Hi Maureen, I have been studying your picture. I think the little globe evergreen still looks lost there. Not sure another one on the other side would fix it, like you said the slope is a problem. Of course, in the future, when he is bigger, it will look different. Here is what I am thinking. I love the stone markers, from what I can see, but I really had to look to find them. So I think they need to be higher. This would more clearly mark the entryway. Could you build an inexpensive and small pedestal for them, I'm thinking like a 1 ft x 1 ft x 2 ft high pedestal out of bricks or pavers or treated wood, and top with the markers? Then perhaps the globe evergreen in front of each, and you could even adjust the height of the pedestal so that it looks even in height. The globes in front would hide any difference in the height of the pedestal. I hope you see what I am talking about. Then, if you want a garden that looks good year round, you will have to carefully think of evergreens or plants with winter interest like berries, or bark, or very early spring bloom to put in there. Weighing all the options and then having to make a decision is the hardest part. I torment over stuff like this! Laurie

There is a vegetarian biryani in from Olive Trees and Honey: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes from Jewish Communities Around the World. If you use oil rather than ghee, it is dairy free. The vegetarians/vegans like it as a main and it can serve as a side for the rest. It has a layer of rice, then a layer of vegetables including garbanzo beans and topped by another layer of rice mixed with nuts. Vegetable Biryani RICE LAYER: 3 tablespoons ghee ( Indian Clarified Butter ) or vegetable oil 2 cups white or brown basmati or other long-grain rice 4 cups water (5 cups for brown rice) 2 teaspoons ground turmeric About 1 1 ⁄ 2 teaspoons table salt or 1 tablespoon kosher salt VEGETABLE LAYER: 1 ⁄ 4 cup ghee or vegetable oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 1 ⁄ 2 teaspoons black or yellow mustard seeds 1 teaspoon poppy seeds 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 ⁄ 4 to 1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon cayenne 3 small or 2 medium-small eggplants, peeled and diced, or 3 cups cauliflower florets 1 large zucchini, diced 1 large red or green bell pepper, seeded, deribbed (white removed), and diced 1 cup lima beans or green peas 2 cups tomatoes purée, or 1 cup water mixed with 3 seeded and diced plum tomatoes 1 teaspoon sugar About 1 teaspoon table salt or 2 teaspoons kosher salt 3 ⁄ 4 cup cooked or canned chickpeas (optional) NUT MIXTURE: 1 ⁄ 4 cup ghee or vegetable oil 2 ⁄ 3 cup raw slivered almonds 2 ⁄ 3 cup raw cashews 2 ⁄ 3 cup golden raisins 1 ⁄ 4 cup chopped fresh cilantro for garnish 1. Preheat the oven to 350 ° F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. 2. To make the rice layer: In a large, heavy saucepan, melt the ghee over medium heat. Add the rice and sauté until opaque, about 3 minutes. Add the water, turmeric, and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 18 minutes for white rice; about 40 minutes for brown rice. 3. To make the vegetable layer: In a large, heavy saucepan, melt the ghee over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the mustard and poppy seeds and sauté until they begin to pop, about 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the coriander , cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and cayenne. 4. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the eggplants, zucchini, and bell pepper, and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the lima beans , tomato purée, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. If using, add the chickpeas. 5. To make the nut mixture: In a small, heavy saucepan, melt the ghee over medium heat. Add the nuts and sauté until golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in the raisins. Remove from the heat. 6. Spread half of the rice in the prepared dish and top with the vegetable mixture. Combine the remaining rice with the nut mixture and spread over the vegetables. 7. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the cilantro. Serve warm. VARIATION Omit the mustard seeds and poppy seeds and add 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger with the other spices. Marks, Gil (2008-03-11). Olive Trees and Honey: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes from Jewish Communities Around the World (Kindle Locations 14024-14031). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Kindle Edition. For vegetarian chili, I don't use a recipe. If not using canned beans, I soak dried beans overnight (or do a quick soak by bringing the water to a boil with the beans, turning off heat and letting them sit for a few hours). I usually use a mix of pintos and kidney beans or black and pinto beans. I saute onions. Add some other diced vegetables - bell peppers, summer squash and carrots are good. Add to the beans and pour in a can of diced tomatoes with the juice (or you can use tomato sauce or tomato paste and water). Add chili powder to taste (for 3 16 oz cans of beans, I start with about a tablespoon). Making it for our family where the grandkids don't like it too spicy hot, I usually add some ground cumin and oregano to flavor it without getting more chili heat than they will accept. Also add a bit of salt. Sometimes I'll add soy crumbles (i.e. some soy ground beef substitute). but most of the time I don't

New to this site as of today. I had a complete mastectomy Dec 2007. It was MY choice to have both removed. I was never as large (38C) and I never gave reconstruction a second thought. And I have never regretted it. I was 58 at the time and felt I didn't need them. The Dr advised I did'nt need chemo but would be a good "insurance policy" I followed his advise and did chemo. I have talked to lots of ladies since then that went to other hospitals and their Dr didn't feel a need for them to have chemo. But there again I don't have any regrets for taking chemo, as long as I, in my heart feel like it helped and I did everything I could. I know reconstruction will be a long drawn out healing process and you will probably be required to take radiation also. I didn't need radiation being I chose the complete mastectomy. My mother had only one removed and always regretted it. Do what makes you content.....as it is your life. And good luck with whatever you choose.

IT is amazing the regional variation in surgical costs… here in Los Angeles you would be very lucky to find someone to do a disc surgery for under $8000… $4000 was early 2000 prices… $1000 for a back surgery would be 1970 prices. I have had cases go to the specialist and spend over $15000 for all the treatment… and some still cannot walk. Yikes. Glad your puppy is better… 'Always' a veterinarian will suggest medical treatment prior to surgery (unless there are or no very little pain reflexes- then emergency surgery is really the only hope for a disc problem… if that is indeed what it is… fibrocartilangenous emboli show up very similarly and are not really surgical problems anyway)…. so few specialists would push a back surgery if medications were helping (back surgery is much better these days than it was 20 or 30 years ago, but it still has its dangerous and no guarantees). I have seen many cases of paralysis in dogs and it is really hard to predict which will improve and which will not, particularly without a myleogram or MRI. But it is always worth a try… and I have been happy to see at least about half or more respond to medication (not all, sadly), though not all return to 100% normal gait.