Start the dahlias from tubers, for best results, please buy them from a reputable source. Plant them when the soil has reached 60 degrees. (yah, I actually take the soil temp, otherwise there is too much chance of rotting). Choose a cultivar that is notated for cutting. Here is a link that might be useful: The Big List

GAME 3 UPDATE... "College FOOTBALL IS NICE" CLOSED....good luck to you all! *sandlapper_rose (Jeanne) 334 *bluee19 (Nicole) 427 *pinkiris (Jayeanne) 313 *EricaBraun (Erica) 350 *Smitties (Margo) 378 *NonnaG (Connie) 405 *ilovefarac (Melinda) 397 *skyblue52 (Susan) 417 *hibiscusfan (Suzanne) 279 *cottonwood468 (Mary E.) 365 *pmb2005 (Promise) 450 *panhandle_seed_swap (Sheri) 455 *sguanzon (Sue G.) 343 *dmkelly (Dawn) 421 *brittneysgran (Shirley) 435 *********************** GAME 2 "IN MY OWN WORDS"........ The following OBFERS have emailed me their votes. Any OBFER can vote whether you submitted an entry or not. Mary E., if you sent me an email with your vote, I did not receive. Promise Jeanne Nicole Melinda NonnaG Hibiscusfan smitties Erica Sheri Jayeanne I believe I replied to all of you who voted that I "Got It". If I missed anyone let me know! *********** BINGO TIME.... "NICE BINGO" We have a guest fetcher today. Great Dane "Chip" has done the honors this morning......and it took a few treats for him to do it....good boy Chip! Then he got the hang of it and chose a third one just for you! 38. Snickers Bar 8. Make A Difference Day (October 25) 16. Courteous Previously fetched...... 35. World Smile Day (October 3) 48. National Chocolate-Covered Insects Day (October 14) 21. Nice Guys Finish Last…or do they? 7. Heath Bars *********************************** Must run... Annie

I'm sorry, Beth, I think I must have missed a post somewhere regarding your loss (when was this?). You have my sympathy. I am glad for you though that you got to see family memebers you miss. That is a very good idea that you get together next year, just for a get-together, rather than for a funeral or wedding. It was a few months ago that an aunt of mine passed away and although it was sad, it was also good to get together with family. It was also good to find out about some health issues that several people had that seem to run in the family. My DH mom's side of the family is so good about having a Fletcher reunion each summer on the Sat. before July 4. That way everyone knows when it is and can plan on attending from where ever they are. My Mom-in-marriage was one of 11 children and I think it is absolutely wonderful that normally they all get together. She was the first of the siblings to pass away, which really hit the others hard as she had been the best of friends to most of them as well as sort of the bedrock of the family. It is a shame that it takes something like that to wake people up, so that they will try to make up and renew their relationships. . . If there is someone in your family that you have quarreled with, make it a point to make a difference and try to make up, not just for your wellbeing, but also for them and the rest of the family. How many of us would ache if still have a grudge with someone and something were to happen tomorrow so that we could never even try to make things right?

Happy Birthday, Erica! Emily, I'm amazed my cookbook reached you so quickly. Annie, you are so generous with the prizes - will be excited to get something in the mail - other than the overflow of catalogs, magazines, junk mail, etc. Annie, poor Emily will be be embarrassed to hold on the the envelope I sent my cookbook in. I only had one that was large enough and it was previously used so I put everything inside and wrapped the used envelope in paper cut from a grocery store bag. Do I get extra points for recycling? LOL Shirley, we may be close to getting some frost, but not tonight. I was upset that my pepper plants which I have tried to care for most of the summer are finally blooming and starting to grow peppers. I think they will be moved into and out of the garage for awhile. I not only want the peppers, but I want to save some pepper seeds! I haven't quite figured out the OBF football game. Some of you know I follow the Gamecocks at the University of South Carolina. They were not having a great year so far and then Coach Spurrier resigned this week and there was an interim head ball coach announced ... but the Gamecocks won their game today so maybe all of this will get straightened out. The teams we played the last two weeks have been very generous providing supplies for the flood victims, bottled water, and other assistance. My husband found a weather web site with a huge number of pictures of the flood. We were not here for most of those days - it looked so horrible. Of course, we worried a lot while we were away, but seeing it may have been worse. We still have water streaming through our horse pasture and it has been warm and sunny all week. We are ready for things to dry out. Well, time for bed here. Enjoy your day tomorrow! Jeanne