Coffee and...part 11 :-D

Yeah, i think okus was comparing the UK system to the US system and graduation age was different by 2 yrs.

I should clarify that last post a tad. The Ontario and I believe, Quebec have the 5 yr and 4 yr high school plan. Last I heard Alberta and BC have only 4 yr and I don't know about any other provinces. A student who completes the 5 yr plan goes to freshman year in college/university in ON but if you get in a school in the USA, your Gr 13 credits usually allow you to start as a sophmore. Some ON students take advantage of that since the ON gov pays for Gr. 13 and they live at home, saves a ton of money - only 3 yrs. of college to pay for.

Mary - tried to keep a count of the calls today - total was around 90 with about half of them being internet calls. More than half the internet calls were not TTY users so that does cost a lot to process them. ...I was so proud of myself - after flubbing a 'leaving msg on answering mach' call this morning, I successfully left 3 ans mach msgs this afternoon so I guess I learned something right, finally. ha ha!

Morning all....hope it's warmer today so I can get out and start removing some of the weeds and crab grass that are already showing up in the beds. Lots of lilies tulips and swelling buds...amazing what a couple of days of sunshine willl do. There's some biscotti on the counter, help yourselves, it's time to get a new batch going but I'm pressed for time. Went to a charity raffle with my DIL on Wed. Great timing, it rained like a typhoon all the way over to her house, cars on the Xway were actually slowing down it was so bad, (even the SUVs!) and then it let up during the evening and started again on my way home! I hate driving at night when it's raining, between the glare on the road and the oncoming headlights I feel like I'm driving blind Good thing I know the road. Didn't win anything either, but it was a fund raiser for a battered women's shelter so I didn't mind.

Scoots, I have to admit, the greenhouse is resting in the garage, we've been so busy I haven't had a chance to get it set up where the wind won't send it to Cudahy. We've had so much stormy weather that seems to hover over our neighborhood. Maybe this weekend, with DH's help. Spent all day yesterday watching the "Cable Guy" get our system set up. He must have been a newbie because he had lots of problems, he was here from 10:30 to 4, and had to call in reinforcements. Has to come back to do the home network because they didn't put it on the work order. Grrrrrr. On top of that he must have put the password in wrong from what he wrote down because I can't get into email. Now there's two new remotes ( one set has the DVR feature) to learn, and my brain is already full!!

Those weeping crabs are so lush! We have a park here that has a road lined with the regular flowering crabs and sometimes I drive over there in spring just to see them because it's so spectacular.

Darius, I learned early on to keep my mouth shut in a new school, or neighborhood, because it didn't pay to be too "smart". I got over that when I got my first full time office job, when I figured out that "smart" was no longer a handicap. The year I passed the test for Mensa, I couldn't believe I did it. I don't often tell people that either, because it seems to make them uncomfortable. I still can't remember phone numbers, I don't even try! The funny part of this is, I tried the Mensa test on the internet, just for the heck of it.......LOL Won't do that again!! I now qualify for Densa. Musta crammed too much into the hard drive 'cuz I'm outa space.

Off to the shower. NOT sitting here for two hours. NO. no....no...well, maybe check in later........lol

Thanks for that 'tummy relief' recipe, Mary...I think I may make it later this morning...(Wrote it in, deleted it....too much info. LOL) The tummy pain and fever are gone this morning.

I must have been really sick...I remember dreaming about this thread. Opening it up and finding lots of posts making comments about how bad my spelling, double wording, paragraph repeats and continuity of thought were getting. Hmmmm...perhaps a echo of reality?? LOL (I guess I'm not feeling that much better after all. :-D)

