Well, there she is!! Miss Betsy Blue Eys! I could just eat that dog UP! I have to confess to being a dog lover, too. She is just adorable, and a little spit-fire, I bet. She has the sweetest face, and she is so tiny. Just a doll of a dog. And probably one of the most pampered pooches on the planet. And congrats to everyone who has a child graduating this year, be it high school or college. The parents deserve a big pat on the back as they watch their children take the early steps to fledging! Our daughter made it out of college in 4 years, but that SON ... we thought he was going to be a lifer. SIX YEARS for a four year degree. We had someone in college for over ELEVEN straight years. I am sure there are many of us out there who did the same or more. It was definitely worth it.....until they say something monumentally stupid ..... and then you want a REFUND on that tuition money! LOL! Malinda

there is a plant propogation book i have wherein the author describes his own mist system. that author has a large black coil of hose in the roof of his greenhouse so that water can be heated before reaching the mist nozzles. that's at least one vote for using warm water and keeping the cuttings reasonably warm as they root. just thought i would toss that in! lol. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted by: mosaic z8 LA (My Page) on Sun, May 11, 03 at 11:59 With such a setup you could probably root roses under mist all winter here in Louisiana. And then as an added bonus, you could save on your power bills all summer by using it to steam your veggies :) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted by: tammyinwv z6/WV (My Page) on Sun, May 11, 03 at 16:05 i have been unable to find the mist heads even within an hr from my home.Someone mentioned here they found them for .50 each.would anyone be willing to get me a couple and mail them? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted by: wild_garden virginia z6b (My Page) on Sun, May 11, 03 at 16:32 at my lowes store the mist heads where in the indoor gardening area next to the register, i doubt the people at lowes would have even know what to look for. it was with the drip irrigation supplies, as i said in the indoor gardening area next to the big outdoor area where they sell trees and things. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mist heads supply source Posted by: RoseHawke 7b AL (My Page) on Mon, May 12, 03 at 10:37 For you folks that haven't been able to find the heads locally, try going to this site: Dripworks or here's a direct link to one of the pages with some heads:Misters . I just a couple of weeks ago ordered some irrigation supplies from them and received them quite quickly. About 4 days if I remember correctly. Haven't had a chance to put it together yet, which is probably just as well as the flood we had last week would've probably washed everything down the creek ;-). I also have the Melnor timer, and it does seem a bit confusing about its ability to do a mist cycle, but what you're doing is programing it to do one cycle (on in the am; off in the pm) and punching in a choice of watering pattern, in this case the off for 10" on for 2" pattern. I believe the idea behind the pattern was/is actually to help prevent water run-off when doing overhead watering by allowing the water to soak in between the on phases. I bought this particular timer though because when I looked at it my mind said "Ah! Mist!" (heh), even though the reason I bought it at the time was to keep a new patch of zoysia sod watered until it rooted in. My batteries did last all season last year, but it was only opening that valve 4x a day for 3 weeks, and then 1x every 4 days for a couple of months. I can see where a misting pattern of opening and closing that valve many times during the day may eat batteries, but as ShamanSherpa pointed out, it's still cheaper than a $100+ misting timer! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted by: patclem z7 (or 6) TN (My Page) on Fri, May 23, 03 at 8:32 Regardless of how much water it wastes, etc, I decided to experiment with misting. I am TERRIBLE at rooting cuttings. I've tried baggies. I've tried jars. I've tried special cutting trays with plastic domes. I've had one rooted cutting out of probably 50. I had the same problem finding true super-fine mist systems in the south. None at Lowe's, none at HD. They're not popular here because they don't have the same evaporating effect they have in less humid areas of the country - they make you wet here. Here's where I found mist heads. They didn't charge me anything for shipping. They were super-good to deal with online. Web Page - Phone/Fax 888-693-0578 Local/Fax (719) 495-2266 Qty: 4; Sku: 6W401; Product: Monarch Misting Nozzles M-1; Amount: $7.40 Qty: 4; Sku: 6W519; Product: Reducing Tee for Monarch Misting Nozzles; Amount: $4.40 You have to go to Lowe's or local