So many interesting websites, to get inspired by, these days. I loved the Oudolf site as well. I wish I had room to put in a truly huge mass planting, and still be the plant collector I find myself to be. Maybe some day I`ll be able to do that. In the meantime, it is wonderful to live vicariously through others and their gardens. I agree, Gottagarden`s gardens are inspiring. The red garden she posted in 06 has always been a favourite of mine. I wish I had the space. Hmmm, I say that a lot. :) I just bought hot Papaya Echinacea and love it. I`m sure she`d approve. :) Gottagarden`s picasa site Yeona Here is a link that might be useful: Gottagarden`s red garden

Affection grows when you share activities. Sometimes you join their world and play CandyLand and video games. But it's just as valuable to teach them about your adult world like SteveJackson does: sharing a love of gardening and crossword puzzles. Kids love being let into the 'secret world' of adults. Share what's special to you, no matter what it is, is valuable and appreciated. I have a neighbor who collects military uniforms from the civil war on, specializing in WWII uniforms. You'd think that'd be boring, but his enthusiasm makes it fun for his grandchildren, and it makes him different from every other grandfather in the world. I had one grandmother who painted china. She loved it and shared it with me. I loved the smell of the paints and the tubes of powdered colors and smearing the paint on china. It never became my thing, but I loved doing it with her. Great memories. The other grandmother read books and redecorated her house over and over. She shared her current reading with me, drawing me up to her level, never talking down to me about the adult reading matter but finding ways to make whatever she was reading interesting. And she showed me paint samples and swatches and discussed them with me like I was an adult. That's the thing, sharing your hobby like the child was an adult. The painting grandma would get on the floor and play games and go swimming and be silly with us. The reading grandma NEVER, but she showed us how the organ worked with all the weird buttons that made strange sounds and even on rare occasions let us push some keys. Painting grandma was warm and laughing; reading grandma was reserved and introverted; I doubt she ever hugged me or even held my hand my whole life and I am certain she never once kissed me. I adored them both. I have wonderful memories of both. Painting grandma was my father's mother and we saw her less. Reserved grandma lived around the corner. Their best gifts were sharing themselves and being interested in whatever interested me. Share what you love most--it opens your grandchild's world and they will never forget it.

I fully agree with this statement. We take everyday that we get to share with our grandson as memories that are special to each of us and that can never be taken away and/or changed.

I've never heard that "SWAN" but really that's it! They nickname it "Happy to Starve" in gastro school (per my gastroenteroligist) And many call it "Putnam's Syndome" but that's just a nick name as well given that Dr. Putnam has spent so much time analzying kids with this problem. They tell me it's a great deal like when you're told your child has died of SIDS. There is always a reason children die, but systemically they can't find the reason and so you get SIDS. With us, we got Putnam's or SWAN I guess (Dr Putnam is our doctor as well) :o( Eating disorders normally happen with children who have special needs, like autistic children, children with brain disorders, etc., but we don't have any of those problems so the fun part of this is dealing with insurance companies for treatment, when he has no official disease (his actuall diagnosis is Fail to Thrive without reason). The insurance companies seem to want him to go ahead and "Fail" and we insist that isn't the route we want to go. I learned abut the Kennedy Kreiger clinic on feeding disorders and while reading realized they were describing my child to a T! They do work with kids with much more significant issues involved in their eating problems (ie cleft pallet or inability to swallow etc) but they also have a place for the Jesse's of the world who just won't eat because it hurts. Somehow we need to figure out why it hurts before we begin treatment....that's the hard part. But fortunately we're going to do more poop testing first, instead of anything that will hurt him. Thanks for SWAN. I'm going to have to keep that on the tip of my tongue because I'm tired of having to explain this over and over and over to people who want to hear a name fancier than "Happy to Starve" (Which actually fits him to a T as well)