Hi texas grrl. The problem you described is a common one called Blossom End Rot. It is caused by inconsistency in moisture and the lack of calcium, both which can readily be handled. Even little tricks such as adding crushed egg shells to the planting hole can greatly help prevent this problem. ***** I'd like to add to what you said, please. Inconsistent moisture is one inducer of BER and mulching can help, too much fertilizer is another one b'c it causes stress to the plant, and high winds can also induce it as a stress, but lack of calcium is no longer felt to be an inducer for the majority of folks unless their soil has no Ca++ or their soil is acdic, which binds up Ca++ in the soil and that situation can be fixed by raising the pH. In the last 20 years or so there's been lots of new data to show that Ca++ is not the major problem. And it's the impact to commercial veggie and fruit growing that has led so many Universities, etc., to do that research b/c of the monetary impact on the industry. Stop Rot has not been founbd to be useful. Directions say to spray it on the fruits, but the tomato epidermis does not allow any molecules to enter. If it did the mature fruits would blow up after every significant rain.Spraying it on the foliage is also highly controversial as many University studies have shown. Ca++ needs to get to the distil portion ( blossom end) of the fruits and when there is stress the movement of Ca++ in the plant is altered/ If preventing BER with Ca++ alone added in almost any form, and that includes eggshells as well, worked, the tomato industry would save millions of dollars each year b'c BER not only can affect tomatoes, but also squash, peppers, Cabbage, and several other crops. There's a FAQ at the top of this first page that's pretty good and a search here at the bottom of the page will bring up lots of threads and posts about BER b'c it certainly is one of the more common problems one sees. When growing in containers it is suggtested to add some Ca++ b/c the frequent watering washes out a lot of any Ca++ that might be in the various componenets used to fill the containers. And adding Ca++ if the soil has none, which is very rare, also is in order. Hope that helps. Carolyn

Not taking sides or promoting as I concur there may be some potential concerns as to disposal of a CFL. I always keep in mind an old style mercury thermometer had 125 times the mercury of CFLs. Plus some of us, hand raised here, use to take a finger and play with mercury when a thermometer broke. I still have all my fingers and I didn't grow a second head. I have been wondering too if some of the resistance is based on the initial cost of purchase. When a homeowner can go to the dollar store and get four incandescents for a dollar versus the outlay for CFLs and LEDs there has to be some eye opening and questions. I also keep in mind some people just can't live with change of any type. The world didn't end when the nation went from analog television to HD. I have had two CFL's fail; one flickered and one just stopped working. Like many of my others, they were warranted for nine years. Each time I e-mailed Sylvania and provided them with the requested date of purchase, location and the UPC number. The first time they sent me a $5.00 voucher/coupon and the second a $10.00 voucher/coupon both good for any Sylvania product. No muss, no fuss, and each time I made some money. I know someone out there wonders as to how I disposed of the two failures. Answer: I drive past the recycling center every day going to work. DA

I am about to renovate all of my first floor and am wondering what to do with the fireplace. I will be adding a lot of molding to the house. Floors will change to wide plank american walnut distressed. The wood burning insert will stay (DH insists) but the brass accents are history. So, its red brick now, not awful but not exciting. The adjacent kitchen will be redone, creamy white inset cabinets, knotty alder island and hutch in a darker stain. Style is traditional, old world. The entryway will be arched- not sure how exactly. So- the question is: what the heck do I do with the fireplace? Should I stone it? Is stone too lodge like or too dark with the to-be dark floors? I could also just switch out brick with something similar to the backsplash but I dont know what that will be yet. Possibly a tumbled stone in subway tile or a irridesecent TINY glass tile that my husband is totally against as too modern looking but I love the sparkle. I dont have granite yet so I havent figured out the backsplash. So I guess my options are: 1. nothing, clean it and leave it 2. stone to top 3. redo brick with stone or sparkley glass The other thing is some people have suggested I put another window on the blank wall. I would be open except that is the only angle in the house where you look directly out to the neighbors house. So the view would be horrible but I guess I could put plantation shutters on it if its really terrible to be unbalanced... I posted some photos- as is and some inpsirations. Thanks!! Here is a link that might be useful: Amys fireplaces

