ailinriley said: "angelao, Round-up and similar products containing glyphosate have no effect on the soil. You could spray it on bare dirt and plant immediately with no harm to your new plants." My (H. Kuska) reply: I would certainly like to see some documentation for that statement. Title: Glyphosate residues in a sandy soil affect tomato transplants. Author: Comish, P. S. Author affiliation: Hortic. Res. Advis. Stn., NSW Agric., Gosford, Australia. Published in: Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, volumn 32, pages 395-399, (1992). Abstract: "Glyphosate residues in a loamy sand soil were suspected of damaging transplanted tomatoes at Gosford in 1990. Field and glasshouse expts. were conducted to det. whether phytotoxic residues of glyphosate persist in this soil type and, if so, under what conditions. In the glasshouse expt, visible symptoms of glyphosate toxicity occurred in tomato seedlings transplanted into soil that was sprayed 1, 5 or 15 days earlier with glyphosate (360 g/L) at 4 L product/ha. Glyphosate also reduced plant dry wt. (16 days after transplanting), but only where soil nutrient deficiencies were car. after transplanting. In this case, seedlings transplanted 15 days after spraying suffered an ay. redn. in dry wt. of 57%. Greater redns. in dry wt. occurred where superphosphate (43 kg P/ha) was mixed through soil before spraying (75 v. 35% redn.). In the field, glyphosate residues reduced plant dry wt. 16 days after transplanting, even when transplanting followed spraying by up to 9 days, and possibly as many as 30. At 9 days, redns. of 50, 74 and 78% were recorded with glyphosate (360 g/L) applied at 2, 4 and 8 L/ha, resp. Effects of glyphosate on fruit yield were significant, but much smaller than effects on earlier plant dry wts. The phytotoxicity of glyphosate residues in this loamy sand results from a combination of inherently low P sorption capacity and application of superphosphate, leading to low adsorption of glyphosate by soil. This may be exacerbated when dry conditions occur between application and planting. Thus, a plant-back period of 3 wk could be considered safe when transplanting tomatoes into this sandy soil, provided some mixing of soil occurs at transplanting. It is recommended that farmers perform a simple bioassay to confirm safety."

Babka, So far my opinion is backed up with science. I don't expect anyone to bow down to me. I do expect they will respect my opinions and if they disagree they will present facts rather than their unsubstantiated and easily disproved beliefs. I don't even expect them to believe me. I do however expect that if they offer a different opinion they should study the facts. Here are the facts. 1. HVX only exists in live tissue. 2. Glyphosates will kill hostas and all tissue to the root as far as any person alive can tell. 3. Digging up a live infected hosta in proximity to uninfected hostas is dangerous and can easily spread the disease. 4. Digging up a living infected hosta can easily leave remnants of the roots that can infect any other hosta planted in the same area for a very long time. 5. No study has found HVX to have the ability to go dormant. In fact, just the opposite has been found to be true. 6. There is no downside to killing a hosta infected with HVX. These are the facts that I have verified and keep repeating. Chris' response to these facts- "I don't think spraying with Roundup is necessary or any more effective than simply digging out the plant without spraying." Cher's response is that I can't prove glyphosate kills hostas and she doesn't think it does because her mother can't kill poison ivy with it. Paul accuses me of not being respectful because I disagree and quotes a study on Tomato Mosaic Virus proposing it is relevent to HVX virus when it is not. ...and you say that I expect everyone to bow down to me and suggest there is some other way of interpreting the facts...but you somehow never explain this way of interpreting facts differently. When others come back and say they don't "believe" that it makes any difference wether you kill the tissue before digging up a plant after hearing what I have to say several times, and offering no explanation as to why they don't "bleive" it makes any difference then you will have to excuse me if I repeat my reasoning to them. I would point out that I have never treated anyone with anything but respect. I have simply stated the facts and defended my position. If people think it disrespectful to defend a position with scientific facts then that is their problem. If you say this is because I must be young; this would be just one more point where you are wrong. Jon

This is the kitchen that has been in my brain for at least 10 years, and here you have gone and done it perfectly!!! I'm going to Pinterest the bejebbers out of it as inspiration photos for the coming renovations (as soon as I finish all these pesty bathrooms!). Seriously, I have wanted a 4 oven Aga plus a module for ages. I already have the full 601 fridge & freezer (so a little bigger than your Subzero.) And I plan to put a big barrel hood over it all. And you have a big island with not huge aisles! And you have soapstone! I really think we're channeling the same frequencies. I'm totally in love with your butler's pantry! We didn't inherit one, but I may use the cabinet sliding door idea for the walk-thru pantry I'm planning. It solves my problem of a tight space and not really wanting all open shelves! Ok, I'm off to study this kitchen more deeply! Truly, I know this reveal is several years past now, but wow just the same! Great job! Always ;-) Hunzi

