When I was a kid, I would go to Virginia with my mom for the months of July and August each year. We lived in NJ at that time. I was an infant the first time I went for a visit and went each year after that. My grandparents had two large fig trees in their back yard and they were against a high board fence where it formed the right back corner of the yard. They were large, brown figs. No special care was given them and they grew just fine over the years. When I was tiny, my grandmother would sit at the small table under the one window in the kitchen and peel the figs and put them into a bowl. As fast as she would be peeling them, I would be reaching up over the edge of the table and taking the peeled figs and eating them. I was never scolded for that--Such a sweet, patient grandma, she was. They laughed at the number of figs such a tiny girl could eat. We would go out and pluck them right from the trees when I was a little older. We would split open the fig skins and eat the pulp off the insides of them and toss the skins away. They were so good and sweet. One person recently said she thinks they may have been Brown Turkey figs because they were evidently cold-hardy, growing with no real care in Newport News, VA, which is on the DelMarVa Peninsula. I now live in Lafayette, LA and have two trees that I think are Celestes, but not sure. One tree came from a friend who went to the property where she lived as a child. They had a big fig tree there where several funny stories of hers came from. The house is gone now, but the big tree is still on the vacant lot. Several years ago, she went to visit the tree and dug up several suckers and took them home. She gave me one and I've named it, Legacy. It's a tough little tree. The other, I got when I went to a craft show here. I was buying some fig preserves and saw a little fig tree in a pot and asked if the man was selling fig trees because my first tree had to be dug up when we built a workshop out back and I missed it so much. He said he wasn't selling trees, that he had brought that one to Lafayette to give to someone, but the person never showed up and I could have it. When I asked him how much it was, he said to just take it. That would keep him from having to cart it back to North Louisiana with them. I've named that one, Lagniappe, which means, "The gift," or, "A little something extra." (Has anyone else ever named their fig trees?) Whenever my figs ripen, I go out back and pick some and when I'm savoring them, I think back to the wonderful times in VA, with my mom's family. Sometimes, I just go out and like to smell the leaves--They have such a special scent to them--Takes me right back to my visits in VA, as well.

I lurk here, a lot. I don't usually have much to say, although I do enjoy your posts. I posted on GJ for a long time, but that was a long time ago. Things evolve, a bunch of new ones join up, and the forum changes. It is the way it is supposed to be, I think. I am coming out of lurkdom to tell you that I do have some of those tires in my garden. They are painted all sorts of garish colors, and I actually grow vegetables in them. My DH cut them for me, and spent time turning them inside-out for me, and I am not going to hurt his feelings now by not using them. Besides, we have the most unbelievable black gumbo soil here. None of this nice sandy loam for us. God gave us soil that has absolutely no air in it, slick as boiled okra when it is wet, adobe when it is dried. So, we grow in raised beds, and these cute little beds are perfect. Fill them with good topsoil, good compost, and we can grow anything. A tire will grow 2 or 3 nice tomato plants, a couple of peppers, a package of lettuce seeds, or beets, or carrots, or maybe an eggplant or a couple of zuchini plants. I can weedeat the pathways to keep them neat. The tires do hold up very well to the punishment of the weed whacker, and they will last longer than all of us will. I guess I could paint them all green so they wouldn't stand out so much, but it's just a vegetable garden. And my grandkids love them. They each have a little salad garden in their own tire! LOL Janie

