Maryanne, I am finally here this morning, without the glass of wine. I apologize for not getting on last night to report my fantastic findings. I received the most WONDERFUL box! Maryanne's theme, "These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things"......... Each item was wrapped with a little note...so very nice! *A very nice card *Penzeys Spice catalogue *Penzeys Cinnammon *Iron Chef unseasoned Panko *Wonderful caramels...did you make???? *A box of Ball canning lids and bands *A vintage canning jar with powdered pectin........COOL! *Tags/metal holders to tag plants. Great idea using these for swap plants! * Several packages of cellophane holiday party gift bags...Halloween, Valentines, Christmas, anything goes.... *Zucchini Relish...I know you made this! I will be in to this tonight!! *A lovely canvas lunch tote *Tuscan style bread dipping herbs...(I love this stuff) with a dipping bowl!! *Fall note cards *Garden gloves *A little tote for whatever...have got my gloves and pruners tucked in here *Three books on CD...Fern Michaels "Pretty Woman" and "Hey, Good Looking", and Nora Roberts "Carolina Moon".....I have not read these!!!! i love books on tape/CD. *Little Pig Onion and Bacon Dip Mix....yum! *Paper coin envelopes for seeds *A book, "The 100 Best Small Towns in America".....oh my goodness!!! How did you know???? My husband and I have been on our quest to find the best place to live in America for years and years. Did I mention this in my OBF bio??? My husband saw this and laughed his tail off!! *Greenhouse with 36 peat pellets Maryanne, I can not thank you enough. These are a few of my favorite things as well. A perfect October party!! Happy Monday! Annie

The black and whites are pictures from our travels and I like them. I'd actually prefer to add another two where the red painting is and shift the red painting to another wall, but DH has put his foot down - he likes that wall as is. mtnrdredux - you remember right! It actually looks really good in the listing picture and looked much less good in person. The wall paper was relatively inoffensive, but textured and impossible to either remove or paint, the carpet was red (and filthy) and the ceiling was red plaid. By the time the house had sat vacant for a while it really was starting to look sorry for itself. Absurdly flattering listing pic: When we were looking at the house.

Here are some paths and designs that I like... obviously very large gardens, but I think you can take these ideas and place them in a smaller garden... ..in this photo the shingled path is straight but softened with edging plants, and the path is tapered towards to end, which draws the visitor to it, I think... ..the same view 10 days later..... I like the way the blue Geraniums have now been replaced by the pink ones... but the yellows still draw me to the end of the path... ..another garden, another example of how I like to be drawn forward.... the very straight path narrowing in the distance to what appears to be a pair of dark green pillars.. ..but it is in fact a Hop covered archway, the path softened and the gazebo enticing the visitor forward... I like this one very much... and I think could be replicated in a small garden... ..with a grass path, I like to see curves with plantings that hide the view ahead... and absolutely no spillage onto the paths... I don't like to see that with grass... preferring a nice clean sharp edge.. ..with high straight walls, I think it's important to bring the borders outwards towards the centre... but I don't like these island beds here... although they serve a purpose in this particular garden... ..finally, I rather like the way the hedges here have been shaped to invite the visitor to take a turn right or left... it flows and I find it relaxing... and I wouldn't like it if it was sharp... ...hope you found something of interest in those...

Thank you.. Not too nosy, since I mention it plenty of times, here and there.. I was born in Kiev, Ukraine, the former Soviet Union.. as much as I felt I've moved on-we left when I was 18..this Maidan revolution in 2014 and everything that's followed was hard on me..you see, my childhood home overlooked Maidan( that was of course called differently, and I must say looked much much nicer then..it's like these urban planners compete how to make it uglier, really)..anyway when you see the place you were born, saw from your window, walked every day.. place that was your home..burning..you suddenly understand that you didn't move too far.. and no, you can't predict, until something like this happens. I really thought it's part of me, of my past, integral part, but not a home anymore. Israel is my home. we moved to Israel.. I spent there many years..then my ex got transferred here..I was hysterical and didn't want to go yet I went..very young kids, family..you know.. then they transferred us back I was so happy still wasn't a walk in the rose garden..as much as my previous employers loved me-they didn't hold space for me..:) so looking for new job and all that..you do start again, even if you left for some time and went back you still adjust. even when everything around you spells home. And Israel has this thing about it..you change, it changes, yet it's the only place on Earth that gives meaning to me being there, besides just being with the people I love anywhere else I won't say it's a Garden of Eden, yes? it can be downright scary..the bombings and all-I wasn't there(actually came to take care of my Mom, also in 2014- but they didn't get to Haifa then..was too far for their missiles..)..but I lived in Jerusalem through two intifadas..you understand that every day is a dying day(c)..yet you know..you continue..because -where else? and you have to stay human. there are two sorts of death, right? This is a very strange, magical place. People go crazy there. We even have "The Jerusalem Syndrome"..:) that some tourists get..need to be send to a hospital for some time, take meds you know..they start thinking they are Messiahs.. It's too old and seen it all. Jerusalem I mean. It doesn't care about you. And the sky is amazingly high there. But you can't stop caring about it. When I'm in Israel and it so happens I didn't go to Jerusalem-I feel I didn't fully go.. so.. sorry about the big lyrical off top..when my ex's bosses decided to send us here again I was very sad but less panicky..I thought "ok they're going to send us back again, as they did the first time" and then everything unfolded differently so..as they say in Russian fairy tales "for longer for shorter"..for now I'm here, and listen, I love it too. It's been many years already..I lived on two coasts..I think 7 years(altogether) on the East, and probably 7 on the West? goodness..time really flies I love West Coast much more first, it reminds me of Israel. The sky is high here too..:) and other things second, I'm plainly happier. on some important accounts but I will always want to go back If somebody translated Joseph Brodsky's poem(no.. he never been to Israel and never wanted to, and didn't feel any connection as per his interviews.. but since he was a genius poet he just knew certain things I guess...that's a poem about a desert)..in short if I find a good translation-I'll post it..the link I mean ok..that was really long..:)