~julie~

Julie,The crab has been in about three years.We had been plagued with neighborhood dogs using the front yard as their "dumping" ground.To my amazement my bride asked what I thought of landscaping the front.Chances like that don't come every day! We work on it each year,refining here and there.Wish there was room for more crabs,and a couple Amanogawa cherries.The only lawn left is in about one half of the backyard and doesn't take much to maintain.Admittedly,mowing the lawn is much easier than all the weeding and tending the plantings take,but not as satisfying.You know,after all that cheesecake perhaps I'd better try some of the yogurt and jello.Meezer,my foster sister is Secretary for a So.Cal. Mensa group and much loved and admired by me.When she said you had to be in the top 2% of the IQ test I was even more impressed.Conratulations,thats pretty special. Time to hot up the tea,grab a bit of Meezers biscotti,hit the shower and head for the dentist. ciao

Dentist....ewwww I don't have to go 'til next Tuesday, but it's ok, my gal has been cleaning my teeth for almost forever and knows all the nooks and crannies, and we chat through the whole procedure, well, uhhh, she chats, I mumble . Thanks for the kind words, LocSec is a demanding job and much appreciated by those of us who don't take it on. I've enjoyed my membership, and meeting others, esp. finding folks who understand and laugh at the most obscure jokes and references. They also like to eat....LOL Just ask your sis!!

Sarv I found one photo of one of the pieces my DIL did right after they took that crash course, will this inspire you? Did I say I was leaving? Now I am. really

Hi All a bright and sunny Texas morning to y'all!
Darius, Confusion exists because UKcollege system is/was different, to the US. The best explanation I can give is: After 6 years of primary education you moved on to secondary school for another 4 or 5 years.If you made it through the 5th you "graduated", then if you were a further education candidate, returned to school for another 2 years. Not all schools had the higher section known as the 6th form (and these days there are separate 6th form colleges to cater for that, though there weren't then). After that you progress to university, where you spend 3 years all of which is specialising in your degree subject.
So I graduated in 60 but left school in 62, does that make any sort of sense?
The workmen have finally finished inside the house!! That 1 day job took 2 and a half! Texas ground is continually on the move Robert so settlement is not unusual particularly after a very wet year like last year and on a new house, or so I'm told by the locals. They didn't need to remove any of the sheetrock just fill the gaps and tighten the screws up then re-spackle and paint. This is part of the builders warranty work so at least we are not paying for them to over-run just putting up with the caos.
We still have the exterior crew to come and fix the cracks in the mortar but at least inside is done. So now I'm off to the housework, which I hate, but I hate the gritty dust more!!.
Carol

Dentists... Ugh. But I need one badly. One front tooth (to the side) has broken off at the gum line, four more front ones sadly chipped or split. Guess I'll be a "toothless hag" before long. I was "lucky" enough to be a baby during WWII when milk was rationed and we had lousy water quality, too.

I still remember how painful it was to have those front teeth filled nearly 50 years ago, even though needles are better now. It took 4X the usual number of shots when I had root canals done a few years ago and then I lost both teeth anyway.

I thought I'd have lots more time to play on DG after I got home from FL. Wrong! House-searching and searching for information to start a new business is very time consuming, and I'm getting sick of it already.

Robert...having a mate that 'approves' of "landscaping' (aside from the forever present Pyramid and cushion yews and arbs (can't spell that one without looking it up...hehehe)) must be a joy! :-D Obviously, I have the yews and arbs in my front yard. (YUCK!!!) I guess I must have been dreaming to think my DH would go for a 'pretty' entrance garden rather than the tired old foundation planting. Oh well...I *took* the backyard and all I had to do was show him that he still had at least an acre to ride his mower through. ;-)

Did someone mention DENTIST??? Yep! I need to find one quick, too. But that will happen about as soon as I make the appointment for new glasses. hehehe Are you getting the idea that I rarely go "out?" If so, you're very close to being right on. :-D

I'm feeling much better this afternoon. (Immodium WORKS! :-))

Well supper is about to be served. Guess I'd better get a move on here.

Later...
~julie~

DId someone say DENTIST??? I have to take a zanax to go!! One time I took 2 and really embarassed myself!! They have to blow oxygen in my face and mop my brow. I am a major weenie...

