Darenka-- You have received a lot of accurate information in the responses to your question. My favorite dog is the Labrador but I have adopted four Sibes. I didn't plan to do that but after I rescued my first one from a hideous life of neglect (his owner bought him for his looks but soon decided the dog was too much trouble) I became active in Siberian rescue and quickly found three more who "needed" me. Siberian huskies are extremely difficult dogs to own responsibly. Successful Sibe owners are a dedicated group of people. Sibes do all the things you complained about in your post as long as their very special and demanding needs aren't met. Sibe owners say a good Sibe is a tired Sibe. They have incredible energy and stamina, are too damn smart, blow their coats twice a year, and behave nothing like Labs or Goldens. We who are happy owning Sibes have a specially developed respect, awe and love of their intelligence. There are huge numbers of Sibes who are given up or abandoned because they turn out not to be a good "fit" with their owners. Anyone considering getting a Sibe needs to do hours of careful research prior to making a commitment to the breed, or else they will find owning these fabulous dogs a chore. I hope the dog you are sitting for has the right kind of person as an owner. I love my dogs and am dedicated to providing them with a proper "Sibe" home. I moved to the country and bought enough land that I could fence an entire acre for them. A quarter of my garage has been converted to a kennel and that room has a doggie door in it that allows the pack to have 24/7 access to the acre. The acre is fenced with 6 foot chain link and there is a "hot wire" at the bottom of the fence to prevent the dogs from climbing or digging out. Some Sibes can even jump a 6 foot fence--fortunately mine can't or don't realize they can. My cats and dogs NEVER see each other because I know at least two of my four have killed cats. I could go on for several pages listing all the things I have done in order to keep my Sibes in a suitable environment. Thank you for your interest in this fabulous breed. I hope you will join the Sibe owners who have responded here in spreading the word that potential Sibe owners really need to carefully research the breed before getting one of these very challenging dogs. Nancy in New York's Finger Lakes Rescued Siberian huskies Zeke, Vixen, Duke and Moxie Rescued DSH cats Timmy, Toby and Madeline-Rose Volunteer transporter of rescued/adopted pets Please Google to learn about prosopagnosia, a neurological condition also called faceblindness.

I have two of these and earlier this year one of them sent up two spikes... first time after having this plant for years!!!! Of course, I was excited. Now my other plant has this flower. Because it is outside, it has been beaten up by the elements but still a nice flower for an Eche. I find they are somewhat slow growing (weather conditions, etc. might have some influence here) and a bit difficult to grow from leaves, but it is doable as demonstrated here. These are about a 1 ½ years old. Don't know why some Eches will produce a single new plant while other leaves from the same plant taken at the same time will grow multiple new heads. Then there is this cultivar of E. purpusorum, or at least this is the name that came with the plant several years ago. It obviously produces offsets! I've been meaning to clean it up this year...

I do almost everything the day before. Peel potatoes and keep them covered in water in the fridge. I am making the stuffing,Mac and cheese,cranberry sauce, devilled eggs,topping for my olive bread,various dips,etc.the day before,stashed in the fridge,and cooked in the oven at my moms house.Everything except the turkey, gravy and shrimp will at least be started before the day itself. My mom is hosting. I usually cook the whole meal,but i have discovered that when i cook it in MY kitchen,alone,there is less opportunity for my family to irritate me,which is something they greatly enjoy doing , and therefore less chance of my holiday being ruined,as it often is by such behavior. They will still try,as it amuses them. My mom is making the pies and rolls ahead of time and freezing them. My sister is making sweet potatoes and some other veggies, probably the day before, along with some "special" stuffing,mashed potatoes and devilled eggs for her husband,who has just been put on a strict pork,beef,nut,and dairy free diet for the next year,poor thing. He's miserable.

Horrible stories, Joseph and Bob... When I go in for my periodic MRI, they tell me I can use their free valet parking. Last time I was down for it I was going from my new home to my old, not quite ready for the market, home for a couple of days of work afterwards. So I had my laptop, camera and Kindle in the car -- no way was I going to valet park it. I parked in a public lot down the street, walked, and paid the fee. But I've always done that, there. I did have to valet park at a restaurant when on a road trip to Rhode Island. I was nervous the entire time, as both my laptop and Kindle remained inside. (Beautiful waterfront locale, with sailboats and all, so of course I brought my camera with me, and it was outdoor seating.) I tipped $5 when leaving, never knew that a pre-tip is a thing...