I still have plenty here, although the numbers are dwindling. I'm picking about 50 a day, down from about 80-100 a day. They are lighter than previous years, but still refuse to go away. Most years they're still around right until the killing frosts, so I do hope I can manage a few unblemished blooms before summer wraps up. Some summers I was picking HUNDREDS each day, so I feel this year I'm getting off easy. Funny thing is, everyone says that if you grow grapes the jb's will leave your roses alone, since they prefer grape leaves. I have grapes, and they don't touch them. I grow strawberries right next to a huge rose garden too, and they don't touch them either. My dad has grapes and the jb's are all over his grapes. 'My' jb's prefer roses to anything on the earth. Perhaps its because I have so many roses, not just a few, but hundreds. I'm the only one in my area that grows roses, and in fact, the only house for miles that even has a lot of gardens since its mostly woods around here. I feel like every beetle in a 5-mile radius comes here to enjoy the smorgasbord.

I do have a lot of allysum seed - and that is one thing that may be welcome back next year! Wave petunias are lovely, but I don't want to put too many holes in the cardboard as these weeds are dreadful...just putting in spots for my blueberry and strawberry plants.... also - wave petunias would be pricey to purchase.....are they easy to start from seed?

We bought our Miele 5 year warranty on the washer, dryer, and dishwasher. When we save enough for the Miele Fridge and Freezer I want, we'll put the 5year on them as well. The cost of the warranty (five years) is negligible compared to one service call. My "old" Miele Washer/Dryer (seven years old) were gone thru by Miele and totally reconditioned before I gave them to my daughter. I replaced ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that even "seemed" worn or as though it "might" fail in the next year or so, including screw covers and cosmetic only parts. The total cost of that "complete refurb" was only about $550 parts and labor & AFTER spending that money for the "complete refurb" my factory service rep certified to Miele corporate what had been done/replaced/etc., and they allowed me to buy a five year warranty on the old machines! I was amazed! So for a little over a grand out of daddies' pocket, my kid got a "like new" set of Miele's that are under full warranty for five more years. How many manufacturers would even consider such a thing? Damned few in my experience. Immer Besser! (Forever Better - the Miele Motto in German) However in the UK, Miele offers a 10 year warranty on their "top of the range" (read most expensive) machines. Standard, not at extra cost. Pity they don't do that here, yet!

g8trgrad98: It is almost scary how much your situation parallels my own. I had written in this forum a number of years ago when my stepson was about 16/17, and just recently as my stepson is approaching 21 (2 weeks). I was in a very similar situation - my stepson was like my own despite his bio-dad in the picture. I was the parent 320+ days of the year and treated things like that - and things were great until that wonderful 15/16 age hit. Like you, I had the typical "you are not my parent" attitude and also like you I had a kid doing a fair amount of pot (does even more now it seems). However, my stepson did not have a grandparents home to run to, so during this whole time he has been in the house. I've had two children with my wife, and they were born when my stepson was 11 and 13. He started out really great with them, but sadly now my kids (now 9 and 7) ask why their brother is so mean and grumpy. I wonder how involved your wife is in this case with either backing you up and setting up rules, or defending her son. My situation was (and still is) very difficult because my wife enables her son and will often tell me to back off while she continues to do so. Has this been an issue in your case? What does she say when your stepson asks her to choose between him and you? Sorry to say that I've come to the conclusion that for some kids, seemingly mine included, they won't ever get a clue until life deals a viscous dose of reality to them. My suggestion to my own wife is that once we stop the money, the coddling, and the comforting life will end up showing this kid what it can do. To that end, better to do that now while he is this young and stop protecting him. Once he experiences poverty, perhaps tinged with a dose of desperation, I think that can change a perspective. Unfortunately, my wife still insists on keeping her boy protected, and the results have again been much like yours - I'm beginning to resent this child I love and felt had so much potential. My wife wonders why I don't take him golfing and be his buddy, but I'm finding my resentment building and just can't fake it. Not sure what you can do with your stepson with him being 17, but I just can't help but feel that a few body blows from reality might help - just wonder whether your wife would be able to go for it.