I attempt a Fall cleanup but haven't finished it all ever because I just get to the point where I don't want to go out in the yard anymore! The last two years DH and I used an electric hedge trimmer (with a heckuva long cord) and it works wonderfully! I grab/bunch the foliage up at the top (sometimes with rope it it's tall), and he "clear-cuts" it to the ground. Not much muss or fuss. We do the same only use a chainsaw for the tall ornamental grasses. We have a JD gator with a dump box--we just throw it in there--it's quite painless! We just start making our way around the yard. This year I plan to get 'er all cut back all the way around--or die trying! Over the last few years I've been planting dwarf evergreens throughout the borders so it doesn't look so bare when the garden's asleep. Makes a huge difference. There are so many gorgeous dwarf evergreens/conifers in different colors, shapes, textures, growth habits, etc. I seek them out now almost as much as I do perennials! I dread cleaning up the mess if I wait till Spring to cut back. Especially if I don't get to a plant before it sends out new shoots--then I have take the nippers and pretend I'm a surgeon--which is a painstaking--PIA! I'm on a quest to tidy up the property in all manners. Goal is to go to the furthermost part and have it look nice. I've slacked on this for too many years and now I have the time to do something about it. Been on a mission inside the house, too. I'll maintain the look after I'm all done. That's the plan, anyway! LOL Funny how many different takes there are on this, I love that!

That's how we learn, charmo. When we can't find the answers in the mosaic books, this forum is the best place to learn, IMHO. We have some very creative people here that are so willing to share their experiences. If I were working on your project, I'd put them on w/duct tape, then coat the whole area w/thinset to get it smooth. As your thinset drys, smooth it out w/either a brush or your gloved hand. Then when dry, use thinset as your adhesive to mosaic your pig. I use Mapei Ultra Flex 2 from Lowes. It already has the polymer mix in it. If you can't find Ultra Flex, any thinset w/do, but if it doesn't have the admixture already, get that and add it to your water mixture - about half/half. Or you can Google a tutorial on how tos on mixing it. I use the small plastic tubs you get at the $ store for my mixing bowl. Start off w/about 1 cup full of mortar, and add water sparingly, getting your mixture to peanut butter consistency. You can cover a small area w/a small spatula and put the pieces on, or you can butter each piece and place it on the pig. I might as well throw in that I use the mortar for grout the next day. It's a good insurance. That isn't necessary - just my practice. Since I almost always use black or dark charcoal (about half black and half gray) color is no problem. Lowes does have colorants, but not many.

"With a thick granite countertop, you ain't gonna do any damage by putting a hot pot on it. There simply isn't enough residual heat to transfer to the counter...so don't worry about it. (It's all good)" Maybe I should have told that to this customer. Sorry for the picture quality, but the crack runs parallel to the white tape and starts in the field at the tape pointer and runs to the edge. I didn't hear or see this crack happen from heat, but there are no impact marks and the crack is right next to the cooktop where one would set a pan and right where I've removed many pot marks in solid surface tops.

I don't particularly care for banana bread or muffins. But here's a tip for those who want to make it, and the bananas aren't quite "there" yet. Too ripe to eat, but not ripe enough for baking. 1. Pre-heat your oven to 300 degree F. 2. Line a baking sheet with some parchment paper. 3. Place as many bananas as you need on their sides. 4. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, your bananas’ skin should be dark and shiny. They might look a little unappetizing to eat on their own, but the black skin means they’re perfectly ripe for baking. 5. Let the bananas cool for about 30 minutes. 6. Get a pair of scissors and clip the bottom end of the banana off. 7. Over a mixing bowl, squeeze out the banana like a tube of toothpaste.