Thanks, Kirk...I remember when I was new it took me a while to find "conversations." Jeanne S.

The "urban" squirrels where I live are either black or grey. It is my understanding that they are simply colour variations of the same species, and both colours can occur in the same litter. They are bothersome in gardens and inovative at besting bird feeders, but nevertheless entertaining and not seriously destructive. ON THE OTHER HAND, there are red squirrels at our cottage. They are a different species, quite the cutest animals ever, a rusty brown colour with white bellies, big eyes, and smaller than the black/grey types -- not much bigger than a chipmunk. However, they will happily EAT YOUR HOUSE if they decide they want in!!! They don't seem to bother gardens, but wow can they be destructive of anything else. They have colonized the cottage next door to us and I understand that the ceiing cavities are filled with walnuts; we watch them entering under the eaves and are glad they haven't set their sights on us! So we thankfully tolerate the black/greys at home. Jan

I apreciate the conversations forum and will try to post there. If you think the politics is why the Katrina posts got lifted--and I'm not saying it wasn't--you should read some of the posts on other forums I hang out in! Boy, did I get my ears pinned back by someone from New York, I think, who knew MUCH more about Katrina than I did! The whole thread was pretty political, and not in a conversations forum either. There are lots of posts about Katrina in lots of forums I'm sure, and it's hard to be totally apolitical about a situation so fraught with politics--from all sides and all points of view.

What a treasure! I have several old quilts made by my grandmother and a couple I think we're at least pieces by my great- grandmother. A couple were in pretty rough shape because they were well-used as they were meant to be. I washed them in my front loader with mild detergent, extra rinse, with no problem. An embroidered quilt would be different. I would also vote for having an expert add a small binding as would fit the style of the quilt. If you then think it needs a wash, soak and lightly spin dry. Repeat for rinsing. Air dry.