Hello: Yes, Carmen is in heaven now, for that I am sure. Carmen did not, that I know of have a digital web space for garden photographs. She was so busy these last few years starting a business. Carmen had a gorgeous fenced in vegetable garden hiding in her back yard. You would first enter a gate from either the driveway side, or the other side of her home, and enter into this very sunny, and flowerful back yard living area. When you entered on the right there were some camellias, and a taller tree overhead. To the left her hydrangea selection started, and Carmen had a beautiful selection that bloomed from late spring into late summer. When I was last there, she also had a tree dahlia ready to bloom. It was a suprise from a trade and she was delighted to behold such unusual beauty for our area. On the other side of the hydrangea area were knock out roses along a short walk. This walk curved around the back wall of the home and ended at the other garden entrance and a HUGE stand of giant calla lilies which were in constant bloom except in our coldest months. Along the neighboring fenceline there was a sweet of September Charm anemone and Carmen said you could always count on a mass of pink blooms Sept. 1st, this fed into a cottage garden selection of plants that also attracted hummingbirds. This area moved into a slightly shady area and then the vegetable garden. Everything encircled a nice expanse of green lawn. Carmen's front garden was under quite dense shade, but being such an excellent gardener, Carmen filled it with unusual selections of shade garden plants, many of which had very colorful bloom or leaf variegation/color. This description is the best I can do to give you an idea of Carmen's lovely garden. GGG

I saw on the news that much of the south had a white christmas this year. Were are having a white day after christmas as it has started snowing here and supposed to continue on until Monday afternoon here on Long Island. Last nights forcast was for 18 inches but I haven't seen the weather forcast this morning here yet so don't know if anything has changed.

Thank you Mary,I hope you had a Merry Christmas as well My husband died last Dec. from injuries from an ATV crash. [I mention that because I want people to know how very dangerous they are]. Today would have been our 49th wedding anniversary. So it is especially hard. I put on a good front for my family, but I had no idea how hard it would be...but life goes on and I try to stay positive. blessings to you as well. Karen

Congrats on the hood Nancy, and especially on tackling it yourselves! belterv - Just a long haired Shepherd. deedles - The question is not how did he get up on the counters but how to keep him off of them :) Thanks, glad everyone got a chuckle out of this. I tried to get a family group shot yesterday with everyone up on the counters but oddly there was little interest.