M5 - that stained glass looks great. I want to make a panel to cover a window (19x35). The class costs $50 bucks, then you have to buy the tools and then the glass. My friend is taking it and she spent $98 already to make a suncatcher!! Anyhow, the place said I couldn't tackle that piece that I want for my first try. That's ok, I didn't want to drop that kind of cash now anyhow!

DIL and I took 4 kids to our local children's museum - they had a grossology display (snot, vomit etc) It was mobbed by every child in the whole county - hollaring, screaming and running. Man, three hours of that and I was ready for the looney bin!! She is such a dear - doesn't even have any kids, but takes all the neices/nephews.

Took more stuff out to the greenhoue and it is almost filled up - man does it look gorgeous - I just go out there and stand and gaze...heaven on earth.. We had a hard frost last night and things were fine in there - with no heat.

Dentist, shudder. I'm another chicken due to bad experiences when I was a kid. On my chart at my local dentist they have CHICKEN written in big red letters! I'm another one who metabolizes the anesthetic almost as fast as they can shoot it into me. Not pleasant stuff even to think about.

Today was a windy cold day until about 1 pm, then the wind diminished to about 15 mph and I saddled Patch and went riding for about 3 hours. We saw about 20 deer and a badger. It is rare to see a badger in the daylight. I even saw a human being out there in the hills checking his fenceline.That's another rare sighting, I only see somebody out there about once every couple of years. No kidding. It won't be long before there are cows and calves out there where I ride and that means I will have more gates to open and close. Right now almost everything is open.

When I came home another one of my horses was looking like she had a bellyache, so I have been watching her all evening. I let her eat some grass along the driveway, a good sign since she didn't seem interested in hay, and now she is looking comfortable and eating some hay. When I came home she was not interested in food, only wanted to lie down. That's not normal at feeding time and she wasn't even interested in grain. When she feels good she is an eating machine. For a while I thought I might have to give her a shot of Banamine and take her to the vet. Lots of things cause colic, and I have no idea what the problem is/was. I did have to take her to the vet a couple of months ago for a mild colic. Things like this make me very nervous since I lost her mother to colic a few years ago and never did know what caused it.

Julie, you probably need some yogurt anyhow to repopulate your system after this flu thing. The natural yogurt products have more beneficial bacteria than the normal grocery store varieties. Some grocery stores have them but for sure you could find it in a health food store. Anybody who has been on anitbiotics also needs it since antibiotics kill all the bacteria and we do need the good guys.

Gotta go chech the horse again. See you tomorrow.

Just a check in-is so late but can't sleep, maybe from being outside, or so many ideas in mind.
M5 lovely glass-may just check that out.
Dentists-love mine-I get nitrous to get my teeth cleaned; it is either that or they have to get me off the ceiling. Also they use cookie dough and chocolate mint paste for cleaning teeth and crowns-Noooo problem in going there.
Better get off to bed-dogs want up so early;
Night and good wishes for the week-end

Good TGIF morning to everyone!

Sarv...what kinds of plants did you put in the greenhouse? I purposely took out some tender herbs and a few tender cuttings to see how they would fare with temps going to about 32°. That was night before last. I didn't expect them to 'make it' since there's more air circulation from the open decking that forms the floor in my units. So I wasn't really disappointed to see that the Basil had limped out...and the Perilla was wee bit shakey. :-D BUT my geraniums (pelergoniums) loved it! This greenhouse stuff is going to be a trial and error experiment for me.

Mary thanks for that note on the natural yogurt. That's one thing the we *can* find here in my area. And I think I'll get some to make that 'creamy jello' for Angel when she gets back.

Hi Marcia...I *love* nitrous! LOL (That cookie dough and mint paste sounds pretty good too...just leave some on the counter. LOL)

Today, I'm planning to pot up flats of cannas and caladiums. Then I want to get some of my container pots filled and ready to plant. If I have time (AND a DH who's willing to help) I have two azaleas in my basement that really need to repotted and brought up to the garden shed. In other words, it's time to start moving things from the basement 'storage' area. Good thing, too, it's gotten so bad down there that I barely have enough room to change my mind. LOL

Ta Ta...have a good day!