hardware store and get a hose adapter, timers, 1/2" PVC, PVC caps, etc. I have mine set up with 2 mist heads, and about a 6' diameter section of my grass is soaked! I don't have mine on a timer yet. Results? I don't have any yet, except none of my cuttings have turned black yet. PS - I AM NOT AFFILIATED WITH THIS BUSINESS IN ANY WAY! Here is a link that might be useful: Mist Heads -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted by: fuselighter 7/WA (My Page) on Thu, May 29, 03 at 21:41 I am so excited about the misting bed. I went out and bought all the supplies today. Total cost was about $15 (my husband had PVC and elbows left over from installing the sprinkler system). I would like to go to an intermittent system eventually, but for now I am going with continuous. The water bill is not an issue because we have an irrigation system (there is an annual fee but it is not based on usage). I set the whole thing up in about an hour. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted by: debbinard Z4CO (My Page) on Sun, Jun 1, 03 at 10:54 Shamansherpa -- I could not open your picture! I live in Colorado, it gets very warm middle of June (up to upper 90's) and stays low humidity. We are on outsidewater restrictions 2xweek, so I'm not sure this method would fly. Am wondering how visible this is, or if inside is an option under lights. At any rate, I would like to propigate some rose cuttings now (is this a good time?) My daughter in law is moving and would love some plants from a rose with sentimental value. Is the rooting hormone used just the usual or special for roses? Thanks Deb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted by: mytrid Zone8b Florida (My Page) on Sun, Jun 1, 03 at 13:48 Deb, Maybe you could call your water extention office and see if you can get special permission, exsplain to them how little water it uses. Yes you use rooting hormone, there are many available. Dip and grow I here is supposed to be really good. I got some of the more exspensive stuff from a friend whom bought it threw rose imporium on line. But you can always use something like dip and grow. Deanna -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted by: rose_enthusiast z7 TX. (My Page) on Sun, Jun 1, 03 at 15:47 Hi there Deanna! It seems to me you've managed to help a lot of people with your invaluable info. And I would like to thank you for inspiring me to start a misting bed to root my cuttings. I have one question to add to the many others you've been getting though... What rose company is it that you get your rooting hormone from? Is it Rose Emporium or the Antique Rose Emporium? I would like to purchase this product as well, since you and this company are using this to successfully root your cuttings. Thanks Again, Carlos -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted by: mytrid Zone8b Florida (My Page) on Tue, Jun 3, 03 at 1:31 Carlos, Thank you but we should all thank AngieAnders, she is the one who did all the research and work to discover this method and then post it here for us last year! She truly diserves all the credit. I just wanted to keep any new people aware that have just started rooting this year. Best of luck all and don't forget to post your sucess! Deanna -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted by: epiphany z5b PA (My Page) on Tue, Jun 3, 03 at 9:28 I found the Arizona Mist system which is by Orbit as mentioned at Wal-Mart. It has 12' of tubing, end cap, six misting heads and hose adapter for $14.95. Of course, it is once again cold and wet here,......all of a balmy 56°. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted by: auntnana 6 TN (My Page) on Thu, Jun 5, 03 at 13:06 I ordered the misting heads mentioned above from Dripworks last year and they don't put out a fine mist as much as they do a fine spray/droplets. And even though I had a pressure regulator on there, I kept having a problem with the heads blowing off! (Their drippers work perfectly by the way so it's nothing against the company) I ordered foggers from Misty Mate this year and they put out a super fine fog. Perfect for propagation. They are a litte more expensive than the ones from Dripworks but worth it. And if you ask they will ship the misting heads for $1.50. I went to HD and bought a 10-24 tap and drill set (3.00) and drilled holes in my 1/2" cvpvc and the heads just screwed right in! I bought a Melnor timer at HD for $39 and it has 1 minute spray options so I've got it set for 1 minute every 10 minutes. Can't remember the model number but it's not the one on the HD website. I hope to finish my new propagation box soon. I built one on a stand this year so I can move it around easily. Wouldn't you know, HD has plastic sheeting made just for greenhouses that I used! It's not the real thick heavy stuff either. It's only 4mil and is crystal clear see-thru! Hopefully I'll be finished this week!

