Hi all, Thanks for the words of encouragement and thanks for the good sound advice. Al, I would like to email you about soil. I am one of those people that uses a course "all purpose" potting mix for just about everything. Always with added fertilizer and I usually add pebbles in the pots for drainage. Although I DO have alot of plants that are fairly new to me, the thing that caused my meltdown yesterday is it is my OLDER, established plants that are beginning to really act up! I have had some of these plants a long time in the same conditions, and all the sudden they are going to revolt and go leaf up?? Why, oh why? It is frustrating and quiet frankly, they are making me feel incompetent! (thus the monumental meltdown). I read, read and read everyday all day about these crazy plants. As I am a stay at home mom with school aged children, it is really all I do all day. Fuss over these plants. And how dare they start dying on me now, darn it! (lol) I am currently troubleshooting several plant problems so don't be surprised to see more posts from me shortly. Thanks in advance for your patience. I appreciate this board very much. Lori

Plumbing is all fixed and the drywall is repaired! Of course, there is drywall dust EVERYWHERE but I took today off (that why I'm on the computer) to clean, clean, clean. Since there were holes in the walls of almost every room, there's drywall dust coating everything in every room. Ah well, it all needed a good spring cleaning anyway. The poor plumbers thought the job was going to be one day and that's how it was quoted. But it ended up taking 4 long days - they were here until 8pm 3 nights. But there was no additional charges for the problems they ran into. Can you believe that? They could not get through the connection to the kitchen sink because of a weird T connection under the slab, so instead of breaking through the floor and the tiles in the middle of the kitchen they broke through the slab in the garage, then pulled out the dishwasher (again) and broke through under that; then they pushed through a new pipe from the garage to the kitchen and came up in the space under the dishwasher, then through the side of the cabinet into the under-sink space. On Thursday the drywallers came in and did a great job repairing every hole and mark. I'm impressed. The only problem I still have is missing fixtures from one of the showers. Just gone. I'm sure it got tossed out with broken tiles and other trash. For all the extra work they had to do I'm not even going to ask them about it. Maybe when I'm at H0me Dep0t picking up a new fixture I can swing through the garden shop... I have family coming in from out of town tonight for a weekend stay so I better get back to housecleaning. Yuk. I would rather be in the garden!

So sorry for your dilemma. Have you considered refinishing the floor with a high quality product? And perhaps removing your shoes, etc. If you aren't used to removing your shoes when entering the house, it will take time to get in the habit. But so worth it. All your floors will last alot longer. Our old 1916 Arts and Crafts house had QS oak on the main level, and birdseye maple upstairs. Although not really dented, it was more like scuffed up. The POs had refinished the floors themselves (horrors) with hand held sanders, and used a cheap finish. The finish was most of the problem, I think. Our new house has hickory, which is one of the hardest woods of those commonly used for floors. We even have it by the back door/garage entrance. No problems at all. They were finished with 3 coats of a swedish finish called "Glitsa" in a matte finish, and nothing shows. Very, very happy. I dropped 12 cans of soda the other day, and nothing dented or scratched. I've dropped pans, lids, dishes, etc....and so far, so good. Shoes, especially sneakers, are the worst for floors. Tiny pebbles can become embedded in the sole, and cause lots of damage to even the best of floors. Popcorn, or dried beans/peas are hard on floors. If spilled, and then walked on, they can make tiny impressions. Pets, too. Especially if their nails aren't kept trimmed. I can't imagine anyone pulling out a heavy fridge without protecting the floor, no matter what kind of floor. One of the most important things for wood floors is to keep them swept, or vacuumed. I hope have a happy resolution to your problem. Good luck.

I've only posted a little about my dad and Sm. Basically I have not heard from my dad (who works 15 minutes from me and lives an hour from me) Ina year and a half. He is too busy helping exboyfriend of my youngest halfbrother who now is HIVpositive to actually think about his 5 children he created. He is 'mad' at me because I asked my stepdad to walk me down the aisle at my wedding. Although I told my dad my plans since my sdad raised me -- included him and sm in all events: rehearsal dinner, they both received flowers with the parents and grandma's, Sm was escorted down the aisle with the parents. We did everything to include them except my sdad was with me and did the speech, father daughter dance, ect. My Sm came up to me at the reception and told me that she thought I needed to dance with my dad, I said 'sure where is he!' she said I don't know but you should go find him and tell him you want to dance. (why couldn't he ask ME to dance, afterall I was the bride and I was a bit busy to search down my dad in the smoking area of the patio). Then she tells me close to the end how hurt my dad is that I didn't include him, then goes on to tell me how there are two sides to a story and that I should ask him his side so I could understand why he wasn't around. (I think I know why, the birthdate of his fourth child precedes his divorce with my mom) but who's keeping score on a 25 yr divorce?? Apparently he is. Then in the video of the ceremony, she wouldn't even look at me coming down the aisle, she kept her back to me the entire time. Then at the reception, she apparently was telling my DH's aunts and uncles (whom they sat with at dinner) how my dad was forced out of our lives and that he Loves his kids blah blah... Not only did they tell me this the next day at breakfast but she was sitting right next to the camera!! Then I hear from friends and co workers how she was introducing herself as the 'black sheep of the family'. Inserting herself ... Meaning, I already had her as a friend on fb a couple of years ago and I deleted her when she was taking my family pictures from my page, cropping out whomever she didn't want in them and then putting them in her albums on FB. Also, apparently she copied pics from all three of our pics and then printed them, put them in frames at her house (my sister told me this last time she went over). She as met my brother once at my wedding. Never met him before nor has she seen him since ... She is a friend of his on fb. She tells him on ALL of his status updates 'we love you so much! We miss you!' He is kind of weirded out by it but isn't sure what to do other than delete it after a few days... Sorry to hijack. Had to explain. She puts herself in the middle of our family constantly but my dad doesn't even TRY to have a relationship with us. I have tried many times but he never calls, always says 'I called you and left a message' apparently all of our phones delete his calls and his messages. My sister was 'missing' one night. She was OK in the end but we were all a little freaked by it at the time. So I texted him ' heard from? Just trying to locate her?' he wrote back 'nope let me know if she turns up' and he is in law enforcement. So is my sister. For neighboring towns and I felt like he could have 'called around'. He said he didn't think about that a the time. He is pitiful and his wife just drives me nuts all the time. She threw a tempertrum about my baby shower and bridal shower because SHE wanted to help host. Well we are not close. They have been marred for 10 years, maybe 11. And for most of it, I have not known her. Her own son won't have anything to do with her for the same reasons. What really annoys me is when she will text us and remind us of our father's bday 'don't forget your dad on his bday or fathers day. I know he didn't raise you but still your dad.' well lady! He isn't my dad he walked out on me and never looked back until I was an adult and he didn't have to take care of me. Why dont you remind HIM of MY bday because I think he might have forgotten the date... Since it's been 13 years since he wished me a happy bday and it was 10 yrs before that!! That's what I mean. Inserting.