~julie~

Morning everyone! Is the coffee hot? I need some to wake up! Cookie dough and chocolate cleaning paste? I'm having a little chat with my hygein--hygiene-hyg ahhh tooth cleaner!! I can understand terror in the chair, I used to be that way. We had very poor dental care when I was growing up, and I had very sensitive teeth. You know those kids who can BITE into an ice cream cone??....not me, that was pure pain so I only tried it once. I think I went once during my teen years, and that was because one stubborn baby tooth hadn't come out and needed to be pulled. He did that and suggested to my parents that I get braces. That didn't happen either.

My next meeting with a dentist was after I got married, had three kids and desperately needed much dental work. Ended up at the local dental school, where they did excellent work. Some of the fillings I have now are still from there. By the time I could afford to go to a regular dentist, my kids were in high school! But, in the process of having all that work done on a weekly basis at the school I lost my fear. I guess it was too much work to keep up that level of tension on a regular basis.

Yup, getting started on that kind of hobby/craft/skill usually requires an investment in tools and equipment. I really wanted to get into pottery when I was younger but couldn't afford the wheel, the kiln, etc so never did pursue it after taking a few community college classes. Now, I don't think I could do it because even doing needlework or hand sewing, cramps up my fingers and I've lost the patience required to do it at all!!

Hazy sunshine this morning,cleared out a lot of foliage from last year's mums, and pulled out tons of crab grass, DH cleaned up some stuff when he got home so we'll hit the recycling center today. We've got several tiers of beds in front of the house, and more garden beds to clean up so I hope it warms up. That darn crab grass is relentless! One area needs to be totally Round-Upped as there is some kind of funny grass with woody rhizomes that has spread all through it, probably came from some free woodchip mulch we picked up at the recycling center.

Check in later.

Good Morning All !

Scheesh, It got pretty cool last night So I gulped down a protein drink, grabbed a jacket and ran out to see if the plants I moved out to the pole barn are OK

Opened the 16 x 14 doors to let the sun warn their tootsies. I know I'm pushing it but I haven't bee able to walk all the way around my bed all winter 'cause it's so packed with PLANTZ. Just moved to ones out that I could live without if need be. Precious hybrid brugs are still languishing in the house.
Gotta run, feed all the critters and clean stalls.
Toodles, Shirley in Smalltownrednecktractorville, WI ... LOL

Good morning." Funny grass with woody rhizomes", sounds like quack grass. Bad stuff. I fight it all the time. The roots have a sharp point on them and can grow through an iris rhizome.

My horse is looking ok this morning, nibbling grass in the pasture. They keep the grass very short out there so there isn't anything to eat, just nibbles to humor the taste buds and entertain their brains. Sort of like wanting cookies and only finding crumbs but oh what good crumbs!

Back later.

M5...you sound like you're doing the same things I've been busy with. Checking all the chrysanthemums and getting all that mulch moved away. Looks like I might have lost a couple...but I'm not going to yank them out just yet. (There's always HOPE, right? ;-))

Scooter...I LOVE the name you've given Twin Lakes! hehehe But I *think* that designation belongs to Muscoda...unless of course, there's a difference between a "two horse" and "Smalltownrednecktractorville" town. :-D

Mary...just as I signed off a while ago I remembered that I forgot to ask how your 'buddy' was doing. I'm so glad you slipped in here and let me know. I remember how badly I felt when my animals got to looking 'under the weather' and I didn't know what had caused it. I'm sure you're a little more confortable now, too.

DH is making little 'rabbit guards' for my daylilies in one area of the yard. Guess I'd better go and 'cheer' him on. LOL (OR get the gun and plan on rabbit stew for supper! Hmmm I wonder if the rabbit would taste like daylilies? ;-))

~julie~

'Mornin, everyone. Hope your day is looking as pretty as mine... The sun is shining, and the temps are up to 57º although it's a tad windy. May get some more clean-up done outside while my energy holds up, which gives me an excuse not to clean inside. : )

I have some oriental lilies poking through, and hostas up 4". I didn't plant much else here last fall except a few small shrubs and most of those have buds. I think when I go to Lowe's to get mulch I'll swing by my aunt's house and see what's coming up. I put in lots of perennials there last year.

