The cold is finally somewhat better, but the migraine is still blinding. I will not get a break with that until the weather clears. It's the 4th day. Bending over is still not an option. But at least I feel well enough to do SOMETHING. It was pretty much a "lost weekend". Today, I hope to find permanent homes for all the patio pots I brought in! Half are still on towels in the family room. Husband has not said anything yet, though that's the room he hangs out in, so obviously they are an eyesore. Yes, I have to be careful where I plant. A tentative trowel in, then see what's down there. I hate it when I skewer a bulb. Most of my reticulated iris died out, so I was so happy to find some at Menards, that I bought 4 packages. I'm lucky I really have been planting all along, until the last 2 weeks. Sounds like you are doing well, Sue. Working in stages is the best approach for me too. It does take a lot of extra time to cover the planting area with wire mesh and stake it down, but it means cheating the squirrels out of an costly snack at my expense, so I do it. I don't want to push it too late. The year I did it after Christmas, chipping off the top frozen crust to plant, almost nothing came up.

"Do hybridizers dedicate entire greenhouses to a single rose like Old Blush in order to ensure a more pure/controlled cross and then let the seeds fly and "do their thing"?" While I'm sure some professional breeders isolate their parent plants in greenhouses to eliminate insect pollinators, I myself do not attempt to isolate plants from insects, nor did Mr. Moore. In many cases, his breeding plants were scattered around the nursery in blocks of five or ten plants per variety, and they were often out in the open in proximity to hundreds of other varieties. I remember seeing his pots of 'Sheri Anne' and 'Golden Angel' out in the back on benches alongside many other roses, receiving no special treatment. I'm not sure what you meant by "...let the seeds fly and "do their thing"? ", so I can't address that part of the question. The question seems to imply allowing seeds to drop wherever they fall and from then on they're on their own, but I doubt thats what you meant by that. Can you be more specific, please?

Duane, the reason for dressing casually and the current charitable recipient are also on the sign, but in small print. I doubt that many people read it because many people complain loudly that my receptionist is wearing jeans. I'm not sure how her attire affects how she answers their questions at the window. Since many of them are on their way to jail or prison, you wouldn't think they were fashion experts, but I guess I'm wrong about that. Carol, I was an English major in college and my professor was quick to point out that we don't really speak English, we speak an Americanized version, something that evolved from English. As we grow and become more diverse, so does our language. Truthfully, it intrigues me to think of where many of our slang words and phrases came from. Many have Latin roots, others Arabic and some seem to be uniquely ours. Annie

OP, I am so sorry you're going through this! For anyone who's been thinking of getting the vaccine, this is your wake-up call! Go now. Get it done! I had the shot last summer, and I'll tell you a few things about it -- things I didn't know -- I'm assuming my experience was typical, which may or may not be true: - My doctor does not keep the vaccine in stock. Apparently relatively few people get the vaccine, and it's somewhat in short supply. When I requested the shot, my doctor "ordered it to my pharmacy". He told me to wait a couple days before I called the pharmacy to see if it was available. - I had the first shot, which I think cost a $49 co-pay -- a whole lot better than some of you paid! Wow, the costs! And the pharmacist put the remaining dose into her fridge /labeled with my name. - If memory serves, I had to go back no earlier than 2 months /no more than 4 months later. Again, I paid a $49 co-pay. Most of all, I walked away thinking to myself, "One thing I can cross off my list of concerns" and feeling very pleased. Someone asked whether you can have another shot later. I know the answer: yes. My mother had the older single-shot vaccine, and she recently took the newer two-shot vaccine. Her doc said that the newer vaccine is superior, and it won't hurt you to have both.