jbwebb, I see that you are Cote De Texas owner. (Nice to meet you. ;) As I am one of the ones who paraphrased you, I feel compelled to respond. First, my post was coming from a very tongue in cheek place, heavy on the snarky side toward my own windows. I've bemoaned these windows a few times over the years here, this post is not the first. But on the bright side, they are keeping the cold and snow out this morning. That is a great deal to be thankful for, so won't complain too much. You didn't make me feel bad about how my own windows are dressed. I can do that without any outside assistance. ;) I hope I didn't make you feel bad about your comments. Wasn't my intent. (There has been a recurrent theme in discussions here lately about 'rules', and that made it's way into my thoughts when posting above.) So combine the rules discussions with my wonky windows and it's an arena for me where most rules (prefer 'guidelines') simply don't fit. As I was typing the comment 'My windows are like the Road Rules Challenge of all windows', I wondered what someone like yourself would do with them. (Not a blog follower, but have visited a few times via Home Dec.) But I'll be honest, when I followed the link above to your blog, I stopped after the first ten or so photos, because they were all grand. And I thought what I usually do when I look at a grand window: beautiful, stunning, would be great to have all that light. And then I tuned out. Because it's difficult for me to glean practical information I can walk away with and use. To a designer, a grand window is probably the best canvas to work with and showcase their talents. Some here can emulate those looks and pull it off. But many can't. Either we're window challenged, the window is a challenge, or both. I gave your blog a second chance just now, went back and scrolled through all the photos. 3 times. ;) Once beyond the grand ones the size scale dropped. (Still, all are large and nicely proportioned on the wall). Lo and behold, I might have gleaned something. I first saw what you labeled as a "DON'T" (and I agree, tried it long ago, returned it). Rod/ panel high on the wall, white window frame, woven blind inside mount. (But did see a discrepancy further down when a designer did the same thing under the "Do's".) Anyway, you mentioned on the homeowner's DON'T example that it would look better w/woven blind outside mounted and just behind rod, so it covers both wall space above window and white frame. (There was one of those aforementioned 'slap myself up the head' moments!) Why didn't I think of that?!? Now that might be something I could pull off. I'm part way there in one room. FR w/ 8' ceilings. Panels are raised to the ceiling. I took a scarf that matches a color in plaid panels and make one swoop across the rod, just to cover the gap between rod, painted wall, white window frame. Scarf tails are hidden behind panels on the wall area. Successfully hid most of the window/wall contrast, but it's still visible from a side angle and bugs me. Plus I'm tired of scarves. Because of extra height it brings the excessive wall space below the window into better proportion. But that's a low light room with furniture near windows that distract the eye. Upstairs in full light where nothing is near/below the window I don't know if it would work (will have to photoshop test it). But woven wood blinds I've tried have minimal clearance. So if they're going to tend to hug the wall, how does one overcome the 'hump' of the upper window frame when the woven blinds are lowered? (When I close blinds I leave panels stationery/open. Even tho I always install enough width to be able to shut them, it's just what I prefer to do.) My other challenge window is my picture window. It's 112" long, but only 48 high and takes up nearly the entire wall. I got it as close as I can, but walked away in frustration. It's not hideous, but it's not 'right' to me either. So every time I walk past it I cringe. I did say "it works for me", but that doesn't mean it's gratifying. I still yearn for something more refined, more finished. As long as I have lived here I have wished for someone (Southern Living, Traditional Home, Martha when I liked her, or hey, now how about you!) to take on this challenge that so many of us face. But the catch is the grand window is not a contender. The huge windows in uber chic settings has been done so many times and doesn't have a lot of practical application for so many of us. There are a lot of us readers/consumers/subscribers kicking around that don't have massive windows nor the massive budget to dress them. Just average size in average size homes but there is something goofy about them that just creates a major hurdle. So I'd really like to see a designer tackle our Challenge Windows in various shapes and sizes (short, squat, tall, narrow, sideways and too high like mine) and show us what they've got. An entire article devoted to Wonky Windows! There are a lot of us who have done the best we can but are still left feeling frustrated. An article like that with photo layout would be refreshing and rewarding to see!

Ya they're actually 4" in diameter (which is the measurement of any line that goes from one side to the next, transversing the center) Basically if you cut it in half the flat side of the rod would be 4". That's quite large for a rod. Normally you see 2 and 3" rods (they're all measured by diameter. I have to get special rings for these ones because of their size (antiquecurtainrod.com) maybe that's antiquedraperyrod.com....I forget. :o) If someone put a measuring tape around the rod, like you would your waist, you'd end up with the circumfrence of the rod (circumfrance?) anyhoo, a different measurement. Generally they're always sold by diameter though, as are the rings (they'll be listed with the diameter of the center or open part of the ring so you know they'll fit on your rod). They're also measured by legnth of course, and finials normally have their own measurement. You need to make sure your finials are the right size (diameter of the end for your rods. Mine would look silly on 1" rods for instance. Did that help? I think I'm going to go ahead and paint the rods first, then make a decision and go ahead and make the drape I want...see how that flows, and go from there. Part duex of this drama coming soon!