Hi, Myrtle Oak! Yes, it was me, Red_Bird, that asked about the osmanthus fragrans. (Great memory, Brandon!) Thanks for the nudge. I will write you directly today via the formum email.

I found this persons' book at the library (Sweet Poison). I stopped using artificial sweeteners after reading it. You may find the authors website helpful! "Janet Starr Hull has a very diverse background with academic degrees and experience in geology, international geography, environmental science, fitness training and nutrition. She is an OSHA Certified Environmental Hazardous Waste Emergency Response Specialist and Toxicologist, a former firefighter and college professor. In 1991, Dr. Hull had an unexpected change in career after she was diagnosed with âincurableâ Graveâs Disease. Through diligent research and her thorough understanding of toxicity, she later discovered her âGraveâs Diseaseâ was actually aspartame poisoning. She has since worked to inform consumers about the health dangers of artificial sweeteners." An Aspartame Detoxification Program www.janethull.com/about/index.php

I, very much, enjoyed the post and all of her posts!! I also have a home I wouldn't have necessarily chosen for myself- a converted barn. And have battles with the husband over trying to not make it look like a lodge in CO. It does have lots of wood. Cost won out on not having wood walls vs sheet rock. But, we do have a lake house with NOTHING but wood. And when I get around to tackling that-I'm using this as my inspiration. Plan on getting slip covered IKEA sofas in white/cream.

Outside Playing, that's a great point. When I had my DNA tested it provided valuable information, including several specific drugs that could prove useless to me. So much expert advice on health and diet consists of generalizations, failing to take individual differences into account. Annie, another great point about the history of reluctance to adopt anesthesia. Medicine has a long history of resisting change. My favorite--and saddest--example of this is Ignaz Semmelweis, the Hungarian doctor who was so vilified for his contention that women were dying in childbirth because doctors and midwives were passing germs from one patient to another. The simple advice to wash their hands had the medical community in an uproar, and they were brutal to him. When I was six years old my adenoids were destroyed by radiation--intentionally, because at the time doctors were convinced that radiation was safer than surgery. Big mistake, but my parents were told they were doing the best for me. Whenever I think of that, I wonder what currently popular procedure or prescription might be regretted at some point.