Again, thanks everyone for your insights and advice. Invaluable to have a panel of experts at my fingertips. : ) A few comments/replies. First,the easy one. It is seems that "return the necklace" won in the popular vote and the electoral college. I didn't want to muddy the waters but I was also a little hesitant because the piece was pricey and though it is lovely, the chain it is on is way way way too delicate (read: cheap) and that kind of annoyed me. So, off it goes. Next, the alarm issue. A few things to clarify. My inquiry is not "my darn kid won't get up for school in the morning!" When called, she gets up promptly and gets ready on time and there are no issues (for this I am so thankful, having friends who struggle regularly). But she literally sleeps through the alarm clocks we have tried and through Alexa. It's bizarre to me. It can blare indefinitely. This is not about turning off alarms and going back to bed. And the situation does not matter .... ie whether she is getting up for something really fun ,or something ordinary, or something she does not want to do. It doesn't really have to do with "having a reason to get up." Is she getting enough sleep? Eh, IMHO teens are all sleep deprived. She has a fairly busy schedule and demanding classes. We try to impose an 11pm bedtime and she is up about 7am. That is not "enough" for teens (who could easily sleep like newborns) they say but it is more that most get and it'd be hard to find a way to get more, So we get her up currently. She was the one who asked me about an alarm because now she wants to get up earlier to blow dry her hair sometimes, and we are not always up. Plus we would like it to; it would be nice if DH and I could just sleep until she needs her ride to school. Based on the advice here, I think multiple different alarms including a vibrating one might work. April - I can do that, too. Which has always puzzled me. Why would we have innate clocks that are so accurate? It is one thing to get up the same time every day. It is quite another to tell yourself a time, and automatically get up at that time. Tartan, She is a moody teen (is that not redundant) but I see no signs of depression. Has been an unusually sound sleeper her entire life, and also is the "can fall asleep on a picket fence" type. Good idea to mention it to her Dr. though. Gscience, 3 of 5 of us are allergic to cats. Maybe I can train the dog? LOL. I am a night owl, but this kid is not. Oddly, she is the only "morning person" in the house. When none of us are on a schedule, she is the first one up. Nosoccer, They have been friends for several months but the getting together is still new-ish so there is not a clear pattern. They have both been very appreciative and don't ask much IMHO. Sometimes one or the other family has something to do in the area. The first few times, the Dad literally drove the kid the whole way, kept himself busy for 3-4 hours, then drove the kid back. Nice Dad. Once, we drove her, then we saw a movie and had dinner. These are weekends only; between sports, volunteering and h/w, it is hard to fit it in at all. Yes, that is the thing about private school. Most parents don't drive more than say 45 min to a school, but that still means friends can be 1.5hr apart! Bonnie, First, thank you! That was a nice compliment. I've heard good things about the light alarms, but I don't think it would work. What about when you are getting up and it *is* light. Honestly I think it is most of the school year. Moreover, none of my kids have WT in their bedrooms, and her bed is parallel to a very large bank of windows. She gets a lot of sunlight . We would not contort our schedules for the meet-ups. Fact is we have a lot of free time anyway and the ride doesn't bother us and there is plenty to do. I am torn between letting her enjoy this time and a general feeling that serious BFs are a very bad idea in HS. Oh, and college. Probably grad school, too. ; ) Cyn, I go back to bed after I wake her up. So nothing that would wake *ME* up, please. : ) I like your approach re the beau. Play it by ear. Lukk, I am very fortunate that she is not difficult or unpleasant for humans to wake up. I am! Multiple and varied alarms might be good. I also should enable the "drop in" on Alexa as a back up. I like your take on needing us as an "opportunity." It is a good point. TBH she really has not asked much yet but I am just trying to decide on groundrules before we establish a precedent. It is a generational issue too because my parents (who were great) would never have done a thing in such a situation. OTOH my brother took boyfriends and girlfriends on vacation with his family when they were all in HS. Of course he met his wife in HS so may have more respect for "young love." JMCK, hilarious about DH's coworker. Good point about car rides and talking. I have found one other benefit. It is something else one can use for a reward/punishment. LOL. Running, LOL. You are right. She wants to control when she gets up, and a traditional alarm isn't working. Maybe I should experiment w letting her have the phone to wake her on vibrate plus those annoying nuclear-warning-ish alarms. I hesitate because at bedtime I always had