How to make lovely dried arrangements for your autumn decorating

Start in April or May with lovely baskets bursting with flowers.

Place on the front porch and given them plant food and water.

Maybe not everyday, but once it gets hot, then water everyday.

And sometimes in the evenings when it reaches 100+ degrees for oh, say, 60 or more days.

Watch the weaker flat out die.

Watch the stronger struggle and halfway die until...

It's the fall! And on your front porch where once your had million bells and Gerber daisies, you now have brown plants.

In other words, beautiful autumn arrangements which you paid for in the spring.

Now, wasn't that easy?

Flower: Queen of the Desert

Last night on Animal Planet there was a movie about the beginning of Flower the Meerkat's reign. Entitled Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins, it was a careful reconstruction of Flower's early life and rise to power. Since we've been fond of the series since its beginning, were shocked at Flower's demise, and it was the subject of my early blogs, I was determined to watch it.

Of course, I recorded it and should have watched it after the initial 90-minute run because the number and length of commercials was almost staggering. We finally started timing them. An eight minute segment was followed by four minutes of ads, then only five more minutes of show before another one! The DVD comes out on June 3 and, while I applaud that quick turnaround, it can't be an hour long.

At least they didn't release it commercially. I'd have really felt ripped off then. But I now understand Flower better and look forward to the series beginning again on June 6.

I'll be there and the VCR will be programmed.