Do you have a water softener? That could be one of the problems MM. :) We've got spring water, and they love it!

I think the important thing is not to put too much flesh on your garden bones too early in the process of trying to understand it. I think that you have to remain conservative at first and build in the essence or mainframe and keep looking and looking and looking and reading until you see your own vision. I can now feel my own vision starting to take shape. As an example, I thought that I just had to have a stone lantern, but since they are very expensive I put it off until now I no longer think that I want one because the sight of one now is becoming to cliché and they are not an icon of my culture. I also want a teahouse but not a literal one. I want the reason and essence of the teahouse, modified to my Missouri esthetics - it will now be a BBQ shack in the spirit of meal taking with my family and friends as opposed to tea taking. It will have the same basic backbone and shapes sans the overemphasized and upturned corners, with a large overhang, and will be completely screened from Missouris mosquito. And I would like to figure out a low table that middle-aged Americans can sit around without going into spasms. I want to understand stone placement and large plantings en mass for balance with the final goal being a truly pleasing "Missouri" garden that a Japanese master gardener can recognize and appreciate as authentic to the spirit of the Japanese style which I believe is just one manifestation of a more universal truth. I have come to the realization that I want no "overt" Japanese notes. There will be few human structures such as a teahouse and gate, but they will morph into a modified western version similar to American Arts and Crafts in style. I think authenticity should be in mainframe and not necessarily the accoutrements. If one centers on the accoutrements then you may wind up unhappily chasing authenticity

A-Hem. Well...since you asked.... *grin*.... A VERY long time ago- about, oh, 18 years or so - I was at a slumber party with a couple of friends. We were roasting marshmallows on a bonfire, out in the front yard. And, since this was out in the sticks (and I mean...WAY out in the sticks, the closest neighbor was 5 miles away, and the closest neighbor to THEM was 5 miles away......ANYHOO....pardon, too many brownies, My mind tends to wander....) SOOOO....this was out in the sticks, and there were chickens running around in the yard. Poor, helpless, defenseless chickens. Lots and lots of chickens. So there we were, using old wire coat hangers (unfolded, of course) to roast marshmallows. Then, the unthinkable, un-avoidable, and totally a waste of good marshmallow happens. My marshmallow caught fire. And I don't mean *fire*. I mean....FLAMING, INCINERATING, little-ball-of-DEATH type fire. Yay. Naturally, I'm calm and collected....while the other girls are screaming their fool heads off. "YOUR MARSHMALLOW'S ON FIRE! YOUR MARSHMALLOW'S ON FIRE!!!!" Yeah, duh..... So, I react in an appropriate manner, of course. I start waving the coat hanger/marshmallow fire ball in the air, hoping to fan out the fire. Next thing I know, the marshmallow goes flying off the end of the wire, whizzing through the air.....ZOOOOMMMM!!!!...... And smacks a poor chicken RIGHT ON THE NOGGIN. Still flaming, with marshmallow-ey goo going everywhere, the poor chicken runs around bock-bocking all over the place. We all run for the water hose, and put the chicken out... But she didn't make it. :O( Guess what we had for supper the next night? Yep, roasted chicken!

maire_cate, 17 pounds is terrific! Congratulations! I am hoping to have time to concentrate on getting back into shape and losing a little weight once school is out. Now that the nice weather is starting, I am trying to convince myself to walk the dogs every day when I get home, no matter how tired I am. We'll see. Having always been very thin, this weight gain is hard on me. I am used to eating whatever and not putting on an ounce. New meds for thyroid has helped the energy level slightly, but I know I just have to do the work now. Hmmm, time to go downstairs to do my weights before getting out in the yard for a bit-knees and all don't work so well anymore either. No more all day gardening at this point. Sheesh. Oh, and do have those colonoscopies everyone. Colon cancer is not something anyone should die from anymore (except in the very rare, early case maybe). I was going to have my last one done in our town rather than going into Georgetown University Hospital where our doctor is located and where we usually. Have everything taken care of healthwise. I decided to go ahead and go into town. I know they are good there and they do so many of these procedures that they are quite proficient. Debrak, I don't know where you live, but it might be a good idea to share your concerns with your doctor now, so you and he can find you a doctor and hospital you trust. This is not something to ignore.