Anyone still willing to adopt a zone 5 newbie? Just signed up a few days ago. This is my first post. Here's my story. I'm a single mom of 2 hyperactive, possibly autistic spectrum 4yo's. They are so hyper that they can't sleep and wake me 5-6 times per night. They are literally my miracle babies and the joy of my life, however, how I manage to function and keep a job is sometimes beyond me and totally a matter of faith. Their therapies and special therapy equipment are expensive & insurance keeps cutting coverage. I've struggled to find a daycare that will accept them and provide the individualized care that their disabilities require. I've fought the school district to get adequate early intervention services...it's a daily battle. My nearest family member is 1500 miles away so nobody I can count on for regular assistance...even to watch the kids while I go to the grocery store where I can't take the kids anymore because it triggers more hyperactivity. Gardening is one of my "keep your sanity" tools. In the summer I wake at the crack of dawn before the kids so that I can go out to quietly dig for just a few minutes. In the winter I dream through gardening books while the kids are watching their favorite video for the 1000th time. I've lived in my present house for 12 years, much of it trying to learn how to adapt my gardening from Western WA climate to Northern CO climate- experimenting to learn what plants survive here and so on. The house was an old farm house with nothing but prairie grass and 4 mature trees. I had to install a sprinkler system if I ever had a chance of buying a plant and it surviving in this dry climate. I had an old well on the property which is OK to use for irrigation. 4 yrs ago I finally had a landscape plan drawn up but when I priced landscape installation (mind you I just needed someone to do the heavy work or "set the bones" of the garden) the cost was astronomical. I'm talking $10k just for soil prep! $40k for the landscape w/o fencing or plants! So, I hiring a friend to work a few hours/week after his day job. He is trying to support a family of 7 on My next sticker shock...I went to the nursery looking for plants and shrubs....Holy Cow! I'm in the wrong business! Ever since I've been looking for cuttings, seeds, seedlings that have weeded themselves under shrubs, and anyone who needs help dividing perennials. I have a few things to trade...see my lists. I would joyfully welcome being adopted by a zone 5 gardener with lots of perennials that need thinning. And thanks emmaelice for being so thoughtful to start this thread! Blessings, Debra

I gave her another dose of the probiotics today. And of course her doses of Maalox and boy is she getting pi$$y....lol Her entire attidude is 'yes, you are trying to poison me, if one thing doesn't work you'll try another right?" She's beginning to finally shed off...which is a good thing. It's actually the fact that she hadn't shed off that made me notice her not well over two months ago. Donkey's shed off really late but she was way behind the others. I brushed her for an hour or so tonight and she's loving that. I got the beet shreds. That's the only thing they had. When I opened the bag I new immediately it was going to be a trial to get her to eat it. It has added molasses. I put some in a large zip lock and added water and it really smelled good. Actualy after reading the article you sent the link for, as a diabetic I think I've found the perfect food for me! lol Tonight she ate about 2 cups of whole corn. She refused, Horse and Mule, alfala cubes, ground corn, and of course the beet pulp. I added half a cup of molasses to the batch I have soaking tonight and added some crushed alfala cubes. She's still eating hay very good and I'm happy with that. And the corn is okay according to vet, a little high in protein but he said as long as she's still eating the hay in good amounts it won't hurt. but it would be really nice to get her to eat the beet pulp. We have cows and our feeder steer is getting all of her rejects. So at least it's going somewhere that will do some good. I truly enjoyed the article you linked. A lot of good information. And a great chuckle about Willam. We've raised a squirrel and I know just what she's going through. Our Rocky did finally go to the wild but returned for a few years to be fed grapes... thanks, arkiema

Gandle, I hope you feel better soon. I'm in the trenches with you. "Barking like a seal" -- perfect description. My doctor thinks I have Whooping Cough or Walking Pneumonia. (I thought we'd retired Whooping Cough years ago, but apparently it's on the rise again.) So I'm on antibiotics, probiotics, and Robitussin. And staying away from the madding crowd, working from home. Getting some filing done. Being amazed by how many hours per day the cat actually sleeps. Sometimes when the coughing spasms end there are tears streaming down my face, my nose is running, and it seems like my entire upper body is going all guns to get rid of all its moisture at once. I find it's easier to sleep propped up by a whole bunch of pillows. My doctor also "prescribed" humor: "watch a funny movie," she said. So I'm getting Netflix to send me "Greenfingers," "Ball of Fire," and "Creature Comforts - Season 1."

Thanks, suzie, he is 11. I don't think it's life-threatening or anything, it has just left him sort of tired and run-down. The good thing is, he is a kid and has more free time than us to rest and recover.