Glo - Thanks for reassuring me! I hope your move is awesome! My husband has wanted to move us to Colorado for years and hasn't managed to quite convince me yet, although I think it's absolutely wonderful there. LOL So, Winter Solstice is the same everywhere? (LOL)... I guess you're seeing how little I know... Nancy - Thanks for the tip! I am gonna have to watch the lead hand myself as I way oversowed my cantaloupes this fall. The poor babies are fighting each other and giving me 2 to 5 inches fruits that don't look like they're EVER going to full ripen. I will be much more careful in the future. I'll try to not get TOO excited when I go to plant. LOL Carrie - Wow! That's some really good info. That's exactly the kind of thing I was worried about. I'm grateful for the heads up. Liz - LIZ!!! Hey, girl! Fancy meeting you here and there and now here! hee hee... The whole last paragraph of what you wrote is exactly what is concerning me. I know that I personally wear shorts through-out almost the whole winter except for those few crazy days that we see. 50's or what have you is not cold to me... We do get the occasional freeze, but then a week or two later at most you could have a 70+ degree high! All this in the same few days / weeks / months... it's SO crazy! Oh, and if they're having a plantswap around the 8th of December as well, I sure want to know as I'll be out that way. :-) Blessings, Angela

Dear Tamara, It was false pride displayed and false slight was felt - it just gives some bad information in it (the use of sand), which strikes me as strange as having that information 10 years back, when we Aloe aficionados knew even then of its deleterious effects as a recommended ingredient for a generic Aloe soil mix, one that had to be simple to acquire the parts for and make. Whether you know that I wrote most of it, or don't, is of little matter. I'm happy to update it, but it's got some information wrong that would likely be deleterious to Aloe growing. I approve the adds of the bells and whistles (you got to put the butts in the seats), but the sand suggestion leads me to believe that we Aloe were folk not involved. I could, of course, not be remembering correctly and have written the blasphemous words myself. I of course, as contributor to the first Aloe FAQ, feel a nurturing sense to correct and polish our current version so that it's unequivocal, as written and used, that even an Aloe at the precipice of death can likely be brought back, provided you use a sandless recipe that the community is happy to provide IVillage again, in an effort to make the Aloe FAQ is usable to one and all, particularly those with Aloe vera (the real one, but mainly the non-real ones).

Oh, you're not alone Alexa!! I keep changing my mind and adding things. There's only going to be 8 of us for Pete's Sake! How much food do I really need? Do you think 3 pies, 2 cartons of ice cream will do? Will a 14 lb. bird, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, roasted veggies, green beans, deviled eggs, pickle and relish trays, candied sweet potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, rolls, cranberry sauce and jello salad feed us???!? LOL! It still sounds like a STARCH overload, but I don't want to omit anything..... Yes, I have MUCH to be thankful for! Deanna

Hi, marti8a, moccasin, and lavender! I have been busy with the kitchen, and with yard work. It's raining today, so I'm taking a break. Marti, thank you for all the encouragement--sometimes I feel very alone, but I've had help with the major biggies--opening kitchen wall, building new header, and lately my brother has been cutting countertop. I have the slab's rough edges sanded and buffed, but I can't move the bigger pieces without help. My BIL has helped, mostly with the hood, and my son dropped in recently, and helped me move sheet rock (5/8") upstairs for the guest room project. He's living 2 1/2 hours away, now--so much better than 2 1/2 day trip! I think I commented on lavender's old house post that the sink wall has been the most difficult part of the kitchen remodel so far. I knew it would be, but I'm thankful to have the small sink around the corner to do dishes. Since it's taking so much longer than I expected to get everything ready to hook up the new sink, I gave in and cooked dinner twice this week. My daughter even gave me a (very quiet) "Thanks, Mom," both times--I think she's figured out that meals don't magically appear on the counter. (Remember the Jetson's?) This is a difficult time of year for me (for moccasinlanding, too, I know), and I appreciate your kind thoughts. mama_goose who lately has been feeling like a bear :)