It can be so frustrating. We had a big storm Sat. night, in a lull I wandered out to check the pond and noticed that the spillway wasn't running. The wind had blown over the new plants I had just put in and they had knocked the plumbing apart. Spent half an hour trying to fix it managed to knock down the new flag iris I got and knock over the floating heart that I have had to repot 4 times, and broke the stems off the parrots feather. There I was arms and shoulders in the pond while lightening flashed overhead and the wind was doing 100km/h. The DH thinks I am hilarious because when I get in there the boobs dip into the water so I have big wet spots and the rest of the shirt is dry. You care so much that either you have to laugh or cry when it comes to issues with the pond, Think of all the funny stories you'll have to tell about the pond when you are sitting out next year enjoying the pond. Everybody loves the one about the time the ice built up around the bubbler and caused it to start draining the pond and I fell thru the ice into the pond trying to fix it, luckily it was only -20 so I did not stiffen up before I made it to the house. Hope you feel better.

I'm the Carole in the above threads.....and the answer to the last question from Paul was that it does indeed work on thrips. I am hoping that Paul sees this thread and answers all your questions. A few weeks ago when I visited Ashdown I saw the area where Paul was planning to test Good Health Roses. It contained roses of all ages and was a bit buggy. According to Paul the stuff worked well. I don't know what is in the stuff but I do know that the roses I picked up that day were the absolute picture of health. And I saw one of the workers spraying one of the tunnels with no protective gear....the thing I want to be able to do. I am using the fertilizer...with good results so far. My roses look great. I told this story in another thread so sorry for the rerun but I think it shows definite results. A few weeks ago I rescued a Slater's Crimson China that my neighbor had tossed dirtless into a ditch. I'm not sure how long it was in there but even though I had the flu at the time I crawled into that ditch and saved that rose. I put it in a pot hoping a bit of TLC would bring it back. It was looking like crap until I used Good Morning Roses on it and watered it well. It is now putting out new growth like crazy and I think it is going to live. I will definitely be taking the ride over to Organic Plant Healthcare as soon as Good Health Roses is for sale. I have been listening to a local radio show on Saturdays lately that Billy Styles has...he owns Organic Plant Healthcare. One of his best lines is that "No one waters the forest" and that with the use of these products we can feed the soil to create a sustainable garden. And if you think about it....he's right. We had the mother of all droughts here last summer and as I ride around I see all the redbud and dogwood in the woods blooming. The man is on to something IMHO. Carole

I know several pro painters who only use Sherwin Williams products. Paint is paint is paint. 10 year warrantied paint is usually better quality than 5 year warranty. 18 year warranty is just too good since most folks don't keep an interior color that long. Acrylic latex is water based, has low VOC(odors/out gassing compounds) so it is healthier. There are several types, gloss, semi gloss, matte, eggshell, and othersa that signify the dried surface condition of the paint. Matte is dull and relatively rough so it collects dirt/etc where gloss is shiny and does not. Eggshell is the type many designers like for interior walls since is is easily cleaned and durable while not being too shiny.

mid ten mama, I've always been curious, tried to observe the world around me. One might even say, "nosey". And discuss it with others. What do they say - some people discuss people, some discuss things, and some discuss ideas? I'm content to visit friends and have no activity laid on - discussion of a number of topics suits me as a fulfilling evening's activity. I think that it helps if we can let our conduct be modified in the way of less risky activities by observing others. Dad was a busy farmer and single parent (my Mom got sick when I was about 5, two younger brothers, and Grandma lived with us) when I grew up during World War II - I was kept out of school to help put the crop in when I was 11. I think that I was about 18 before I knew that Dad would take an (occasional) drink - he liked Scotch. I seldom drink, sometimes a glass of wine. I don't care for the taste of beer - figure that they should pay me to drink that stuff. Except on a real hot day, after major exercise, such as haying. The hotel owner where I worked as bartender a few years ago was really happy to employ me - don't recall that her enthusiasm resulted in much in the way of bonuses, though. Last year when I spent time with my old uncle after his wife died, he liked oatmeal porridge most mornings. I took some wheat flakes, red river cereal, and that white stuff "farina?" that one maker calls "Cream of Wheat". He thought none as good as oatmeal - especially the white stuff (that he was barely interested in finishing). Actually, he "finishes" few of his dishes - the dog gets the last part of most of them. He was some interested in the sesame seed and flax that I added sometimes - and rather liked the raisins and dates that I added for a bit of additional zing. Don't think he uses such stuff now, on his own, though. I should eat a more balanced diet - need more veggies, fruits, especially raw ones. Though I'd have to chop them pretty fine now, having only three teeth. I haven't taken good care of my teeth - they'd likely still be operational, had I done so. May I encourage everyone to brush and floss? Saves in the long run, and postpones the limitations on one's eating habits that store teeth impose. I don't get as much exercise as I should - former landlady suggested that I get more. I told her that if there was some work that it was useful to do, I could do it. But just to go from here to there and back merely to say that I'd gone didn't turn me on too much. She wouldn't let me cut the grass. Kept her lawnmower covered, behind the garage: she wouldn't go in. Her husband (quite an active Christian) had hung himself in there a couple of years before. That seems to have answered most of your questions/commented on your observations. I think that I'm a more open person than many - don't figure that I have a lot of stuff to hide. As for some of my frugal pursuits - I don't say that others should live that way: very few people do. But I learned about scarcity and conservation of resources when I lived among refugees in Korea. I value my freedom, and thus should value the right of other posters here to live as they choose (as long as it doesn't harm others), as well. But I feel that our resources are scarce, and we've been using them, especially petroleum, for less than a hundred years - stuff that it took millions of years to produce. All of us North Americans (and most of the Europeans) are going to have to learn to live much more frugally, for the rest of the world aren't going to be willing to put up with the great disparities of use of the world's resources that we've come to know in the past couple of hundred years. This forum is one where we are sharing ideas about how to achieve our goals in life at lower cost, without undue restriction of lifestyle. I have appreciated a number of the ideas that I've heard here. And the friendships developed, as well. Good wishes to you and yours for a lovely fall. ole joyful