Hi Jo! So sorry I didn't see this. I was vacationing in Florida...traumatic, I know. Sod is in, bed is built and mulched, and I'm ready to plant! I know the timing's all wrong, thank goodness NS is so rainy and my back yard is so shady. I will have to wait until fall for my Fundy Beauties order. But I still have an itchy finger whenever I get to a nursery so have a few hosta to get in the ground - mostly for the back bed. You can see (at a distance) abba dabba do, blue angel, blue arrow and lakeside dragonfly. Blue angel is destined for a dark corner of the yard. Getting ready for a planting party... Speaking of hosta companions, I thought I'd list some of what's going to go in with the hosta - I have some "fern-jacked" (side of the road) ferns, a couple of royal ferns, two densi-gem yews, a rhody nova zembla, dwarf maidengrass, and two h macra aureolaes to be planted in this picture. The back bed (on the right) already has Japanese quince (lovely in early Spring), what I'm assuming is a hicksii yew, a jumbo forsythia and two big burning bushes. It used to have a half dozen very sad junipers, a huge infestation of English ivy, and an even worse goutweed infestation. Needless to say even bare soil looks pretty good right now to me compared to what used to be there! For perennials, what survived the goutweed eradication is some kind of purple spiderwort, lungwort (which if I'm honest I am not in love with) old orange daylilies, some lanky butterfly bush and two very tall clumps of zebra grass. I have my eye on a GORGEOUS JM Inaba Shidare at the local nursery. At $250 for the size it's a steal but I am too miserly to go for it yet. Hoping it lasts until the fall and goes on clearance.

This is terrible! No, Happy Holidays, Everyone! What's terrible is the Weather Service is actually predicting a chance of rain this afternoon! This after a month of only 4/100 of an inch of, what was that, hoar frost? The thermometer hasn't been above 32F for weeks now and there has been a string of nights lately in the teens - including last night. A high of 33F predicted for this afternoon and, it's gonna to rain!! Weeelll, there's a better than 50% chance of snow everyday beginning Tuesday so I think we may be finally getting out of this dry spell. I just hope that we don't have too many people dipping too deep into the punch bowl over the next few days - the roads are gonna be like glass!! Here is a Holiday quiz to occupy your odd holiday moment: Which of the following holidays DOES NOT occur in December? Boxing Day Kwanzaa St. Nicholas Day Candlemas >>>>>>>>>>>>>If you guessed Boxing Day . . . you are incorrect. Boxing Day is the first or second weekday after Christmas Day in many British Commonwealth nations. That odd name has nothing to do with fisticuffs but rather with "boxing" up offerings for the church. If you guessed Kwanzaa, maybe because it wasn't around when you were a kid . . . you are incorrect. It is actually a week long celebration that begins December 26th. It was "invented" in 1966. If you guessed St. Nicholas Day perhaps because you were being very clever and thought this might be a trick question . . . you may be very clever but you are incorrect. St. Nicholas Day is usually celebrated on December 6th or December 19th (in most Christian Orthodox countries). And yes, St. Nicholas = Santa Claus. And that only leaves Candlemas! This is the correct answer because Candlemas comes on February 2nd. There are several traditions associated with Candlemas Day: Ceremony upon Candlemas Eve Down with the rosemary, and so Down with the bays and mistletoe; Down with the holly, ivy, all, Wherewith ye dress'd the Christmas Hall Also, yes it is! It is Groundhog's Day! Celebrated on February 2nd in the United States and Canada. The groundhog tradition comes from the weather lore of western Europe associated with Candlemas. Me? I've got my stash of food & goodies and if'n the ground is gonna be covered with ice and snow - I'm done with my winter walks. Maybe, I can poke my head up again by February 2nd! Steve

What a treat to see them all together looking smooth as silk, but MUCH prettier than the finest silk in China. I'll be looking at them more than once. Thank you again.

Karen , Sharon what a great job! I loved everyone of the pics. Such memories.....not just of get togethers but of the people who have shared so much of themselves ,on this forum, over the years. I miss so many of those folk. Runs in my mind Gina had a slide show too...Gina? Baby pictures were so much fun but whoever has the baby pics, don't post the names! See who can figure it out. Woodie knows which one I am..... something to do with a long forgotten shampoo! LOL Thanks again Karen and Sharon, this was so much fun....and thank you GW. If not for you our paths would likely not have crossed.