Wow! That's a gorgeous shot! You work so well with the camera, Maria! Your photo albums are wonderful! I've bookmarked your page, and will go back to see more when I have a few hours of free time! LOL! It definitely has been a busy summer! And it's not over yet! I still have lots to do outdoors, not to mention taking care of all my indoor bulbs. Since I was way too afraid to allow my bulbs outdoors this spring and summer, I doubt many will bloom next spring... although, I could be surprised. I do plan on purchasing a few new ones this fall, though, so I will have winter blooms! We were going to go to the Netherlands this August to attend the wedding of a dear friend, but with gas and airline prices the way they are, we had to cancel. Airline tickets alone would have cost several thousand dollars, which we can't spare right now. I'm very disappointed, but I am going to attend the Chicagoland Orchid Festival, and even though it won't be quite the same, it will be fun. I should come away with a new orchid or two, and I have Cindee to thank for pointing me toward collecting these wonderful plants, as well as bulbs! Xuan, I doubt the Clematis pods will be anywhere near ready to ship this month, but I am watching them. I will harvest when they're ripe and hang on to them for your next family member to visit the States. In the meantime, I may be able to harvest a few other seeds for you. I will email. I'm behind on shipping out care packages, too... very shortly, I will have several types of seeds harvested and ready to ship... most are perennials from my gardens, but I know a few friends wanted to try some! As I finish getting things ready, I will let you all know what I have. Well... here's hoping the rest of the summer is fabulous for everyone! I just charged the camera batteries, and will head outside shortly to capture a few more summer blooms, so look for those sometime soon! Happy Gardening!

I agree that I jumped to an unwarranted conclusion as to the reason for the licence not being changed ... but I was thinking more of the unfortunate situation if people were unskilled, rather than being critical of the lady. If she felt that I was being critical of her, I apologize wholeheartedly to her for that. Apart from that, I've been thinking of making this thread for a while. I don't feel a need to alter the main points of my story, though ... and if I implied that I thought that many kids aren't so qualified, I didn't intend that, either. All that I was saying was that I felt that all children should be encouraged and helped to learn how to look after themselves. Also that they should feel a responsibilty to do their share of chores around a household which they inhabited, as they became able to do so. I didn't refer to the money end of it, as I've said quite a lot about that before and wanted to confine this message to one simple, uncomplicated topic ... but I agree that such is a necessary skill, as well. I hope that your children and others that you know grow up developing not only the simple skills of managing their daily lives, as referred to, but also a number of the potential capabilities and skills which lie semi-dormant within their being. One of the wonderful opportunities in being a teacher is to engage with their students and to become sensitive to the talents which each possesses, then to encourage the child and parents to awareness and to develop those potentialities as they are able. And of being a parent, as well, to be sensitive to the potential which each of his/her children possesses and encourage the child to develop their possibilities. ole joyful

Well, I guess I don't get to guess anyone's age since it has all been revealed. Allison - WOW! I so want the name of your surgeon since Im in TN, so could easily make a trip to AL. You look amazing and you've got a peaches n cream skin (hatin ya!!) Mona - you look so awesome & what a cutie you are!! I, too, want your make-up secrets and too funny @ the story you told about the older woman. Eclectic - you are beautiful and I wouldn't have guessed 40. Ive noticed women of color age beautifully & you will too. Cooperbailey - You are a doll & it's weird but from your post you look like I would expect you too. Very approachable. Sueb - you have those dark hershey bar eyes that are gorgeous! Judiegal - you have that beautiful dark Italian coloring and hair. You look awesome & all those are your girls??!! OMG - 1 child just about did me in!! Stinky - 48....no way, girl!! Pesky - you have nary a wrinkle & your DH doesn't even look younger than you!! So your having eyelid surgery, too. You'll be passing for a sibling to your children! Kitchenkelly - you are such a cutie!! Shee - Show your pretty face, girl!! I remember seeing a pic of your b4 & your gawgeous! you youngin :) Mitch - You look awesome....would you please come to TN and teach me how to dress & accessorize. I bet you have some awesome clothes. And beautiful teeth. Susanwrites - I would have never guessed your age. What beautiful hair you have.....long blonde and flowing Kellyeng - welll, aren't you a cutie. Beautiful eyes Golddust - I don't think you or your daughter look your age. You both are beautiful. I really want to comment about everyone b/c I feel as women we need to hear about the beautiful we do have. Women can be so catty that they don't often compliment other women. know I too often pick myself to misery with comparing myself to others that are younger, skinnier, more stylish.....the list goes on. Ok....I'll be back b/c I have comments about the rest....gotta leave to pick son up from school. Smiles:) Smiles:)

Plant leaves are basically solar collectors. When plants are young, they have fewer leaves, and thus less surface area to collect energy. So, early on, you could wait until a few leaves have grown a bit. But, as others have said, as the leaves get older, they gather dust, damage, and there is diminishing returns. From the plant's perspective, its entire goal is to flower and produce seeds. If you do not begin to harvest leaves at an appropriate time, the plant gets 'comfortable' with what is has and it can switch stages from leaf growth, to root growth and energy storage for flower and seed production. So, in the beginning, yes, you can wait... but, as the other commenters have pointed out, don't wait too long. By harvesting, the plant will be forced into new, and greater leaf growth so that it can gather enough energy for seed production.