I bought my first hostas at Lowe's- was looking for something that would be pretty with the red Japanese maple I had just planted, and the Rainforest Sunrise caught my eye. Then I started looking at Pinterest and just HAD to have a Blue Mouse Ears. I bought that at a good local nursery, and put it in a pot, like I had seen online. The next Spring, I was eagerly anticipating the appearance of those 3 RS's, and it seemed like maybe they had disappeared. Since I was aware of gardenweb, I started looking for info- wondering what had gone wrong. . Bottom line- they're late sleepers. They came up eventually and are still fine.... but by then I was getting hooked on reading and studying about hostas, both in GW, and elsewhere. And because of that, I've given up buying them at big box stores or even the nicer local nurseries because the fear of HVX is ever present. So far- no problems with my RS's or BME's, but the virus can show up after many years' dormancy. I live close to a great hosta nursery- Made in the Shade. He has a large selection, and I've purchased a number of beautiful plants there. This year I've tried mail order for the first time. Got four beautiful plants from Hallson's. And I'm waiting for some ordered from Northern Grown Perennials. I shop the other nurseries and big box stores for other plants and shrubs, etc. But I walk past their hostas so as not to be tempted.

I hit the jackpot on Craig's List several years ago. Someone was cleaning out an old dilapidated house and advertised canning jars. Pints, Quarts, Half's. 5, 10, 25 cents each. I sent them a note and told them I'd take all they had no matter how many there were. When they said there were more at the house, I offered to meet them there and they were afraid I'd get hurt so they declined that. They put a bunch in wood crates, fruit boxes, any other cardboard they could find. I think I ended up with over 1000 total for about $145. I gave them $160 for the effort and the wood crates that I didn't expect, and just because... And so they didn't have to give me change. It was so worth it. There are several charity thrift stores locally that sometimes sell them for 25 or 50 cents each. I've quit buying pints and quarts unless they're wide mouth. But I'll buy 4, 8, or 12 ounce for 50 cents or less. There are sometimes Classico jars or actual canning jars at the recycling stations that I'll collect if they're not too busy. Sometimes they have lids. I have also washed jars in the back yard a number of times before running them through the dish washer inside. Rather not have all that dirt end up in my septic tank. I used to not think about that until I started thinking about that. That dirt/mud does not go anywhere once it ends up there. I wash big dirt off of veggies outside as well. Chris

I think it's hard for a lot of us to post anything because it's mostly the same ol' same ol' with this pandemic and we are sick of talking and thinking about it. I'm between quilt projects and it's been hard to make myself decide on the next one. But I'm also busy trying to fill a big order of masks for my DIL and Granddaughter for school although it's up in the air when and how that will start. I've also just finished a 3-week journey into the world of sourdough which culminated in a little mini-contest between just me and a friend. I won. But it was close. She was the one who begged and nagged and pushed me into doing it because she wanted to and wanted someone to do it with. So I finally caved. Let me tell you, if you are working don't even consider it. It's like taking care of a baby. So now I have these 2 different starters and now I'll have to keep coming up with ways to use it since I invested so much time and flour getting them going. The bread is drop-dead delicious though. If you like sourdough. Hopefully when I get these masks done I'll come up with another quilt project, I have to have something to take my mind off of the worldly goings-on. BTW I am so sorry for all the sadness and hardship going on with some of you and will say a little prayer. Oh and we have such a deer problem here there's no way we could grow hostas. We have 4 does who have dropped fawns on our property this summer. We were eating our Sunday breakfast last weekend and here comes one of the does right up to the lanai in the back where I have canna lillies and terrestrial orchids and it stood there right in front of us and had it's breakfast. One pot of the cannas is completely eaten down to a nub.

I was wondering if JCPenney still does that. They used to be the go to place even for ready made. That and Spiegel. ( Another post made me veer off on that so I am just living in the past). I would definitely try JCP for starters and I have heard great things about Half Price Drapes.