Mine was a division from a cousin's plant - but I do know there is a place that sells all types, in the U.K., if I could only remember the name. The original green plant is very handsome too and hard to beat for elegant, shining green foliage. Aspidistras will put up with a lot of abuse, but a well-kept one is memorable. Perhaps some will not approve of this, but the same cousin has several plain green aspidistras throughout her house in all sorts of corners, and she decorates some of them with artificial orchid flowers, which I can tell you makes one stare when trying to figure out the type of orchid and how it's so healthy in low-light places. The plants don't mind, however, and the idea certainly makes them a talking point.

I think we all suffer from ennui once in a while. I find it usually develops when we allow our lives to get a little out of balance. I've gotten pretty well fed up with all the marketing hype that exists, too. I've always disliked it, but it especially ticks me off at Christmas time. If you do happen to go to the mall, everyone is nasty and generally unhappy. I, for one, refuse to use a credit card any more to buy Christmas gifts, and I don't want anyone else running up a credit card bill for me, either. I don't need "things" anyway, just time spent with me is all I want or need. I haven't heard of too many CEOs of the mega stores hurting too much in the income department. Maybe they should learn how to live on a normal income like the rest of us. I think the idea of giving a rooted plant from a beloved rose (or other plants) is a wonderful gift for a gardener. This year I'm thinking of sewing some really cute aprons for my young grand-daughters (who like to bake), and including some measuring cups and spoons; maybe some cake mixes. Most store bought toys end up in a heap within a few days anyway. Are there any without lead in them these days, anyway?! Now that we have some cooler weather I can finally get outside and clean up my poor roses. I think they are relieved that it is cooler out too, as I see a lot of new growth all of a sudden. Cramoisi is blooming his fool head off with the most gorgeous shade of red. "Baby" Prosperity is blooming like crazy too, and looks nice near "baby" Cramoisi. That sight made me realize that roses are worth all the work put into them. Oh, and we have lots of birds visiting from up north now, chirping away. Hmmm....that, and a nice cup of coffee..... heaven. Sandy

My seed anxiety is more of a "I haven't checked the Exchange pages in hours. Maybe someone offered a SASBE of their entire seed collection right after I last checked!" But I do also have: "How many seeds should I sow? If I sow them all, I'll have way too many seedlings, and no back-up if they all die. But what if germination is low? What if this packet got heated up? What if these are old seeds? How many should I sow!" I don't feel much anxiety about saving and trading regular flower seeds. I do get anxious about my tomato seeds. If they get mislabeled or there's a stray seed, there's no way to tell! I am so careful when I'm fermenting and packaging them, thinking about the shame if I traded with someone and it was the wrong plant. Someone on the Tomato forum is always telling people they should buy commercial seeds, because seeds from traders are always mixed up. But Bakemom's right--commercial seeds can be messed up too, either not germinating, or the wrong plant. Many people post about commercial seed mix-ups with tomatoes-and almost every traded tomato I've grown was correct. So, save those seeds, and who cares about chaff! However, it is good to look up what the seed looks like; sometimes I get a packet in trade where I do know what the seed looks like, and there aren't very many of those amongst the chaff! Do I hate the trader? Nope! It's just good to look it up if you can.

YES, I DO! My mother has it and her father had it. Mine started when I was in my early 30's. I first noticed it as a small light spot on my right hand. I'm now in my mid 50's and it's much worse. It's on my hands, arms and upper back and I just noticed some spots on the shin of my right leg. It's much more noticeable in the summer when the areas without the pigment loss are tan. I now try to avoid the sun and am vigilant about using sunscreen. I've never tried any treatments or therapies. How about you?