WELLL HELLO MY DARLINGS!!! it is lonely in here without Kiwonkers that is true---she keeps the homefires burning for sure!!---This place is it's usual predictable summer madhouse----in between Golf Tournaments ,Diving Lessons,"Movie Camp" for ds,WORK for three of the girls and MY GIGANTIC WEEDY GARDEN!!!--- I barely have time to cook a decent meal---we are living on Subway Sandwiches----I am awaiting the tomato season to start so I can eat those for a month straight.The two "graduate" dd's are busy picking their first year courses at university and packing up stuff for their dorm rooms---they are attending different schools but in the same city,so that is nice------today is rainy and dreary so i think i will go and make that weight watchers hamburger soup that i like and a lasagne---real food for a change-------------------glad to hear your daughter is living in a cool spot wabby-----it will be fun to hang out and prowl the shops----I WANT A 'SMOKEBUSH'---DO YOU HAVE ONE????-----------PEACHERS HERE IS YOUR CHANCE TO STRIKE IT RICH----FIND SOMEONE TO SUE THE POTATO FARM ON YOUR SON'S BEHALF!!!!!!!!THIS COULD BE GOOD----EVEN IF IT WAS LEAD,HE DIDN'T SWALLOW IT---NO WORSE THAN A DENTAL X-RAY I AM SURE~!!! MAKE SURE YOU TELL THE GROCERY STORE AT LEAST!!!

Bagzie, of course I have a smokebush - doesn't everyone? It's a purple smokebush, cotinus something or other. I bought it at Joy Creek nursery which you can go here to see www.joycreek.com, it's beautiful planted next to a spirea that leafs out gold w/ burgundy tips in the springtime. I can't remember the name of it, but it's a pretty combo.

I just bought 62 bucks worth of lilies off the internet. After going on that garden tour I've decided I need more lilies and more clematis. Everyone had clematis dripping off every fence, tree and arbor.

well,ain't this shocking and shameful!!!!---NO POSTING FOR AN ENTIRE DAY!!!!---KIWI WILL BE HORRIFIED!!![AND GLORIFIED]--------------i took one of my best friends for a colonoscopy yesterday morning early------she had been tired and anemic lately {but is a health food lover and serious hiker,skiier and swimmer---totally fit AND SLIM---------]ANYway---they told her yesterday that they saw a tumor and they are 90 percent sure it is malignant--------they scheduled her for a cat scan and surgery in ONE MONTH--------{WHY DOES IT TAKE SO LONG AROUND HERE} They will remove the tumor,hope it hasn't spread anywhere and reconnect the bowel---------my friend just turned 55 and has been totally healthy all her life---------what the **** are we supposed to do ----WHEN YOU DO EVERYTHING RIGHT!!!!! Needless to say----we are upset but you have to hope for the best............depressing,eh.

Frightening Bagzie. Yep. what can you do?

I got a call saying my mother needs toturned over to hospice. I have to go sign papers this morning. A bad bad conversation.

I wouldn't worry about the possibility of lead...but I would contact people and find out if you can get something out of it.

Bagzie..horrible about the friend. Now that we're "this age" many of the men we know have had heart trouble. Without a doubt...it is the health freaks. DH is pretty fit..but not a nut about it. I wonder if a general feeling of unwellness is what prompts people to get so aggessive about their fitness in the first place.

Yesterday I took DS12 and dd to Six Flags. We had a great time. The rides there are wonderful. However...the cost! Outrageous, it was as expensive as going away for a few days.

Now that DD drives, I never see her. sob

I'm over at South Beach checking it out. I can't stay motivated, though I like the diet. Sooner or later we go somewhere and I'm tempted.

I have tons to do today. We're having the FIL's bday party here on Saturday and the yard looks horrible. bye

Cowpier-- I think if there was anything horribly horrible about potato-rock, you'd know by now!!! But you probably COULD write a story about it! I agree with Lohan regarding seeing if you can leverage it... did you save the "grits".

Bagzz-- sad about your friend. I hope she lights a fire under her MD. It seems that if it IS malignant, they need to reassure her that it isn't fast growing, or MOVE UP THE SURGERY. There's no second guessing chance (or fate or karma) it seems to me. And apparently no second guessing genetic "twitches." (Do you think the first Panda to have a thumb was pleased or alarmed?)

Moooooooovin on.

No time to post. Must shop. It's boiling hot here. Not complaining though. Going for lunch at my best gorgeous, perfect manicure, cleanie friend's tomorrow. She's adorable and I love her. I've known her since I was three.