Mary, I wish I could just get on a horse and ride like you do (NOT the endurance rides!)

M5, Sarv, all this talk about stained glass, pottery, etc. makes me wish for enough space to do some crafts again while I still can. I have a storage unit full of equipment and supplies!

My sister called last night after her Realtor talked to her. The Realtor had just done some comps and it looks like the house will list (after she sees it again, with most of the work done) for around $12,000 more than she suggested while I was down there. She's planning to sign the contract Monday to list it. I'm a tad nervous as Mercury is still rertrograde until Tuesday but this is just a listing contract, not a sales contract.

In helping my sister get a couple of credit issues resolved so her credit score is higher, we came across a "collection" on her credit report, a charge she had been disputing for 18 months. ($1832 to T-Mobile for a month and a half of service.) They settled for 50% and will take it off her credit report.

That made me think of my credit cards, so I called them yesterday. I only have 3 (all with one bank), and 2 of those carry a balance of less than $50. My payment history is good so they dropped the interest rate on the largest of the 3 by 5%! Doesn't hurt to ask, LOL.

Have a great day!

Darius...I almost choked when I saw that $1,800 + for T-Mobile! I thought I doing badly when one phone company grabbed my account without my permission and started charging me for *their* service at about $50.00 a month. It ended up in my case that I didn't have to pay a cent to that company. I can't remember the name...but I do know that were part of those corporate scandals just after the Enron fiasco.

Glad to hear things appear to moving right along with getting your sister's house on the market. And WONDERFUL news about the comp pricing.

I just went to the mail box and found a real estate tax re-evaluation. OMG!!! Last year the house assessed at $71,000 this year it's $119,000!! It's probably just me, but somehow I just don't see *any* property in *this* area being worth *that* much...especially ours! Don't get me wrong. We have a nice 'normal' house on a normal lot, in an 'abnormal' (LOL) neighborhood. We have neanderthals for neighbors. :-D (Maybe they're more 'redneck'...nope...they're neanderthals!) Anyway, nice to know that even tho our assessment went up...after hearing about your sister's property maybe that means ours will too. (Eventually...)

Well, I got two clumps of ninebark shrubs replanted. That wasn't even on my list for today. The rest of my list went down the tubes because some acquaintances 'popped' in a bit earlier than I expected. So I spent some valuable time sitting on my duff instead of getting it outside and working. (I still have tomorrow.)

Think I'll bop over to the Coleus forum and check out the trades I've promised to send out. Maybe the weather has settled well enough for the plants not to freeze.

See y'all later...
~julie~

Not Neanderhals Julie, more likely stranded aliens who lost the keys to their spaceship. P'rhaps should introduce to the once nxt dr to GW??

These sudden assessment leaps are bizarre . and happening in more places all the time.

I hesitate to see what my ancient, added-on-to, miner's plank house will value out at now that we have a spanking new development springing up in the empty fields that bordered my neighborhood.

Oh wow, I'm outta here. Someone paid the power bill and the sun is shining. Temps rose 2 derees since I started this. No the sun isn't hitting. Desert air. Does this. Cools the same way. Sun goes, temps drop. sometimes plummet.

Anyone mind if i take that biscotti - 'fore it gets stale? ~Blooms

Julie... the "worst" of the T-Mobile bill is that it was for just 2 months! The kid, 15-16 at the time didn't know "text messaging" was still airtime.

I think everyone's property assessment has gone up LOTS. My sister bought her house 5.5 years ago for $72 and it should fetch somewhere around twice that now. Too bad salaries/wages don't keep up. How are the kids of today ever going to afford a house unless they inherit one?

Just came inside to cool off, be back later.