my kids bring their phones to me. I am shocked at how late kids text each other, snapchat, etc. If I don't have their phones on DND, I hear them buzz into the wee hours. This was true even in middle school! And with very good students. Crazy. Oakley, I think I can return it, if not I will save it. I would hate for her to do all that driving too. In fact, I am totally dragging my feet on the whole driving thing. Only if and when she pushes it. My son, the eldest, is an excellent driver and I never worry/ied. My middle DD has made no progress in a year because she is never home. I am dreading the "baby" driving because she is more impulsive. And come to think of it, I would not be thrilled if he had a car and could drive her either. I haven't forgotten being a teen in a car on a date. Sheesh. Sueb, I have seen enough to know that kids do really learn how to solve their own problems! OMG, Tiffany has some really cute pieces. I love the single "love" earring. That is so funny you both picked the same thing. I am always very pleased that I can still pick out things they like! I gave my other DD a bracelet and I had no idea it was the super-hot "it" thing to wear on her campus now. Go figure. He is the friend of a friend, I think they played on the same team. Thankfully yes, we can easily entertain ourselves. I think we will just have to see how it evolves, but I am heartened to see that most people think it makes sense to be at least marginally helpful. Tuesday, thank you for your thoughtful and kind post. Robo, That is a fair point. There is nothing to walk to where we live. Several neighbors are on 10-30 acre lots, and several are vacation/weekend homes. Of all 3 kids only one ever had a friend whose home they could walk to. We usually drive them to friend's homes, or into a cute/active downtown that is 5 min away. How nice that your parents provided such a warm environment (and why does it not surprise me, knowing you? : ) ) Dedtired - Yes, young love is wonderful. I am happy for her, even though as an adult and parent there are a lot of reasons to be a wet blanket, LOL. I can't remember the last time any of my kids was late for school, thank goodness. I credit my DH as the driver, if it were me their track record would be less pristine. When I was in college, I took my my classes in the evening! Oakley, I think she would like more sleep. But IME teen sleep appetite is nearly insatiable. She does report having trouble falling asleep sometimes, and in that case she uses Alexa for guided meditation. DH and I like that too. Jterri, I think 2x a month is very doable. His parents are very nice and very accommodating. I actually like his Mom a lot and could totally see spending time w her. Maire - that is so funny about the dog mat! Yes, i struggle with what is an old-fashioned response to this! Like so many parenting decisions, you want to evolve with the world, yet be true to your own standards. Tishtosh- I like this point : telling the child that this is a problem that you would like them to work on and begin researching ways of dealing with it. She asked me, but I will give her some ideas and then put the ball in her court. Everything works better when people think it is their idea. I also agree that these relationships are important learning opportunities. Especially at an age where so many kids let external influences define who they are, a true friendship or caring relationship helps kids define themselves. Maddie, other than perhaps at a party of a mutual friend, their paths would likely not cross. The only thing worse than driving my 16yo an hour would be her driving an hour, LOL. My son drove himself to school (12min or so) for 1.5 years before he did any substantive driving. I'd love to keep that paradigm. We will see. Oly, thanks for the link. Times like this I am glad she is on a different floor and "wing". LOL Yeo, I do think less is better. But no matter what I can't see how it would be more than 2-3x a month, given schedules. Come to think of it, the incessant contact over the phone is in a way, "worse." People can become very close that way, they are part of each other's day all day. Lascatx, if none of the things mentioned here help here, I think we should discuss it with a Dr. Good idea. A family member supported such a relationship -- and I think it made for a weird and confusing situation. I think the parents were too involved and too invested in the relationship -- and the kids too. As mentioned above, my DB did this, and I felt it was odd. It gave the relationship too much weight and sort of tied the kids together too soon? I'd like all of my kids to meet many different people and in a perfect world not settle down until well into a career and having lived on their own. That'd be my ideal for them. Arcy, we do wake her, but that is not ideal. It is never safe to make him forbidden fruit but I wouldn't slice him up and serve him on a platter to her either. LOL that is perfect. Yeah, I am not looking to play "on the porch with the shotgun" but as someone else said, his location is out of her control and I would/have facilitate other social relationships Whew, last time I procrastinate on GW! That took a long time! Recap: 1. I will tell her some of the suggestions and have her choose what she wants to try 2. The necklace is going back 3. If asked, we will help, along with his parents, facilitate their getting together ~2x a month