Pauline, today a man walked into a store I was in and the owner asked him how he was. He replied present in body but not in mind. Sounds like me on any given day. You are too caring to worry about missing anything! Carla

this post had me in tears when i read it earlier. I am that way about my quilting, absolutely NO desire. So I do know the feeling you get with your gardens. However, my gardens are a totally different story. I WANT to get out there sooooo badly. for the last hmm, six years, I have not been able to physically get the work done. I've finally been diagnosed with MS (18 mos ago), have had two surgeries on my neck do to herniated disks that compressed my spinal cord, and am this year FINALLY getting the energy up to get out there again. I'm starting with a clean slate, which is nice in many ways, but so daunting in other ways. I miss all my flowers so much though, that I will find a way, some way, to get them back again. I hope that you also find the desire to garden soon, the maintenance is enough to drive you bonkers when you don't want to be out there, but left alone, it's going to be horrendous to get motivated again. it takes no time for the weeds to notice lack of interest, and they take over like crazy then. wishing you all best of luck! sally

Well Jane, I can top you on the losing weight part...I need to lose over 100 lbs. My hubby and I are both diabetic, my kids are overweight too. We spend too much time sitting around watching TV in the evening and no one exercises at all. The most exercise I get is cutting my neighbor's lawn along with mine although it has been so dry here the grass doesn't grow very fast to even have to worry about cutting it. The last year has been a difficult one for me. A year ago April my DH was laid off from his job which came as a total shock to us. We didn't have health insurance for over 3 months and the cost of our prescriptions killed us. DH was able to get another job but it doesn't pay as much as his last job and we have to pay a portion of our health insurance plus a bigger deductible for prescriptions. I tried to find a job, but I am profoundly deaf and unable to understand well enough to talk on the phone so that really narrows down the job selections. I don't have much confidence either, I mean it's been a LONG time since I had to work, I filled out a LOT of job applications but Michigan's economy sucks and there just isn't a lot of hiring going on. I did get a job at Christmas working nights stocking shelves at Dollar Tree. I was asked to stay on after Christmas but by my working nights nothing was getting accomplished...clothes weren't getting washed, dinner cooked, etc...my family is used to my being home and doing it all. It kills me that my kids have to help us pay bills. I was depressed until January 2007 when I decided that I couldn't change our money situation so I just need to take it one day at a time. My DH does a few air compressor repairs on the side and he gives me some of that money and tells me to spend it on myself to get craft supplies because he knows I enjoy crafting so much. I've tried to sell my crafts but haven't had much luck, people around here just don't have the extra cash to spend on stuff like that. Oh well, eventually things have to get better, right? Barb

Danze is known for its high style and reasonable price. When asked about this or any other brand I always reply that you get what you pay for i.e. you can many times get a great looking Danze fixture for 50% of the cost of a high end fixture like Grohe. I also believe you have to look at how long will you be using this fixture or staying in this home? If not forever why spend the money on Grohe when if all things failed including Danze's guarantee you could still go out and buy another one and probably not spend as much as you would for some others. With that said I have a Grohe Bridgeford pull down(replaced the worst Kohler ever made) and love it and always kiddingly tell people I drive a Mercedes (a very old one) and so I like German things so I bought the Grohe. As far as other brands at reasonable costs I feel that quality and guarnatee wise Moen is hard to beat. They have since 1985 had a lifetime guarnatee and I read at least once per week where they have replaced an entire faucet for someone that was so old parts couldnt be gotten for it. Thats hard to beat. For a good price comparison on several brands, someone else mentioned National Builders Supply, and in interest of fairness Ive made no secret that I know the owners personally(really nice folks) and they own another online site called "danze factory outlet" I think. If nothing else the NBS website will give you the chance to look at most every brand from Danze to Grohe and everything in between whether you buy anything from them or not. I hope this helps.