Blooms...thanks for the giggle re the aliens. I think I'll look for their keys and see if I can find their ship. hehehe

Darius...those increases in property value are good for some, but I agree, what about the kids who also need a home? I had written a lot more but decided to delete it before I got in trouble with the DG policy. LOL

Night All!

~julie~

Julie, can you challenge the assessment? Just because somebody puts up McMansions in the neighborhood doesn't mean that you've added three bathrooms and a workout room and etc. Is the value based on the house alone, or is part of it the lot? Ours are both, and when they put up developments here, the farmers used to get hurt because the property values went up according to their acreage. Now they've changed that, but if they sell off acreage then it's valued higher. You can't beat the Tax Man! I think I mentioned the people down on the corner in the subdivision have their house listed for just under a half a mill. It is a nice house, but I don't think they will get that amount for it. They are unpleasant people too.

They have responsibility for the entrance way which has a sign, and some nice perennials and grass, and they are supposed to cut the grass, etc. and keep it looking neat. They didn't do it at all last year, and I finally got disgusted and went down and pulled out all the weeds. One of the evergreens had died, and I got appointed as a member of the Architectural Control Committee, (o , lucky me) to tell them they needed to replace it. First I wrote them a very polite letter. NO response. Then I went down there one day when they were out in their yard, hoping a personal visit would be more productive. The woman was really nasty. Told me it was private property and I should mind my own business. Oh dear. We have not much recourse as we have no funds , the original developer just resigned and left us with rules and no leverage.

Then the developer, (bless her heart) wrote them a letter just as I did quoting the covenants, and THEN they replaced the tree and cleaned up the area. Now their house is on the market and I hope it sits there for a year with no offers. They've had two open houses and I didn't see much traffic.

Mary, I don't think that grassy stuff is quack grass, it actually looks like pine needles, very fine and stiff. Comes up in little clumps and then sends out it's relatives to visit the rest of the area. Miserable to pull out and it invades everything. Grrrrrrr. Sunny out this morning, but weather says rain. Went out and pulled out some more crab grass. We sure are good at growing weeds. Looks like the climbers have survived, did some tying up and bracing so they don't flop all over the place. Little globe artemesia are starting nicely too. My DIL calls them hippopotamus plants, because of how they look all in a row. LOL Just wish they didn't flop at the end of the season too! Lots of tulips up. DH spent yesterday hauling dirt for around the new walkway in back by the deck, and around the garage where the building process has trashed the grass.

He's in the dark den trying to get through one of his cluster headaches. They are just like migraines except they keep bouncing back within hours. He's on daily medication for them but nothing works for very long, and the change of seasons seems to trigger something. They took one drug off the market which had really helped. Now, it's time to get out the Imetrex, which also helps but doesn't keep the next one from happening. I hate it when he's got one, because I'd like to do something but there isn't much I can do.

OK busy day ahead, off to the shower..see y'all later.

M5, what's a "globe artemesia"??

M5...I think we're going to attend the meeting on the 16th for persons who want clarification and/or want to challenge the new assessments. Man! What a hassle! I guess I don't really mind a property tax that increased by small doses...but these "all at once WHACKS" will kill me. I wasn't ready for the increase, nor forewarned that it would be happening. ARGhhhhhhhh!

And like Darius...what is 'globe artemisia'? I have a couple of artemisa (Silver mound) that I bought last year. I read an article on supporting these plants and I'm going to give the tip a try. They said to make little 'domes' of chicken wire to surround the plants very early in the season. As the artemisia grows, it will grow through the wire and it will support the larger plant at the center (where they tend to flop open). Since the plant will grow through the wire, by mid-season it won't be visible at all. I love the plant, just don't like to see it splayed when summer rolls around.

Today, I'm off to get some cuttings of a gorgeous forsythia 'tree' I spotted yesterday. And while I'm at it, I've got lilacs and a hydrangea that are about to 'give birth' to a few new babies. LOL (They're *not* in my yard...yet!)

Lots of things to do today...and lots of things to get prepared so I can do the real work while the baby is here. (I really miss *my* freedom. LOL)

Hi to everyone that checks in...

