about 6:10 so I was pushing it. I KNOW I had till Wednesday to ship but I needed to do it Monday. OK, don't hurt me, I really do try so hard sometimes. :/ Fran

Good bike shops also sometimes have nice bikes that people have traded in when they upgrade. The staff goes over them to make sure everything works properly, and sell them for a very reduced price. So you might not get the exact color you want - you could always have it painted at an auto body shop (or bust out the spray paint) if it meant that much to you. Also, you can call the local police department and ask if they have a bike auction. Many jurisdictions auction off stolen bikes that were never reclaimed by their owners, with the money going to a police charity (like college scholarships for children of officers killed or disabled in the line of duty). A triathlete I know got a $1k+ racing bike for under $100 at a police auction... he was about the only one who knew what it was and snatched it up. All it needed was new tires from sitting in storage for months. I miss riding a bike, but my balance is shot. There are stabilizer wheels for adult bikes but I think they'd just look too goofy. My PT says adult trikes tend to be tippy.

contrary to awm 03 comment, cycling does use abdominals quite extensively although it does depend on what type of cycling you are doing, I am currently a A graded racer with a elite racing licence, in the upper echelons of the domestic cycling scene, my coach prescribes intensive exercises focused on my abdominal muscles this can help in climbing, sprinting and also TT as having strong abdominal muscles is crucial to maintain a comfortable yet aerodynamic position for extended periods of time.