I don't even want to think about all the awful illnesses apparently healthy people get. That's horrible about your friend, Bagzie. You just never know, do you?

C U later.

Bagzie, I'm sorry to hear your friend is sick - but tell her one of my very best friends just went through the same and is doing great. She's been recovered for a year now and has apparently beaten the big C. Of course, we never know, but isn't that true about life in general? If it's not one thing, it's the other. Terrible that she has to wait for a whole month for surgery. It seems that the sooner would be better in this case.

Sugar, the same hot sun is beating down here. This weekend is supposed to be a scorcher.

I'm amazed at how much cleaner my house is with 2 kids out, only one to go.

Peach, sorry your mom is not doing well.

Gotta run. Will be back.

I'm thinking of taking a class to learn to weld yard stuff. I can learn to make kewl arbors and trellis's and yard sculpture. Whatya think? sound like fun? I wish Bagzie would come and take the class with me.

I guess I need to make up with my Dad. He was diagnosed w/ emphysema a month ago. No one told me. He also had cataract surgery last month. Nobody told me that either. For some reason, even though my Dad was the one who started this a year and a half ago, I seem to be turning into the bad guy as far as the rest of my family is concerned. My sister basically told me I should make amends "because you just aren't going to change how Dad is." Even though he is mean spirited and nasty to my spouse. Now I'm supposed to be the one to apologize. I guess I could do what we usually do in our family - just pretend like nothing happened and that we haven't been estranged for the last year and a half.

I have a headache. I'm feeling mean.

I think working with power tools AND fire and solder would be SO cool! You could make bovine bowers and huge trellises... or just scare people off with your torch.

I agree that it isn't "fair" that your family has turned you into the scape goat somehow. If you could get them to give you a prize or medal, what do you think it should be for? Being the first on your block to deny denial? Being the most honest? As far as making amends... I think we do it for ourselves, not the other person... And, frankly, it is easier to reap the benefits if the amends are made when the other person is still in good enough shape to make some sort of response. Even if they don't accept the amends, you have a new opportunity to be self-righteous... And if the amends does happen to soften them up a bit, that's a plus, too. It is a very difficult process, changing "succession" in the family lineage.

Sug -- you are almost to goal... WAY TO GO! To what do you ascribe your success? Certainly not schnitzel!!? (Panda's were apparently the first mammals to evolve and have opposible thumbs... it meant they could grab things in a different way... and in spite of their ridiculously limited diet, gave them an evolutionary advantage. Stephen J. Gould wrote a bunch of books about evolution and natural science. He's not as much fun to read as Diane Ackerman, but he's got more weird facts per page!

The weather has answered the question of the welding class. It's supposed to be 100 degrees on Saturday, so I think I'll wait until they offer the class on a cooler day.

When Sugar loses weight I find it.

Painty, oh wise one, thank you for the advise. I know I'm going to have to be the one to make amends, but it's been so long now, it will be very uncomfortable. My sis who goes to AA and has been sober for over 2 years now (yeah sister!!) told me that my parents have started going to al-anon, which is an organization for ppl who have significant ppl in their lives who are alcoholics. Both my mother's parents were alcoholics, and 3 of their children are alcoholics. (my sis, recovering and 2 brothers who are active alcoholics) I think this will be a wonderful thing for them. It sure can't hurt. Actually I wasn't surprised that my mom is going, but I was shocked that my dad, who is the original out of touch with his feelings man, is going to go too.

This heat is wearing me out.

okay wabby---you must come to atlantic canada---i sleep with a DUVET on me at night------the fog is so dense i can hardly see up the street and my friend was lighting a fire in the fireplace to warm up the house-----------WHAT THE **** KIND OF SUMMER WEATHER IS THIS??????????????????? MY DELPHINIUMS ARE ROTTING----I AM MADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD-----WE COULD HAVE A WELDING COURSE HERE IF WE WORE OUR SNOWSUITS!!!!!!!

Truthfully---it Is Only My Town That Is Like This---everywhere Else It's Nice And Hot!!!!!!

Where'd y'all go? Miss you. Sleepy and sleep deprived, but must get off to the office.

Bagzie, dear, I think you need to come here, not the other way around. We definitely have summer here. It's another scorcher day. All my flowers are turning crispy. My casa blanca and stargazer lilies are blooming, only to be fried to death.

Paintygal, this is what happens when we let Kiwi go off sailing. It gets very quiet around here.

I have nothing planned for the weekend. Nothing.

Maybe margies in Bagzie's honor. She should be drinking hot toddies.