~julie~

Time for a quick cup of coffee, then outside to play in the dirt! I actually slept with a window wide open last night... was 51º outside when I awakened this morning but the house wasn't too cold. Love that fresh air and the sound of the creek!

Yesterday I went to my aunt's house and brought back some of my plants in pots I over-wintered there. I have 2 red and 1 white bleeding heart (dicentra) blooming, and several pots of trilliums (including one yellow!) getting ready, and some Lily of the Valley. May have lost my pink lily of the valley, though. Also brought back a mock orange, a lilac, and some oriental lilies in pots, and 3 pots of alpine strawberries. A few more, but CRS has taken hold, LOL.

How exciting Spring can be!

The Casa Blanca oriental lily bulbs I got from a co-op last fall are breaking ground but looking suspiciously like asiatic or trumpet lilies by the foliage so far.

Quick answer, the globe artemesia are the same as the silver mound I'd guess. That's it in the foreground. Don't have a better photo....my eye wanders to color.... We have some of the tall stuff that falls over too but I'm pulling a lot of it out, it's pretty aggresive but I love the color.

Before i forget, I made a triple threat bundt cake last night....loaded it with choc. chips and piled on chocolate frosting, have some before I strike again!! ........and I only got a *teeny* bit of frosting on my fingers taking the picture..............

M5, yes, that's silver mound. The tall artemesia might be silver king.

Cake looks yummy but I'll pass. Just not much of a chocolate fan...

Herb Garden is coming along... have about half weeded and mulched. More in there than herbs but not a whole lot.

Boy, I really needed that!! Breakfast, if you can call it that, was 4 slices of toasted baugette with strawberry preserves and a cup of coffee. Nothing as civilized as a slice of Bundt Cake.
Re: taxes,this year's assessment on our cabin was reduced by $55,000 on the land (structures are seperate) because they said they "had made a mistake". Seems they pushed the wrong button and said it was waterfront property instead of waterfront view or something.What the government guys won't do for an extra buck.These sudden jumps really hurt,but a little chocolate makes it all better,sometimes.Evereyone have a great day,and remember there are only 5 more fretting days till Income Tax Day.

Yuck - I have something. Laid in bed this morning and thought - my eyeballs are going around in circles!! I get the dizzies every spring - sometimes lasts for a couple of months - an inner ear problem. I took two allergy tabs and they knocked me off my feet - spent the day snoozing and man am I ticked as it was a gorgeous day outside!! I still don't feel just right= not dizzy anymore, just feel like my head is full of cotton.

Yesterday my best friend from HS dropped over - I haven't seen her for 22 yrs. It was just like we were together in HS. I couldn't believe it - she has moved in our neck of the woods. We never kept in contact as our lives went in different directions completely - she got married right out of HS and I went onto college. She knew where I lived and saw me outside - said she drives by often, but has never seen me out, so she thought we moved. I tell ya, small world.

DH is making steaks on the grill - I don't have the heart to tell him that food just doesn't sound good. Although I did stuff down two pop tarts a while ago! That choco cakes looks good too!!

Oh, here's a funny one. I was telling my 81 yr old mom about my dizziness. She said "Oh, I am sorry you are having trouble with you libeto" (sp?) - we laughed about that one, I told her that has been gone for years!! My dad was telling my mom that my brother went to a bar called "The Intercourse" - we were teenagers at the time and practically fell off the chairs laughing- he actually went to a bar called "The Intersection" Another time he was in the hospital and told us all that he has 'orgasms' in his bloodstream - he meant 'infection' - LOL gosh, those memories brought back some good laughs - he has been gone since 82 and it seems like yesterday.

It has been so so warm in this neck of the woods, that I bet the tulips will be 'kapoot' for the Tulip Festival. That will be too bad!

Well, I haven't done diddly squat today, but since it is a day of rest, I won't get mad at myself. Tomorrow I hope I am full of energy and get my hinnie in gear.