I know this is a years old post, but I still want to add my two cents anyway. Just for any future readers, and you if you happen to read this again. First off, I'm so terribly sorry that you had to go through that, and I truly wish that I had been around, with the knowledge that I now have, back then. The VCUG procedure is terrible for both parent and child alike. I had to get VCUGs constantly as I grew up, and I want to say that the trauma a child experiences during them is nothing to glance over. By the time my fifth VCUG came around I literally collapsed on the ground, begging and crying for them to not make me go through it again. Now that I'm older, I'm learning more about what happened. The doctors say no to sedation because young children are at risk of never waking up. Others say that it's because the test won't work properly- it was pointed out to me that children have the potential to pee while their under, effectively ruining the test. But honestly, I say bullsh*t. I would have rather been put under and take the risks full-heartedly, rather than go through what I had to. I felt molested, I was in pain, and I felt betrayed by both the doctors and my parents alike. I still have a hard time trusting doctors and I don't feel like I can talk to my parents about important things anymore. In one of your later posts, you said that your daughter was likely to get over it long before you would. I'm sorry, but you're likely wrong. That event will always stay with her somehow- especially if she remembers it. I had the procedure multiple times, which made it worse for me, mentally, in the long run. I'm oversensitive about my lower body now, and more skittish than I should be. I refuse to use tampons because of what I went through, and intercourse is a never for me. As another person has already mentioned: I'd rather die than go through any similar situations that relate to VCUGs. I've actually developed PTSD because of the trauma- and I'm not the only one. Many people who went through the VCUG procedure as a child have claimed to be traumatized and to have developed depression or PTSD. So if your child does remember her VCUG (ask her)- even if it's just a little bit- I suggest you pay attention to her. Look for signs that the event still lingers as a more negative memory than it should be. Even if nothing is apparently wrong now, keep an eye open. It might take years before any type of mental symptoms show themselves. For me, the most noticeable symptom that can be seen from outside perspective would be my lack of motivation. My school work suffered and I seemed to have no will to do anything with my life. It was first believed that I was just lazy- which made me feel terrible... This can become a severe problem if you don't catch it soon enough. Another thing to look out for is over-discomfort in the doctor or dentists office. Those medical tables/chairs won't look as friendly as they once did. The doctors less so. For me, I'm overly sensitive about getting shots. My distrust about doctors sticking things into me has manifested to such a normal, simple thing that most people get used to. But even now, I feel sick to my stomach when the doctor says I need one. Finally, it's possible that she may outright refuse things like tampons and thoughts of having kids in the future. This is completely normal if she remembers the VCUG. She's likely to never let anything near her lower body ever again because of it. It brings back the negative memories. I refused tampons the moment I learned about them. I managed to avoid them for the longest time, even though everyone thought me silly. (This was before we knew why I hated it.) One day, though, we travelled to Mexico to swim with sea lions in the ocean. Just my luck that my monthly began the day before the trip... When we got there, the plan was to finally get me to use a tampon. My mother took me into the bathroom, and began to explain how it worked. Visualizing it in my head scared the H*ll out of me. I broke down crying when my mom told me that it would hurt a little. To me, a little meant a lot. Thankfully, my aunt had a better solution. (Pad, plus salt water, plus temperature change would slow/stop the flow and dissolve whatever managed to escape.) I still thank her for it whenever it comes up. Anyway, bottom line is, keep an eye out for any mental problems that might show up. Being three, she probably forgot, which will make this post somewhat useless. But it's still good to know, right? Just in case. I wish I could have been here earlier. To tell you that you NEED sedation- and not the extremely light stuff that just makes you drowsy. The procedure is painful- no amount of sugar-coating from the doctors would change that. After the VCUG, when you pee, it BURNS. I've come to say that, "It burned as if I was peeing out the fires of H*ll..." And it continues to feel like that for a few hours to a few days. And again, it can be mentally scarring. I'm glad that your daughter didn't have anything wrong with her, and I'm ever so relieved that she at least didn't have to go through more than one. I hope you're both healthy and happy right now, and living your lives to the fullest. (Sorry, this is long...)