citrusnut, My friend (who is also president of our local animal welfare group) had a collie who died from eating pork chops. She only ate a few & you would think it wouldn't matter to a dog that size. I think she said there is an enzyme they can't digest, I will check with her & find out. Karyn, Tell her to get her dog to obedience classes & quick. What would happen if the dog drug her in front of a car? You really need to be able to control your dog to keep both of you safe & a well trained dog is a much better family member. 15 to 20 minutes of training twice a day for 6 to 8 weeks is all it takes. After all the excitement last week, Abbi took a whole head of cabbage off the kitchen table & started to eat it! I have spent her entire life hiding food from her. In the past she has eaten several loaves of bread (plastic & all) & she knows how to get a full pan of food off the top of the stove without spilling much. She clamps her mouth over the edge & lifts it off, I wish I had a video of it, it's amazing. She has also figured out how to open both the oven & fridge doors but she doesn't do it very often. In her younger days, she could clear a 4 foot chain link fence (Newfs are not supposed to be able to do that). She is 9 now & slowing down & she hasn't jumped the fence for a couple years (I have an American Eskimo to do that for me now). Linda

oofasis, I totally understand where you are coming from...so much so that I had to re-read your post to remember what you said...oh yeah, you said you can't remember...I turn 58 on May 22. So.. I hear ya. Sleep has always been a problem but these last couple of years, it has been a major issue. I am sure that menopause and worrying plays a huge part in this. The loss of hormones is key. Knowing and ruminating on how you will feel the next day does not help. No one and nothing I have read has caused me to believe otherwise. It's always "fun" to be one of the older folks at work anyway, and the effects of insomnia night after night only reinforce and highlight that. Not a good thing for those of us who need and like our work. I know younger people have insomnia, as did I, but I believe it is tolerated better when one is young. I was always able to make it up. Now I am not. I sleep 3-5 interrupted hrs each night now for the last couple of years. If I get the 5, I can function. If I get less, well, you guys know how that feels. Irritable, loss of desire or ability to go beyond the simplest activities, (guess I really don't care what movies are playing after all...a new picture of my great/grand nephew...maybe tomorrow I'll have a look). This is not me. I eat right, I exercise (40 years now) regularly, I weigh 110, take vits and calcium, etc)..I am so very sick of living like this. Drs today don't give a hoot. All they think about is "Herd em in, herd em out." So forget it. They shove prescriptions across the table for Ambien, Lunesta, etc. I try none. Too afraid of having an anxiety episode. I have a restless mind, am a realist and therefore, unfortunately, not a real positive thinker. I am sure none of that helps my sleeplessness. I have taken Klonopin (a benzo) for about 15 yrs at night for help. It takes the edge off but doesn't do a thing to help me sleep thru the night. Certainly I am addicted to. it. My husband and I have both had job losses thru the years due to offshoring and it has taken the starch out of us. We have a 17 year old daughter (our only) and I have done a piss poor job with her due to my personality and mood issues due to menopause and sleeplessness. Can you imagine menopause vs puberty and PMS? It has been rocky. I try but am so tired all the time, I can't give her my best..she has seen ugly sides of me. I am always concerned about health care, money, etc. I used to have so much energy and a better attitude. Now I just feel like a zombie. Sure I feel depressed. I don't get any sleep. OK, I am rambling. My daughter is here and wants me to come upstairs...It is Mother's Day. It would be nice to have some emotion about it. Thanks to all of you for the suggestions. I have printed a lot of them and won't give up trying. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

Maybe you need to reevaluate his daytime naps. How many naps a day does he take? If two, maybe it is time to switch to one. If it is one, maybe you should shorten the nap, and put him to bed earlier. Or, you could try waking him a little earlier in the morning. I have had similar experiences with mine, and the culprit was usually a new tooth. If it isn't a tooth, I'd suggest going in there, laying him back down, return his items (be it a pacifier, blankie, stuffed animal, etc.) and walk out of the room. Don't say a word, don't turn on the light, don't make eye contact. If/when he screams when you leave, wait around 10 minutes, and repeat. Stretch the time a little longer, maybe go in a second time, but that's it. Hopefully it will only a take a few nights. Hope this helps, and you get some sleep!! Oh, try Amazon for books about getting babies to sleep. You can buy them new or used, and a lot cheaper than regular book stores! Christy Here is a link that might be useful: Books for Tired Parents

Starting from seeds is fine but it take TIME. Time is of essence. That what all the fuss about starting early to get a head start, to beat the mother nature in its own game. 1 MY living example: I started/ sowed KUMATO , on March 26Th. Today , May 1st, after 36 days it has just 3 true leaves and it is about <3" tall. I think it needs at least 15 more days to get reach a decent plant out size: That will be 51 days from sowing. This is inline with sowing 6 to 8 weeks before plant out date. Well, of course, if you have long and warm season, you can even direct sow in the garden. I have done that while gardening in GA. I have had even plants grown from cuttings much later. OTOH: what you've got to lose, : Few seeds, some time and attention and see what you'll get. It is called EXPERIMENTATION. But be prepared to have low expectations. Sey