Diane, I like the idea of a kangaroo pocket type harvest apron, but wonder about wearing one that is strong enough and sturdy enough to hold a big harvest. I know I sure could have used one last year when standing on a ladder, harvesting over 300 lbs. of plums and peaches. I used a 5-gallon bucket for that and once it was full, it was pretty heavy and difficult to carry down the ladder...holding onto the ladder with one hand and the full bucket with the other. I do love garden aprons, but don't usually wear one because they are so hot. It's hot enough out there during the harvest season without putting on another layer. I just lug all my tools and junk around in a tool pocket attached to a 5-gallon bucket, and put the harvest into the bucket if the harvest is small. If the harvest is large, I put several tub-trugs into a wheelbarrow or into our son's now-ancient and rusted "Little Red Wagon" and park it right outside the garden gate in the shade. Then, when the 5-gallon bucket gets full, I dump the harvest from the bucket into one of the tub-trugs sitting in the waiting wheelbarrow or wagon and then go back to the garden to harvest more stuff. I hope your fabric choice will be something sturdy like denim or canvas because, depending on what you're harvesting, the apron might have to carry a heavy load. My new tool pocket is oilcloth and I'm excited about that because it will wipe clean, whereas the old tool pocket was canvas and showed dirt real easily, and I wasn't ever in the mood to unload all the tools and junk, untie the tool pocket from the bucket and take it into the house to throw into the washing machine. I think an oilcloth apron would be so convenient since it would wipe clean, except that wearing an oilcloth apron would be like wearing a rubber sauna suit. I look forward to seeing how all your ideas get merged into a final product. Dawn

best, I'm getting that book for my son! I just had all my conferences with his teachers (he is a Jr in HS) and every single one of them commented on how quiet he is, including one teacher who actually called him "aloof." They all acted as though he's the first quiet kid who has made his way through that school. My older DS never really dated in HS. He fell head over heels in love right after graduation, though, and had a messy and emotional breakup about 6 months later. Hasn't dated anyone since then (almost two years ago). Younger DS (the quiet one) now has his first GF, as of about two months. They have been friends for two years and they are part of the same group of friends so it's hard to determine what counts as a date and what is just hanging out with friends, because there's a lot of overlap there. Sometimes they go out with the group and then the group will disperse and the two of them will go elsewhere. Sometimes they're in the group and they all stay together for the evening. And probably least frequently, they will go out on a real date. Problem with this whole scenario is that it feels (to me) that he is spending too much time with the GF, but since part of that time they are also with the guy friends who I want him to also spend time with... it's not like I can say, okay, hang out with your friends but don't invite her this time! Anyway, it does seem like a nice relationship so far. Hard to say if it will get serious but I do wonder how the breakup will be if/when it happens, because if it's not cordial, it's going to be awkward for their group of friends.

Mine is an example of me perhaps being someone's worst date: My good friend and former roommate Jeff, had been dating a woman named Glenda who knew Stephanie through the horse world. All four of us happened to be at a party at the house of a woman, Lynn, who worked at the same place as Jeff and who also had horses. I remember having seen Stephanie at the party but being my usual shy, fearful self, I didn't interact with her. Reportedly after the party Glenda was talking with Stephanie who was complaining about not finding anyone she liked, and Glenda suggested that since I was at the party alone, that "Bob" might be interested and/or available. "Who's Bob" Stephanie responded. She emailed me shortly thereafter, introducing herself and after a short exchange asked whether I'd be interested in going to see Laurie Anderson in concert at the Wexner Center at the Ohio State University. I responded "I love Laurie Anderson, I have several of her albums. In fact I'm already going to that concert with Jeff, he has two tickets." She suggested that perhaps we could go out to dinner before the concert, and we decided upon Falafal House, a Middle Eastern restaurant at the south end of the Ohio State campus. We met at the restaurant, and she brought her roommate Jenny with her. The three of us ordered and chatted while waiting for the food to arrive. And chatted more during dinner. Finally, glancing at my watch, I said I have to hurry off to the concert, I don't want to be late. I said, "Bye, I had a great time." And I left. She and Jenny walked back to their apartment together while I went to meet my friend Jeff at the concert. Now anyone with even a bit of sense would probably ask, "What were you thinking?" "Why didn't you simply tell Jeff, 'Hey man I need your ticket' or tell him 'I have other plans' and just get two tickets yourself? My only response to that is: there were probably good reasons why I was single. I was painfully shy, emotionally immature, and terribly frightened of being rejected or looking foolish. I couldn't convince myself to ask someone out, and even the few times I did go out with someone I usually screwed it up somehow through my cluelessness. This time seemed it was going to turn out the same. While she and Jenny were walking home they were talking and between them they had just about decided that was it for me. Big red flag. Fortunately, Stephanie decided to give me another chance and emailed me the next day asking how the concert was.

Hello! It's been a while, but save for a few pieces of trim we are waiting for, we are nearing completion on the exterior of our cabin! Here are some photos of how it's turning out so far, and a couple of the early build-including my husband hand framing the roof. We did go with black, but after much debate, went with sand colored windows and mixed it up with two different sidings and used a weathered wood asphalt shingle. The fireplace will (eventually) get covered with stone. Exterior lights will be matte gold. Still debating on a door color to go with our Black & Tan cabin.