I"m sorry, I didn't have my camera with me. There was also a diseased Francee, which I didn't mention. I have no clue what it had. It was almost like mold on the leaf. The Forbidden Fruit was the first HVX I've seen in real life. It looked just like the pictures. It had the dark green ink bleed. The center was really light, so the HVX stood out like a sore thumb. It may not have actually have been FF. It might have been Orange Marmadade. That's what I thought it was. I've bought 6 hosta from Lowe's over the last year. Three have been mislabeled. If I am guessing correctly, they came from Tri-B nursery of Hubert, Oklahoma. They were putting out some nice varieties of hosta, like Dream Queen, Great Expectations, Paul's Glory, etc. Most of the Lowe's here are carrying the really old standards out of Seville Farms, a suburban grower. Seville Farms told me they have no clue where they get their TC's. They buy them from a broker. Ken, yes, I understand your point of view. However, as a small business person, I have to say that's the nature of the beast. Small business persons develop a market, and the bigger businesses move in with a lower per item overhead. You can't change that. 30 years ago in my business, there were bakeries, caterers, delis and butchers. Now, that's all in your local Walmart. There aren't any family shoe stores anymore as there are no family grocery stores. Still, a few of those small businesses survive. They have to be good, though. They also have to offer what the big stores can't. You can't just say, "Pay me twice as much for the same item because I'm a small business person." Another side of that coin is price and instant gratification. I ordered 2 hosta from a small business person last week. With shipping, they were about $52.00. They weren't all that exotic, either. I have to wait at least a week before they get here and they might fry in the mail truck if we have a hot day. Even if I spend $6.00 on a test strip for my $5.00 hosta, I come out way ahead. I also get a nice sized hosta with multiple eyes, which I won't get from the mail order grower. Were I growing in the ground, I would be more careful. I grow in pots, however, so a diseased hosta is not as bad for me as others. All I have to worry about is cutting scapes and disposing of the soil when I repot. bkay

I agree with all the comments in the posts. I look at it this way....I TRUST my children to make good judgements about people and places. I believe strongly in consequences of behaviour. So I try to remember that when arguments are going on. For instance, my DS has dreadlocks in his hair, this has gone on for a year. In my mind they look messy and I have noticed that people do judge him by the way he looks and treat him accordingly. He also happens to go to a school where they have a hair policy and for the life of me I cannot understand why they have let him go through the whole year, without saying something about his hair !! I thought this would solve my dilemma of wanting him to have a neat haircut. Although I do not like his hair, I fully support his right to have his hair the way he wants it, his right to be an individual, he loves the way his hair is, and if he is happy then I am happy. We have had a lot of discusions about CONSEQUENCES of the school asking him to cut his hair. I asked him many questions about what he would do, and he understands (rather crankily) that he must conform, if they ask him to. I think this has been an important lesson for me and him. This led to many more discussions on conformity and when this is acceptable, and where. With my DD (19), I have had dramas over messy bedroom, but now I don't care, its not important. Its important to remember they are lovely people and that we can trust them to do the right thing. Encouragement is beter than critisism, in my mind. Make "I" statements is a good policy to work on. "I was concerned when you didnt phone me like you said you would ", not "You are so naughty for not phoning me, you are grounded for a week, and you can think about it " I also read any statement starting with "Don't" is negative and will lead to negative feelings, and probably moving into an agrument. A few pearls of wisdome from Me. Popi

Hi, thanks for sharing these jokes. My very favorite is on how to relieve tension headaches. thanks for the laughs. :>D

Excellent choices! All look good. I lost my Great Escape, so I wish you better luck. Emerald Ruff Cut is a beauty, and look at the spring coloring on your War Paint. Nice! I ordered online with them in February and haven't gotten anything yet. I want to be patient because I know it's their busy season, but I get nervous my order is falling through the cracks as it did just one time before. Your order came fast!