Pam is right. I do have a weakness for those yellow reproduction roses. So far I've tried: CHARLES DARWIN - definately a keeper if the subdued mustard yellow doesn't put you off. Also tends to shatter at the spead of sound. Nice bushy growth habit, long stems and so-so disease resistance. The fragrance is positively orgasmic. CHARLOTTE - truly a beautiful rose. Looks like a yellow Bourbon. Soft-soft-soft pure yellow color. Few thorns, gracefuly arching growth habit, good repeat, fully hardy in zone 5, and superior disease resistance. Alas the light fragrance was a disappointment so I shovel pruned her. Pity. HAPPY CHILD - see first post. MOLINEUX - the energizer bunny of the entire Austin line. Brillant kaleidoscopic color blending every imaginable shade of orange and yellow. Nice versitile growth habit and superior disease resistance (although it isn't bulletproof against black spot). Cheerful pompon flower form, strong stems (medium), sweetly fragrant (moderate musk and tea blend). Does lack the wow factor found with GOLDEN CELEBRATION or GRAHAM THOMAS but is a whole lot easier to grow. T-H-E best yellow Austin for the novice gardener. SYMPHONY - drop dead gorgous flower. Think a creamy yellow Souvenir de la Malmaison. Excellent repeat too, shapely shrub that stays under 4' and good disease resistance. Alas no fragrance, so she got chopped into mulch. THE PILGRIM - big and beautiful. Produces without doubt the most beautiful flowers that I've ever seen on a yellow Austin. Fresh and strong fragrance (Tea rose and myrrh blend) that reminds me of high quality mens cologne. Repeat could be better but by no means is this a once bloomer. Outstanding vigor. Good disease resistance. Love it. GRAHAM THOMAS (a classic), GOLDEN CELEBRATION and JUDE THE OBSCURE are the next must haves. I've seen all three in cultivation but want to finally try my own hand with them. Hopefully, I'll avoid the pitfalls, especially with GT.

Well thanks so much ltecato! Turns out I have some of this too & barely realized it. A kind friend gave me some last May along w/ a bunch of other cuttings. I'm not thrilled w/ it (also am afraid it'll grow BIG) & am waiting for it to get a bit bigger before I share it w/ my Indoor Plant Society. Funny that IDing yours reminded me that I need to pay attention to mine!! I would suggest that you cut the mushy part off entirely, even if it means removing that whole segment. Looks like you've got plenty to spare. (I was given 4 short squat segments, which I just jammed into a 3" pot & forgot about; 2 of the 4 put on new growth. I get a sense they're very rugged; I'm sensing you could cut yours apart or at least as much as necessary to cut off the mush w/ very little harm). Then take a small artist's paintbrush or even a Q-tip, dip it in Cinnamon & dust the cut edges w/ it, which acts an antifungal for the edges around where the mush was. One could also use a rooting hormone for the antifungal most of them contain, but I learned from Orchid Growers that ordinary Cinnamon is a great antifungal & it's much cheaper!

Fantastic. Hopefully your idea and those like it will catch on with this generation of new moms. It would definitely help with the over plasticized (is that a word?) era we are living in with the kids toys. A totally priceless gift idea. Thanks for sharing.

I am a Biomother and stepmother. So I have perspective from both sides of the fence. First off- your wife had an affair. You need to accept it or forgive her. There is no grey area. Trust me I know! My first husband had an emotional affair with a woman, and I was so angry and could not move past it. So hence, my marriage ended. Now please don't get me wrong, but I know now that it was not the affair that ended my marriage. Because looking back on it I should have solved the real problem. Which was what was I not giving my husband that he felt the need to stray. I am not holding him blameless, but he ended it. He was sorry that he did it. It was my bittereness towards him for what he did that I accept responsibility for. SO therefore, like I said, you can either work on your marriage and the adtermath of the affair, or you can make her miserable until the point that she really wants to leave you. The choice is yours. Sorry to sound so blunt, but I have been in your shoes. Now as far as your son. That is all I read in your post was about YOUR son. Now if I read correctly, you have another child with your wife. And apparently you are okay with your first son physically abusing YOUR other child. When my daughter was born, my step-son tried on numerous occasions to hurt my daughter and his own brother. Physically attacking, clawing at faces, throwing large items at. So my dh and I talked with a therapist about the issue. He told us that he was doing it out of jealousy, sibling jealousy. BUT that he should NOT be rewarded for his bad actions. So, if he did it again, then he would not be allowed visitation with his dad or our family. His dad was not to take time alone with the child away from our family, because that was basically rewarding his behavior. Kids aren�t stupid, and this was the desired outcome he wanted. So we told him, you ever hit or hurt either child, then you will be considered out-of-control and dangerous to others, and daddy will have to protect the other children from you, and therefore you will not be coming over. With that said, it was the last time he ever hit either child in our presence. Am not telling you that you need to forget about your son, but you need to make sure that he becomes a responsible young person who has consequences for his actions. I will tell you that if any child, mine or a step were to hurt another child of mine, then there are consequences, and you better be sure as hell that I am going to be pissed at the perpetrator. It seems to me that you are bitter at your wife for her bitterness towards your son. Perhaps you should allow her to disengage and have two relationships. One with her and your other child, and one with your son. Don�t expect her to like him, and of course don�t expect him to hurt her. It sounds like he is quite bitter at her two. You also have a responsibility for your other child as well. Do you think it is in the best interest of the child to have divorced parents, because the of the child�s older sibling. Don�t you think that will make your younger child bitter towards the older child AND you? So, my suggestions are: 1. Either forgive the affair and move forward. Or just end the marriage and save both of you a whole lot of grief. I will tell you that in retrospect from personal experience that letting go of that bitterness and anger will be better for you. People make mistakes, and this is just one of many that your wife will make. And this is from someone whoms ex-spouse had an affair on. 2. Be a part of your son�s life, but because of his behavior to the rest of the family, realize that you have another child to protect and thus must keep them apart. I hope you take this advice to heart.