Al, I think your heart is in the right place but believe me, people just like what they like, especially in their 80s. DH loves junk food and quickly loses his appetite when I fix "healthy" food I like. His closest friend always ate HEALTHY and used to tell DH that he would like healthy foods if he just would try them more. Well, a couple of years ago we buried him, he was the healthiest eater in his family and the youngest one to die. He always thought he would live the longest and surprisingly, he was the youngest to die in the family. For those in our family celebrating a birthday, we let them choose what kind of food they want or restaurant they want to go to and that's OK with us as it's their choice. DH hs increased the number of healthy foods he will eat but they still don't take first place. I've stopped trying to influence food choices for others, like DH, especially elders, because I think eating should be a stress-free experience. Good luck, I love lentil soup but its something I always eat alone and fix something else for DH for those meals. Hot biscuits are a favorite of his but it's something I prefer to bypass, unless they're Red Lobster cheese biscuits, LOL! Well, we never go there as fish is on his never-feed- me-this list.

you can have the allergy testing done.I found out that I was allergic after I sat on one.I was about 13 and went swimming at my friends house and sat on porch to dry off, when I felt a pinch and then it all happened very fast.My friends dad kept asking me if I was okay and all I could do was shake my head no.They called my mom and told her to meet us at the driveway that we were going to the ER.I had sat on it and when I stood up it was still stuck to my butt.The Er Dr.said that it was an allergic reaction and they gave me a big ole shot right in the bottom and some benadryl.Ever since then I have always carried my eppi pen with me and some benadryl also.

Hello everyone! The humidity in the tent stays at about 75%. I open it up twice a day and use a box fan on medium or high to flush the air for a good 10 to 15 minutes in the morning. At night I open it up for at least an hour and flush the air while I am watering my brood. I have a 6 inch clip on fan that blows air 24 hours a day across the top of all of my plants inside the tent. I have an 8 inch exhaust vent open on the ceiling of the tent where the exhaust from the LEDs escapes at all times. I don't currently have intake or exhaust devices but I am currently researching them with the forethought that I will be traveling soon. The humidity is very extreme, so I keep a towel next to the tent door that I occasionally use to clear some of the condensation. I have another clip on fan that I will be installing on the back side of the tent next weekend. It wasn't necessary until I recently installed the 3rd LED. The condensation increased so I am going to move the air a bit more. Karen 16 to 18 days to germinate is not normal by any means. It sounds like the seeds were old. By the way, PM me Karen I have some Adenium photos to send to you via email if you are interested. Tracy

Laura & MyerMike..... Well, well, well.....like running into old friends at a party! Great to know you guys are still around. Good to read your comments. So...yep, killed all my Adeniums, back a few years ago. My loss. Now I know to move my butt faster when cold weather is about to hit. I have had some successes besides my failures. Caudex/Fat-trees (Bursera fagaroides & Operculicarya decaryi, Operc. platypus) are fattening up very quickly, and trunks tripled diameters since I first bought them. Note to Adenium growers: If you want to grow easy plants without the headaches that Adenium can bring....try the trees that I just mentioned. I grow all three trees "hard", in gritty mix, no water except when it rains. I force them to break dormancy in late March, and stick them on the back porch, in full sun, when small leaves start to appear. They stay outside, in hot sun, until leaves turn gold and fall off. Then dry storage in light ( trunks are photosynthetic) until spring. Mike....I no longer grow figs. I won't go through the trouble anymore. Weather in NYC winters has become too severe for containerized figs and I lost all my expensive, and rare varieties back in 2014. Growing in NYC can be very challenging because the growing season is so damn short, and winters are dark and dreary. Not great conditions for ideal Adenium culture. This winter, I am going to put Adeniums under supplemental LED lighting, and see if this helps. Gave up on growing Clivia - too expensive, too slow growing, not enough supplies of desired varieties, and I refuse to spend hundreds of dollars on a flowering-size plant, that I may kill. Over the years, I perfected my skills for killing plants, and I can do it much more quickly and efficiently now. I kill only the best. I just bought some Iochroma seeds (a type of blue-flowering Brugmansia/Angel's Trumpet), and I'll see if this species survives. Plumeria/Toba's Fire/Embers: Doing just fine and makes plenty of new growth each season. Now, the original stick has grown to about 5 feet and subdivided into three equal-sized branches. Before heading back to NYC, I'll throw this Plumie into the ground, for some better root run. So...now you're up to speed. Laura, your plants, the culture, and the staging are exceptional, and the extra grooming work that you do, sure shows. Show-quality specimens in fact, and nice to see what plants should look like for display. Best regards, Frank NYC/7b