Sometimes, it seems that you don't get very many responses to threads/posts - especially layout threads. Why is that? There are a few factors involved in getting responses: Weekends, especially summer and holiday weekends, are usually not very active here - especially if it takes any time to respond. I recommend posting during the week and late afternoon/early evening Eastern time so your thread is on page 1 and will be seen by more people - especially those just stopping by for a few minutes after work and b/f making dinner or heading out for the evening. After dinner can also be a good time... Subjects! I know there isn't a lot of space for a subject, but make the subjects (1) relevant to the topic of the post and (2) descriptive - cryptic subjects like "counter" or "need help" aren't very useful and may not draw in the people who can help! It would also be helpful and more productive not to post in one long paragraph. Rather, break it up into several paragraphs, organizing the content with white space b/w paragraphs so people can read and comprehend things quickly and easily. Some people don't read the "Layout Help" topic and post asking for help without giving us very much information about the poster's goals, family composition, plans for using the space,etc. Trying to design a kitchen in a vacuum of knowledge can be frustrating and can lead to "generic" kitchens. See the "How do I ask for Layout Help and what information should I include?" FAQ topic. Often, the layouts themselves don't have enough information for us to work with. A full set of dimensions is very helpful! (again, see the "Layout Help" FAQs topic). If you're trying to decide whether to post a computer-generated drawing that shows the elevation (things shown as they will be against a wall with cabinets, etc.) vs an overhead plan (2D as seen from overhead) - choose the overhead! It can be computer-generated if it has all dimensions, etc.or a hand-drawn diagram using graph paper. If you need to draw it up by hand, keep in mind that it takes no drawing skill, so don't let that intimidate you. All you need: Good measurements of the room Graph paper which you can download and print from the web if you don't have any on hand Pencil & eraser (for sketching in the first lines) Straight edge (ruler, piece of plastic, triangle, etc. because even with graph paper it's easier to draw against a straightedge, and most kitchen lines are straight) Dark, fine or extra fine Sharpie (or similar marker/pen) to go over the pencil lines before taking a picture of it for posting. Without the dark pen/marker, most drawings are too faint. Using graph paper forces you to pay attention to scale. Layouts with dimensions that are difficult to read. This has become even more problematical since iVillage/GardenWeb (GW) made their so-called improvements to the site. It's now difficult to post a large enough layout that is easy to read. If I have to open a layout image in another window and fiddle with resizing and then still not be able to read the dimensions, I often bag it and move on. If you also use the GW image upload, it's not as easy to see larger versions than if you post a large version to Photobucket (or similar). Try uploading large versions of pictures (especially layouts) to Photobucket (or similar photo hosting site) and posting the picture in the message from there instead of using GW's image upload facility. Upload the picture to Photobucket in a bigger size and copy the "HTML Code" directly into the GW Message box. GW automatically resizes all pictures in threads to fit the (very) narrow space they now restrict all messages to - but when you click/select the picture, it should open a larger version at the photo hosting site. Just make sure your pictures link back to their origin - you may have to adjust your permissions settings at Photobucket (or other site). I recommend setting up a Public album for layout drawings - after all, once you've posted the layout here, it's no longer private, even if your album is private - once it's anywhere on the web, it's out there in someone's cache, if nowhere else. There's more information in the FAQs about posting pictures. See the "How do I post pictures?" topic in the FAQs. Another deterrent is a poster who does not at least acknowledge those who have responded. Even if you don't like the response, at least acknowledge it. There have been many times in the past when someone has spent a couple of hours (or more) working on a layout for the poster and the poster never responded or responded to others and completely ignored what that person did - no comments at all. While we don't expect gushing and over the top thank-yous, it would be nice to know (1) that the poster read and reviewed what the person did and (2) whether the person produced something useful or if