Eucalyptus Trees are very aromatic. Mine in zone 9a are doing, Well you can see for yourself. My Rosemary are also doing great. They do not like too much attention. So I planted a big momma, by a bougainvillea which also does not like attention. But Rosemary likes to be trimmed allot. I propagate best by bruising a branch and putting a brick on top. After a while it roots, I cut it off the Momma and leave it there until it's more establish. I do the same with Hydrangea. When I mow under the Eucalyptus the fragrance is great. Then that evening with night blooming jasmine, rosemary and 4 o clock, wow! Felix

Tally Sue, The fun of going to Build a bear is not just picking out a flat lifeless body of a pet and filling it with a heart, a voice and spongy guts. It's wondering through the cornucopia of outfits, wigs, glasses, Hawaiian grass skirts, belts, shoes, stockings and accessories. Kids LOVE that part. My girls would rather have the fun of wondering around the store to find that just perfect outfit any day. Having someone else pick it out is a nice gesture but it takes all the fun of looking at all the cute little outfits that children relate too. I'll admit it, I like to wonder around the store looking at the cute little outfits, and the wigs, and the shoes. lol, its the kid in me.

I've loved reading this thread - so many great things. I received a wonderful Masala Dabba from my son and DIL with a spoon for each cup and a large capacity. I'm so happy not to have to search for all the spices used together in Indian dishes. You would understand if you saw how my spices are crammed here and there. Oh to have a whole divided drawer like Cathy's. Max gave me the new Suvir Saran cookbook "American Masala". I've just begun to look at it and I'm looking forward to trying some new to me Indian dishes. From my DIL's parents a fun bag of gourmet food items, sun dried tomatoes, jasmine rice in an airtight glass jar, a box of Gnocchi and much more. And a gift that will go on giving - from my DIL"S brother, a bag of frozen homemade Gnocchi and a LESSON on how to make them. His Gnocchi are really wonderful, I'm so excited about learning to do it from him. He has a handmade board from his Grandfather - I hope that's not his secret to success because I can't get a board like that. I'll take my camera when I go to learn from him. Lee

No spouse - mine walked, over 35 years ago. Rarely talked, after. Died over 4 years ago. When there was talk of closing the psych. hosp. where she'd been head of food service for 20 years or so, she took early retirement and during the next ten years had a ball ... including a hobby of doing miniatures. Following her death (of colon cancer, within a year of what would have been her normal retirement age), our young ones disposed of many of her projects and goods ... but one, a miniature house about 3" x 3" remained (it seems that those guys like to build their own) ... ... and has been sitting on a table in my living room for about three years. When son and I went to Toronto this summer as daughter loaded her van to move to AZ, he returned to the car as we were about to depart, carrying a beautiful burgundy velvet bag with drawstring, holding a box, saying, "Mom's ashes". He left them in the car, where they stayed for a short while ... and now they sit in one of the rooms of her miniature house, a dozen feet from where I sit. An Iowa girl, she'd developed a liking for a little park in Detroit ... and I heard that she'd asked that (at least part of) her ashes be spread on the Detroit River. I'd hinted that when they made the pilgrimage, I'd like to go along ... but it has not happened: I know not the reason, if reason there may be. ________________________ No problem now about buying for a spouse. I've told my friends several years ago that rather than a number of gifts and cards - and in these rather prosperous days, it is difficult to buy something useful and wanted - I've been making a number of gifts to various charities. I feel that the different agencies, e.g abused women's shelter (where daughter worked several years ago helping raise funds for a home), United Way, London Food Bank, Salvation Army, Mission Services (hostel for homeless), Habitat for Humanity and Canadian Food Grains Bank and such are better able than I to choose where the need is greatest. In the case of several, the Canadian International Development Agency gives matching dollars ... and for some, other agencies do, as well ... so each original dollar grows to four going to work. I also give to several health and specific illness groups, plus my alma mater and seminary (on the Prairies). Plus half a dozen churches ... and our denomination's outreach and service agency. One of the nice things about current circumstances is that many people have email and one can catch up on the news with quite a substantial number easily, even altering parts of the message going to different individuals or groups. Have you ever had someone give you a swat as a result of your charitable gift? Last year when son and I were returning from a trip, I asked whether he had some extra time and went to the village where our family lived while I served as clergy in their church for a while, 40 years ago (near the end of our marriage). After I'd given a cheque to the treasurer, when son heard the reason for our visit, he gave me a minor cuff across the side of the head, saying, "They fired you - and you give them money?!". When I boarded in the village for a couple of years, not quite 25 years ago, I was still so bitter that I only attended that church a couple of times. I'd heard (on fairly good authority) not many years after our departure (and after our separation) that they feared that Sue and I would part ... and they didn't want us to part while we were in their church. Prior to my accepting their offer to serve there, a major clergyperson in the area suggested that I reconsider ... that that congregation had developed something of a reputation for being hard on ministers ... and I more or less replied that I'd been in tough spots before ... and would take my chances. I gambled: Ilost. Too soon old - too late smart, I guess. But ... usually a reconciliation requires some giving ... or at least some expression of appreciation of the situation ... on both sides. And institutions are not good at expressing regret. It has taken our denomination - and our Federal Gov't. - about 40 years to apologize to various native groups for the abuses perpetrated upon them when trying to assimilate them in residential schools. It's a bit hard for one hand to clap: let me know if you find out how to bring it off, O.K.? Good wishes to all of you who value it, for Christmas ... and to everyone, for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year, bringing the fulfillment of several of your good dreams ... and the birthing of some new ones. ole joyful