After years of combat engagement I have arrived at a point in my life where I have realised that slugs respond to nothing less than the an aggressive response to their aggressive responses. Though a scientifific phosphate oriented approach may have its merits,I doubt its long or short, or for that matter, its medium effects on long term eradication of slug infestation. Humane methods of slug eradication have been applauded by the UN and other humaninanitarian charities around the global world but I have long been quietly lobbying for a more effective,violent and decisive method of countering the devastating impact of the little slimy buggers that are wreaking havoc on vegetable patches around the known globe. I believe that history will absolve me, and like the blokes who dripped the H bomb on China in the 1930's,not many people will know my name but many people will know about what I've done to slugs. Regarding the H bomb, did you know that Kendo Nagasaki was NOT from Nagasaki? For that matter, Big Daddy was NOT a Daddy. He never sired any children but despite being called Shirley in real life, he was a Normal and DID have a wife. My first brutal encounter with the common garden slug left me traumatised and dedicated to leading a life long struggle against tyranny. Have you heard of Kev? He's about 7ft 6 and looks a bit like Will Smith on steroids, lives in Birkbett and is well known for doing an insurgent dogs egg in Louise Flowers garden after drinking 5 cans of breaker one night in the late 1980s. Well, one night, me and kev were setting off to Adega (it was 50 pence a pint night)dressed in our finest clobber when we confronted by a massive, no, a really big slug on Kev's drive. We literally froze with the sight of the beast. Kev shrieked "Go and get Dinah!!" Have you heard of Dinah? She was a Staffordshire Bull Buggering Terrier from the Depths of the Bruning Furnace of Beelzebubs Burning Buttocks!! (Bentley near Doncaster) Frozen quite literally with fear, I panicked and instead took the life affirming decision to quite literally "Drop the Brick". Not in my underpants as I actually wanted, but quite literally I basically picked up the nearest brick i could find near to me and without further delay..dropped it on the slugs head. If I described the ensuing scene you'd be shocked and impressed but I can't because it's a bit scary. The worst bit was that the slugs shattered remnants were blatted all ove me and Kev's best Keks!! The eery thing is we never saw a slug in that exact spot ever ever again. For me that said alot. One of the thiongs it said was "No Slug shall ever dare to return hither lest it shall be bricked and devastated by me and Kev!!" and I think that's enough to say about that. Putting it simply, you can willy willy wish wash all over t' place mucking about with phosphate this and saxa salt that. the point is..if you really want to do a Slug, nowt works as well as a brick or home made flame flower made by a can of Pledge!! Unless of course you actually ARE from Doncaster, in which case your preference might be to prolong the spectacle of pain and employ a couple of Patterdales to devour our hated slimy pesticles. Thanks for listening.

Love the picture of Bailey in the snow. My lab loves the snow...so fun to watch him run around in it. Outside, I'm used to weathering storms without dh-can't tell you how many times he's been heading home and gotten stranded, poor guy. My kids and I are fine...warm and toasty. I made a huge batch of marinara sauce and meatballs yesterday in case we lost power (I could reheat on gas range) then made a batch of cookies today with my youngest. Just started a wood fire, so we are cozy here and waiting on the final blast. Supposed to get 2-4" in the next few hours. Dh is currently standing on the train platform waiting on his train. Had a brief scare in Newark...first no available gates so they waited on runway for nearly an hour, then couldn't get the jetway connected to the plane b/c of all the snow and ice. I thought he was going to miss the train. Thankfully he texted me he's there on the platform so should arrive in MD in about 2.5 hrs. Hurray! And just got word school closed again tomorrow. Extra long weekend for my kids. They already have Monday and Tuesday off for winter break!

some years back hubby and I put insulation and new wallboards on 2 bedroom walls. l962 house, stucco and NO insulation and those rooms were cold. Then we had new windows put in. Everything ok except for the baseboards...The new walls overlap the end flap slightly. Recently had a leak and had to lift the flap which meant carving out some wallboard. What an unsightly mess. One contractor said he could patch it in, but what happens if we need to lift the flap again. so any ideas on how to disguise the 2 end flaps? Both butt up against the ajoining walls. I try to imagine me building a box of some sort. scary thought that.

I had a teacher who was able to leave Iran with her mother but her father and brother could not. She told me beautiful stories about Iran and it's people. I also met a lady who approached me about my pomegranate tree. The fruit is popular at festivals and many varieties are grown. She called her home Persia instead. When I gave her a large bag full of poms, she teared up and said it reminded her of good times with her family and especially her mother and grandmother. I wish we could have some peace and understanding with our two countries. I'm sick of weapons and hate. More festivals and travel and love. Bless you pomegranate lady, wherever you are.