Sarv, good chuckles, thanks. After my oldest aunt had a stroke (and after rehab) she stayed with my mother a bit. She told my 6 year old neice she could hear the cat's "footprints" because she couldn' find the word "footsteps" in her foggy brain. She regained her memory and we still laugh about that...

Sarv, good chuckles, thanks. After my oldest aunt had a stroke (and after rehab) she stayed with my mother a bit. She told my 6 year old neice she could hear the cat's "footprints" because she couldn' find the word "footsteps" in her foggy brain. She regained her memory and we still laugh about that...

Hope you're feeling better.

Hi, everyone sounds busy. Tried to get on yesterday-computer would close out dg after one forum ??? I don't understand. I just complain. Taxes-@#$%&%%**********
Spring has arrived, the fellow that helps with the yard was here yesterday and we all worked ( he did most of it). Next place will need to be easier to maintain-all around. The bulbs are up, some are blooming and most of the perennials have bdroken dormancy. Woo Hoo; I had planned on getting my Mess room" cleaned up this winter, so I would be all ready to garden. I had also planned on losing 50 pounds and winning a lottery..guess what!
Next week-end is the fund-raiser for the spay/neuter program, I am hoping to go and meet other folks. I would take the furkids, but they are well-loved, not well-trained.
Gotta go and check a couple of other forums (if I can) and then feed the four foots-plus it is freezing down here.
Have a wonderful week.

Darius...I've never seen a yellow trillium. The red ones, and the white ones, yes...I'd love to see a pic of yours when they bloom. I checked on my Lily of the Valley and found a few tips breaking ground, but not many yet. My Astilbe and Bleeding heart are about 3-4" high (I *love* both of these!) I'm glad you got some goodies to bring back home. ~ Your herb garden looks terrific! I love the gravel walk...and of course (because we have none) I love the rocks in the landscape. Very nice shot.

M5- Oh YUMMY! I could love a piece of that triple threat right now. (I just may have to go make some brownies to get a choco-fix. :-D Your Silver mound looks to be much shorter than mine. In fact, yours looks better behaved than mine...want to trade? LOL

Hey Robert! I have a *trade* for you too! Your tax assessor for mine? LOL Actually, I have to say that we got a second "assessment" on a piece of personal property (DH's HUGE shop (and no...he doesn't share it with me :-()) The assessor tacked on a note that he had forgotten to tax us on it this past year. That may be one good reason not to contest the new assessment. I wonder what the penalty would be for not paying taxes that we never received a bill for. LOL

Sarv...sorry to hear you're not feeling well. I spent Thursday and Friday feeling horrible. I hope your 'syndrome' goes away as quickly as mine did and that you feel better real soon. ~ I LOVED those stories! And thanks from me too, for the giggles.

Marcia...hasn't it been a beautiful weekend for our area? Sure hope my corner of the State gets some rain during this next few days. I really had to laugh at your comments between "The bulbs are up"...and..."guess what?" ROTFLOL Me too, girl...me too!

Today, I potted up some clematis, some cannas, dahlias, and a blueberry. I figured that it was safer to pot them up than let them rot in their bags and boxes until I could get them in the ground. DH has spent the past two days trying to 'rabbit proof' (HA!) my flower beds around the veggie garden (huge undertaking, let me tell ya). He also moved some cherry trees, a couple of plums, and three of the new poplar shade trees I bought last year. The yard is beginning to shape up...at least in my head. Oh...I also got 2 azaleas pryed from the buckets that my recently deceased friend had in her house for Lord only knows how long. They were trying SO hard to grow but there was no more room! I put them outside. I know...I probably gave them a death sentence, but that's the way things go, sometime. At least I'm not tripping over them in the basement anymore.

Ok...that's my day.

Part 12 of our coffee break 'room' has been opened. I thought we needed a new thread when I realized that the reason it was taking so long to load wasn't because the connection was slow...oh DUH! The thread is just too long. (I can't believe I sat here thinking 'slow connection' for two days...no, no, no...not all at once. hehehe)

Here's the new thread...
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/498760/

See ya there...
~julie~