It's awesome to be able to speak with you directly, Justin. TY for taking the time. I agree that a new variety of the same old plants isn't where I would look to generate excitement, increase sales. But I don't necessarily agree that attempting to appeal to those who don't already collect plants by trying to grab their attention with novelties is the best way to increase sales as a long-term plan. When a person who wasn't previously interested in plants tries one, it's often a novelty plant. There's a reason they are novelties (vs. stalwart, reliable old standby house plants.) They don't usually live long. These failures can give a false sense of being incapable of keeping a potted plant alive in general. I would be wary of concentrating much on these type of products to generate new lovers of plants in general. A worthy goal I share and appreciate very much. Most 'plant-heads' have a fairly low opinion of most novelty plants, for reasons that are mostly in regard to past experience and concern about plants' future. I've never seen anyone with an extensive collection of them. Novelties do not foster confidence, or trust in plants in general, or the companies/stores that sell these them. If it was made more clear which plants are unlikely to live indefinitely, and are intended to fill the needs of those who find them temporarily interesting, and/or decorative, the misunderstandings and disappointments could be alleviated, and the novelties accurately appreciated for what they are. As with Poinsettias, and tender perennials sold "as annuals" where winter is too cold for their survival, there is nothing wrong with a temporary plant, and/or correctly represented novelty. Everyone loves the Poinsettia, and almost everyone realizes that although some do it successfully, it's unusual in general for these to stay alive indefinitely. A happy truce has been reached. When dealing with novelties, don't try to hide it, just explain it. An honest, interesting story is worth buying, won't create any ill-will about being fooled, and eliminate avoidable survival disappointments. I think Glowee is being represented well if it comes with a label explaining that it is an added coating that new leaves won't have. But there is no avoiding the disappointment when it does stop glowing, even if known. IDK if this psychology matters, and hopefully your company has devoted some of the R&D efforts into handling that. I have kids, and I think what they would remember later is something like, "my plant eventually declined, didn't keep doing what it did when I got it." Nobody minds buying or starting new tomato plants in the spring, but we have no historical data for plants that stop glowing in the dark. Will folks want to buy another glowing plant, or be turned-off to them in general, or Sans in particular, or just glowing plants? People do occasionally get rich, even retire early on a great novelty, but few companies can...

BJ--thank you for those updates. I have to admit I've felt a little blue ever since reading them, though. I'm sorry to have not been here when happyto lost her husband. I remember that he was struggling with his health. And yes, "yummers." I remember your airplanes, too, and Michelle and I had once exchanged Christmas cards before losing touch. I still remember what her family looked like. I hope everything worked out OK for them. Time really flies. I know your heart is breaking over Baby V. I have a good friend who fostered a baby from the time he was just a couple of weeks old until he was 16 months. She was single, so we (her girlfriends) all pitched in and he was almost as much a part of our family as one could ever imagine. She thought she was on a track to adopt him, but in the very week that the parental rights were to be officially terminated (after which my friend could begin the adoption process formally), his grandmother from 800 miles away applied to foster him. (Not adopt him.) I couldn't believe she would leave him in foster care that long and then just pop in at the last possible moment. My friend tried to make an appeal through the court system at the parents' termination hearing, but she was told foster parents don't have any rights in the relationship. She had to just sit silently, and then hand him over at the end. She was the only mom he had known at that point, and it was devastating for all of us. It could only get harder the more time you have with him, I imagine. But knowing he would be going to a loving home where he would be a priority helps so much. Not the same when he's obviously someone's afterthought. That hurts.

And you know what else it isn't about? The OP's relationship with his wife. Reading Chase's post about there being a tradition of the groom's mother and bride's father walking out together made me see this differently, even though I agree that no rule in the world is going to make a difference in this situation, and even though I still would give the OP the same advice. What made me think about this is the brief detour into discussing Jewish weddings, where all the parents escort and stand with the couple. Obviously, where there are remarriages and stepparents, this could get complicated. But people manage just fine, and the reason, I realized, is that they are participating as their children's parents, not as their current spouses' escorts. If both parents are alive, they participate as usual; if one is dead, the surviving parent does, sometimes with a stepparent, especially if that stepparent helped raise the child. Most people handle it graciously even where there are hard feelings between ex-spouses, because they both still are parents to their child, and new spouses understand that this isn't about them, it's about the parent-child relationship. It's the same thing here: the OP will be participating in the wedding as the bride's father, not as his wife's husband. We have no way of knowing if the bride would not have asked for exactly the same thing were the OP still happily married to her mom, whom she adored (and maybe she does indeed love her stepmother). Especially now that I know that in some weddings, this is even seen as traditional, I would not take it as symbolic of anything about the OP's marriage, much less a slap to anyone. After all, he is planning on walking down the aisle with his daughter, not his wife, for the processional -- and that doesn't seem to bother anyone (except maybe me, but that's a whole different story!) -- I mean, no one sees that as "ditching" his wife. His walking out with the groom's mother wouldn't be, either. I still think that this bride is kind of juvenile in her choices. But as I suggested earlier, the OP is being pretty self-centered himself if he thinks anyone is going to be focusing on him or his marriage. It's just not about him. If there really is a problem in this family about the OP's remarriage, the daughter's wedding is not the time, after 12 years, to be working it out.

I think we might wait until our 18 year old leaves us and then take the plunge and adopt another. I agree about a kitten being easier to integrate, but I would really love an older cat who is a certified lap sitter and very non-aggressive so there are no clashes with our alpha male and 2 alpha females. Of course, you never know if and when a needy one will show up, in that case all bets are probably off. Something strange to report, we had our kitty cremated. They also included a pottery disk with his paw print and name. As soon as we brought everything home, sad guy thoroughly examined the container and the disk and ran off to start playing with his toys?? This was last night and he is acting a lot happier. I don't understand it, could there be a lingering scent of his buddy he was able to detect? It was like his friend was home again and that made him feel better. Or maybe it was just a fluke and he was starting to feel better anyway?