There certainly is something therapeutic about gardening. I feel closer to God in the garden than just about anywhere else. Vera, I purchased strawberry popcorn seed as well, and am pretty excited about it :) I remember reading, not sure where, the best way to pop it is to put the whole head in a paper bag and pop in the microwave. In addition, I purchased Hopi Blue Corn and Painted Mountain. I just got sample packs of all the corn, as I don't have that much room. I'm not sure how many rows to do, as I've heard I need at least two for cross-pollination. In any case, it should be fun to try, and the kids love corn, so they will be quite excited.

My husband and i have been using Mona Vie for about 6 weeks. He had a stroke 4 years ago and I was hoping he may have relief from his many aches and pains. Ater 2 days we both noticed we were awake in the morning, rather than still tired and dragging. After 2 weeks DH said he wasn't aching as much. I also noticed he was much more active. His stroke slowed him down and normally he would rest for several days if he did work around the house. Now I need to remind him it's midnight and he can't be outside scrubbing down the fence or trimming branches, as he's making too much noise. I have had leg pain for over 2 years that the doctor has not been able to diagnose. After the 1st week using the juice I have not had the pain. (I used to have it several times a week) I was able to purchase the juice @ 2 for $45 as a "try it" price. I continue to buy it as it has been beneficial to my husband and me. My understanding is the antioxidant level of the acai berry that is in the juice has an orac value of oveer 1000. That is very high. Also, a doctor on Oprah said the acai berry is a superfood. If you research each individual fruit from the juice, there are many nutritional benefits. I wish the price wasn't so high, but for now I will continue to use it.

For bras, check out Decent Exposures custom cotton bras. They are well worth it if you can scrape up the funds. I'll bluntly say that "the girls" tend not to look quite as nice as they might in a more structured bra (mine tend to drift back into my armpits - TMI! - so if I need to be "presentable" I need my underwires, feh) but you pick your battles... Ditto the Footsmart catalog. You can also try calling podiatrists' offices in your area and ask if there are any shoe stores where they direct their patients for good shoes in "odd" sizes like extra-narrow. If socks bother you, check out the "sensitive feet" or diabetic socks. Clothes are such a personal thing, we all vary so much in what sets us off. Snug waistbands, wristbands and collars are maddening for me - I haven't been able to wear a turtleneck sweater (which DO flatter me!) for years. Some days I just feel sunburnt from head to toe. Most FMers cut out tags although I have to put up with them because DH does the laundry and needs the washing instructions! I tend to wear soft cotton knits and flannels whenever I can possibly get away with it; if I'm at home and no one's going to see me except DH, t'ellwiddit, it's the cute flannel PJ pants (I even have leopard print ones) and t-shirt for me. They can be a little pricey sometimes but Land's End often has some nice knit pants that are perfectly presentable for wearing out in public with a pretty tunic top. I also like having what I call "throw-on dresses" in soft knits - definitely not muu-muus or Granny's "housedress", but almost as comfortable as wearing a nightie while being able to go run a few errands or visit with a friend without changing clothes. The Vermont Country Store website has some cute ones IMO. I try to avoid clothes that button up for when my hands aren't cooperating. Fashion be d@mned AFAIC. I'm sure it's possible to be fashionable while getting around these restrictions but it takes either being able to sew yourself or having pots of money. BTW, one problem I found with many of the printed-in "tags" on t-shirts and undies was that once they began to get worn, the paint or ink or whatever the info was printed with would crack and flake and create an itchy, prickly spot. I had to sit down with several garments and carefully pick off every bit of the peeling paint with tweezers. (Love my long beading tweezers.)

Schoolhouse, put the new bag unopened in the freezer and it will remain fresher. Our sewer line was rooted out between 11pm-1am and we have a 30 day guarantee it won't mess up during that time. However, the estimate due to some manual digging required to REPLACE the clay pipes is $2400, includes replacing to the city sewer line, don't know if the city charges to reconnect us or not. I cannot deal with backing up sewer lines! So our contractor is getting his plumber to give us an estimate, presumably less than Rotorooter, then we can get a cheaper homeowner's insurance rate. All gas, electrical, sewer, water lines renewed, plus the new roof. We essentially had a "whole house body transplant." It is chilly here today as well. Not cold, but chilly. Later this week, we will have a 40* and a 34* low. My HOSTAS are starting to poke noses up, some with beautiful unfurled leaves already. I received a new order from Naylor Creek Nursery in WA state today, so time to get out the pots and MiracleGro and my gloves. Let the gardening season begin! I'm behind on taking pictures of everything, including house and garden. Been throwing things out of the Teahouse right and left. At least the trash trailer and the GottaGo portable potty are out of the yard, so I can begin leveling that before grass (weeds actually) begin growing to cover it.