I begin thinking about growing some tomatoes last year and had been reading information about heirloom tomatoes. So I went to the seed stores and asked about them and if they carried any. Well they did not carry any seeds of most of the ones I had read about - Brandywine, Cherokee Purple and others. And as we talked I asked if their was any tomatoes native to Alabama when it was being settled. And no one knew. After some searching I found out that a tomato was cultivated in Alabama called the Jeff Davis. So I have been searching for 1) are there any tomatoes that are (where) native to Alabama. 2) What kinds of tomatoes my Grandparents grew (or might have grown - that would be the tomatoes by years) I also come up Rutgers and Marglobe - but no one remembers when they where introduced into Alabama. I wrote the guy that has the tomato radio show last year and he said he remembered Mortage Lifter being grown around their area but did not know when they where introduced to Alabama. I have even asked some of the seeds stores if they had keep records of the type of seeds they sold during those years and they did not. I was asking about okra also because Alabama Red used to be very popular here but isn't grown that much around here anymore (I did find seeds for them and plan on planting some this year) - then I stated looking for white lightning okra as I have heard that there was a white okra grown arounf here that was white and used for pickling but no one remembered the name after some searching found the one called white lightning but it looks like it isn't grown any more. I did find it's parantage is the White Velvet but it has a green tinge to it.

Antiquesiluver - I used some tricks for the staining and floor laying. I didn't really stain the pine. After the dirt and paint was removed, and the old crusty varnish scraped off, it was the color you see on most of the board area. It got a scuff sanding and a light "whoosh" of stain to even out the color. (like a henna rinse for a redhead, not a dye job on a blonde) You can minimize "grabbing" on pine by wiping it with mineral spirits and then the stain while it's still wet. 1 - Ignore color names, and run stain tests on the new flooring, comparing with the old floor by laying the samples on the old stuff and seeing what blends. Sand and stain just like you will for the real floor. Doesn't have to match, just blend shades and have the same undertones. For oak, it's shades of golden and reddish brown. 2 - Pick three colors that are close to a match with the existing boards. Match the darkest, medium and lightest shades. For this floor, it's Minwax Golden Mahogany, Light Cherry, and Birch. 3 - Sand and stain the individual boards before installation. About 20% darkest, 20% lightest, the rest the middle shade. This mimics the natural variability on an old floor, where different boards have reacted differently to light. I shoved several pieces together and sanded and stained them as a group, then took them apart for install. I had to plane down the strip of new oak next to the pine because it was a teensy bit higher than the pine, just enough to be annoying. The trick is to plane a taper into the top of the new board so the height change is spread across the new board, edge to edge. It's a ramp, but on a tiny scale. The trick with the toilet stack's hole is to have a long strip running across the front and back of the hole: lay the boards so you have no seams within a foot or so of the hole. Those boards start at the tub and end well past the door opening. =============== Enduring ... Clean it and RENT IT! We have a roommate arriving Friday, a grad student. All the student is looking for is clean and functional. The vanity (to the right in the pics, under the window opposite the tub) is one of those oak things with molded plastic sink/top, which we might paint or do the cheap gel-stain trick on later this year. It's in great condition, but butt-ugly and not as functional as we'd like. Long term plan is - because this is a bathroom that needs storage and counter space - to build a wall-to-wall single-sink vanity under the window with shelves and shallow drawers. The overall house is, despite the adobe walls, a very plain Craftsman bungalow, so we're sticking to that woodworking style with NM trimmings and colors. New Mexico Territorial Style ... I've always liked it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_architecture Here is a link that might be useful: [New Mexico Territorial Style[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/new-mexico-territorial-style-phbr0lbl-bl~l_43230)

I was a big reader during that time and was hoping to find some of the other titles that were popular, although not necessarily published, during that period. Island of the Blue Dolphins is one example. Daddy Long Legs, although published earlier, was one that was popular. I'm also hoping to find a book I checked out from the library in the 70s that was very thick, it was about a girl and I believe her name started with a K from what a remember - and that's it! ;0

What about when the hydrangeas go and the Montauk Daisies take over Kidding!! I like the idea of carrying the sign color to the door - that could be very pretty. Does the sign color look good with your siding? I love the Dusty Mauve @houssaon posted. I haven't seen that before - may steal that for our front door!