there were some things that could be changed/tweaked for them. "Silence is Golden" is definitely not a rule here! Pictures! Pictures are definitely worth a thousand words around here! When asking for advice on layouts, color combinations, problems, or just about anything else that has a "visual", post one or more pictures. We often need to see what you're talking about. Post actual pictures - not links to pictures. It's much more convenient and easier for us to see the picture in the message than to have to go elsewhere to see it. When asking for help with materials selection, post the photos or the hyperlinks to photos of the counter, flooring, backsplash, cabinet style and finish, etc. Often people will just give the names of their selections and expect readers to go off and search the internet for them - but most of us don't have time for that! Last, much as some might not like to hear it, we do often go the "extra mile" to respond to posters who have also been contributing on the Forum - even the "old timers" who aren't here that often anymore will probably get more responses. You don't have to be an expert to contribute to the forum. You can start by commenting on in-progress or finished kitchens. You can learn a lot by studying other people's kitchens (in progress and finished) and asking questions about them. So take the plunge and start responding and helping others - it will help you in the end as well! The very last piece of advice I have for newcomers is to browse through the FAQs. For historical interest/reference, here is a link to one of the last Read Me threads (I stopped them in 2013 when the Kitchen FAQs were established): New To Kitchens? Posting Pics? Read Me! (Note that while many of the topics are the same in the Read Me thread and the FAQs, the FAQs are being kept up-to-date and new topics are being added over time.) Finally, please remember that we are all volunteers here, none of us are getting paid to do this - we do it out of our love of kitchens and helping others to get the best designed kitchen possible that meets your needs (and budget!) Some of the regulars don't have the time we used to to respond with full-blown layouts or lengthy layout critiques...b/w family and job, my time, for example, has become very precious - and family comes b/f Kitchens! (I do occasionally have time and will stop by...) However, what is great about this site is that "new regulars" seem to appear who can fill the gap when others begin to drop off the site - so welcome old and new!

I have an upright freezer in my kitchen. It has an opening in the oak cabinetry that my DH built when he did the rest of the kitchen cabinetry and looks like the refrig opening (match-matchy). Having it there makes so much more sense than one out in the pole barn (sorry annie1992). I also have a chest freezer in the bakery kitchen. To organize them, I put like things together on the shelves, some in baskets, some not. They are labeled on the outside (plain paper under a magnet) as to what is on each shelf of the upright, and what is in the left, middle, and right of the chest. They do get a lot of scritch-scratch on the papers, but I can finally keep track of all the "just stuff it in there" that may be labeled (like cloudy_christine) from too many years ago. The labels are: poultry, meat, seafood, fruit, veggies (including onions, sweet peppers, mashed potatoes), dairy (cheese/butter/eggs), finished stuff to reheat, and the additives (fat back, dried herbs, ginger, zest, bread &/or crumbs, vodka). All of the labels include dates - it only takes a minute - truthfully! The shelf for stuff to reheat is the wisest thing I've done since there's just the two of us and I cook for an army mostly, old habit having multiple children and/or relatives in the house. Pulling out a pile of waffles, bean soup, cooked rice, or ravioli is a god-send when it comes to lunch or dinner time. No stress. Do invest in a new gasket for whatever you buy new. The freezer will last a long time but the gaskets age and, like you discovered sleeven-dog, the manufactures stop offering them when you need them, years later. Extended warranty on most appliances are totally worthless. The unit is covered, usually by a 1-yr warranty, so what you are buying is just more money out the front door because it is not going to fail the first year. IMO Do buy a Food Saver or other air-sucker to preserve your frozen stuff. Even the lowly Mason pint or quart jars work exceptionally well in the freezer. IMO. Keep a thermometer in it. OF is OK but -10F is better. If you have a lot of open space in the freezer - stuff it heavily with newspaper or rice/flour/cornmeal/cereal/staples, or even ice cubes in a bag. The less air circulates in the open areas the better to maintain the freezing solid temperature in there. Nancy