diff --git a/box.go b/box.go
index 4b067af..9148d83 100644
--- a/box.go
+++ b/box.go
@@ -4,16 +4,11 @@ import (
 	"git.wit.org/wit/gui/toolkit"
 )
 
-func (n *Node) NewBox(name string, b bool) *Node {
-	newNode := n.newNode(name, toolkit.Box, nil)
+func (parent *Node) NewBox(name string, b bool) *Node {
+	newNode := parent.newNode(name, toolkit.Box, nil)
 	newNode.B = b
 
-	var a toolkit.Action
-	a.ActionType = toolkit.Add
-	a.Name = name
-	a.Text = name
-	a.B = b
-	newaction(&a, newNode, n)
-
+	a := newAction(newNode, toolkit.Add)
+	sendAction(a, newNode, parent)
 	return newNode
 }
diff --git a/group.go b/group.go
index a695ef3..aadc883 100644
--- a/group.go
+++ b/group.go
@@ -7,16 +7,13 @@ import (
 // TODO: make a "Group" a "Grid" ?
 // probably since right now group is just a 
 // pre-canned andlabs/ui gtk,macos,windows thing
-func (n *Node) NewGroup(name string) *Node {
+func (parent *Node) NewGroup(name string) *Node {
 	var newNode *Node
-	newNode = n.newNode(name, toolkit.Group, nil)
+	newNode = parent.newNode(name, toolkit.Group, nil)
 
-	var a toolkit.Action
-	a.ActionType = toolkit.Add
-	a.Name = name
-	a.Text = name
-	newaction(&a, newNode, n)
+	a := newAction(newNode, toolkit.Add)
+	sendAction(a, newNode, parent)
 
-	newBox := newNode.NewBox("group vBox", false)
+	newBox := newNode.NewBox("defaultGroupBox", false)
 	return newBox
 }
diff --git a/image.go b/image.go
index c764eff..4531f23 100644
--- a/image.go
+++ b/image.go
@@ -4,13 +4,11 @@ import (
 	"git.wit.org/wit/gui/toolkit"
 )
 
-func (n *Node) NewImage(name string) *Node {
+func (parent *Node) NewImage(name string) *Node {
 	var newNode *Node
-	newNode = n.newNode(name, toolkit.Image, nil)
-
-	var a toolkit.Action
-	a.ActionType = toolkit.Add
-	newaction(&a, newNode, n)
+	newNode = parent.newNode(name, toolkit.Image, nil)
 
+	a := newAction(newNode, toolkit.Add)
+	sendAction(a, newNode, parent)
 	return newNode
 }
diff --git a/plugin.go b/plugin.go
index eba3256..1b9b290 100644
--- a/plugin.go
+++ b/plugin.go
@@ -212,16 +212,31 @@ func newAction(n *Node, atype toolkit.ActionType) *toolkit.Action {
 	a.Name = n.Name
 	a.Text = n.Text
 	a.WidgetId = n.id
+	a.B = n.B
+	a.X = n.X
+	a.Y = n.Y
 	if (n.parent != nil) {
 		a.ParentId = n.parent.id
 	}
 	a.WidgetType = n.WidgetType
-
 	return &a
 }
 
+// func sendAction(a *toolkit.Action) {
 func sendAction(a *toolkit.Action, n *Node, where *Node) {
-	newaction(a, n, where)
+	// newaction(a, n, where)
+	for _, aplug := range allPlugins {
+		log(debugPlugin, "Action() aplug =", aplug.name, "Action type=", a.ActionType)
+		if (aplug.pluginChan == nil) {
+			log(logInfo, "Action() retrieving the aplug.PluginChannel()", aplug.name)
+			aplug.pluginChan = aplug.PluginChannel()
+			log(logInfo, "Action() retrieved", aplug.pluginChan)
+		}
+		log(logInfo, "Action() SEND to pluginChan", aplug.name)
+		aplug.pluginChan <- *a
+		// added during debugging. might be a good idea in general for a tactile experience
+		sleep(.02)
+	}
 }
 
 // 2023/04/06 Queue() is also being used and channels are being used. memcopy() only
diff --git a/tab.go b/tab.go
index 59f6496..10c2e08 100644
--- a/tab.go
+++ b/tab.go
@@ -30,12 +30,12 @@ func (n *Node) NewTab(text string) *Node {
 	}
 	newNode := n.newNode(text, toolkit.Tab, nil)
 
-	var a toolkit.Action
-	a.ActionType = toolkit.Add
-	a.Name = text
-	a.Text = text
-	newaction(&a, newNode, n)
+	a := newAction(newNode, toolkit.Add)
+	sendAction(a, newNode, n)
 
+	// by default, create a box inside the tab
+	// TODO: allow this to be configurable
 	newBox := newNode.NewBox(text, true)
+
 	return newBox
 }
diff --git a/textbox.go b/textbox.go
index 63b14b0..61c9a5d 100644
--- a/textbox.go
+++ b/textbox.go
@@ -4,16 +4,12 @@ import (
 	"git.wit.org/wit/gui/toolkit"
 )
 
-func (n *Node) NewTextbox(name string) *Node {
-	newNode := n.newNode(name, toolkit.Textbox, func() {
+func (parent *Node) NewTextbox(name string) *Node {
+	newNode := parent.newNode(name, toolkit.Textbox, func() {
 		log(debugGui, "NewTextbox changed =", name)
 	})
 
-	var a toolkit.Action
-	a.ActionType = toolkit.Add
-	a.Name = name
-	a.Text = name
-	newaction(&a, newNode, n)
-
+	a := newAction(newNode, toolkit.Add)
+	sendAction(a, newNode, parent)
 	return newNode
 }
diff --git a/window.go b/window.go
index db254d4..09265d1 100644
--- a/window.go
+++ b/window.go
@@ -6,21 +6,15 @@ import (
 
 // This routine creates a blank window with a Title and size (W x H)
 
-func (n *Node) NewWindow(title string) *Node {
+func (parent *Node) NewWindow(title string) *Node {
 	var newNode *Node
 
 	// Windows are created off of the master node of the Binary Tree
-	newNode = n.newNode(title, toolkit.Window, StandardExit)
+	newNode = parent.newNode(title, toolkit.Window, StandardExit)
 
 	log(logInfo, "NewWindow()", title)
 
-	var a toolkit.Action
-	a.ActionType = toolkit.Add
-	a.X         = n.X
-	a.Y         = n.Y
-	a.Name      = title
-	a.Text      = title
-	newaction(&a, newNode, n)
-
+	a := newAction(newNode, toolkit.Add)
+	sendAction(a, newNode, parent)
 	return newNode
 }