That is weird. in your post tile "garden" is an ad too? I wonder if it will be if I type it. plants garden ... testing. I know what you mean about the heat. I have so much work to do and it isnÂt the fun stuff. It is clearing out brush and there is so much poison ivy it is crazy. I keep digging it out but between that and the insane amount of mosquitoÂs this year! Ahhhhh! If you want someone to come and volunteer to thin out your plants I would love to give them a home. My yard looks awful but not awful over grown awful bare. And the parts that are overgrown I am working to make bare.

I finally got to read your whole post. I bet you are feeling like tearing your hair out because she sure doesn't seem to value your time or that you have other things to do. I am so sorry. My dad will be 91 in July and had hip/femur surgery in November and, sadly, it just hasn't healed. The next step is a partial hip replacement with a titanium rod inserted in the femur. What I have noticed is that on the days he has pain he can't seem to hand me his lunch or dinner plate or mail in order for me to clean up. I think it is a mental decision that they can't do the simplest of things. I think contacting any senior centers or any senior programs available through government services might be a great start. There are organizations that will take your mom grocery shopping or to appointments if they are fairly local. Some charge, some take donations and some are totally free. Many grocery stores have online ordering and will deliver to her home for a fee. That could be a lifesaver for sure. Do insist on being in charge of her calendar or you won't be able to attend or drive. She cannot make decisions for you when you are the ride. Let us know what you have decided to do and know that we all support you and most have gone through (or are going through) similar situations. The is a great place to vent! Robyn

Dear: I don't know how religious you are, but even The God of the Bible had His limits. He would give a person, a family/tribe, or a Nation so many chances and then turn them lose to follow after their own way. In the 1980's a wave of personal responsibility went through the US encouraging parents of "children" with addictions, habits, or irresponsibility to mature-up/harden -up/straighten-up and let the individual pursue their lifestyle choices far enough away that their choices were no longer a concern in the mature person's daily life routine. It was called the "Tough Love" movement. Alcoholics Anonymous has a term called an ENABLER. This means you are making it easier for a person to continue in their bad choices, by protecting their health/safety more then they themselves does, covering for them to others, making excuses for their behavior, and providing a safe/comfortable place for them to practice their unhealthy choices. You might have slipped from helping to Enabling. The only way to stop being an Enabler is to follow the age old practice of "Tough Love". Then you can begin to live your life. There are better plans in life for you then to be an Enabler. I've grown up hearing the old saying: Life can not work on the person inside until the people outside let them stand on their own. It's time to stop fixing someone's life who refuses to fix their own and time to start living yours Hope you love the one who stands beside you more then you do the one who drags you down.

My dad is super picky, but he loves beets, carrots and squash, all of which can sub rather easily for potatoes and are great roasted. Turnips are good roasted too, they aren't as bitter that way. I also love rutabagas, lightly steamed and then mashed with salt, butter and lots of pepper. You might try rutabaga on your family. They look ugly as sin in the grocery store, but just take a sharp knife, peel away the ugliness to reveal the peachy goodness underneath, steam in a pot with a small amount of boiling water (DON'T OVERCOOK), then drain, mash with small amount of butter and season to taste. If you don't overcook them they have a mild flavor. My dad likes the frozen mashed butternut squash as a side dish, and like I said, he's the world's pickiest eater so if he'll eat it it must be tolerable to most. I find it insipid and like my butternut squash peeled and roasted. But being of northern European descent, there's hardly a root vegetable I'm not enamoured with. I even like parsnips. Here's another recipe you can make and keep the leftovers for reheating and to add to other dishes. Roasted Root Vegetables - from my friend Bev. B. Feel free to leave out veggies you don't like, just sub more of the ones you do like. 2 lb. carrots - peeled and chunked 3 turnips - chunked 2-3 sweet potatoes (recipe calls for white ones but I like both kinds roasted. As far as I know, sweet potatoes are not in the nightshade family, but if I'm wrong, leave out. If you want to use them, peel and chunk) 1 med. rutabaga (or butternut squash, or both), peeled and chunked 4-8 parsnips, peeled and chunked 1 lg. yellow or red onion, cut into large chunks 3 med. beets (optional) Either steam and rinse under cold water to peel, or just peel with a veg. peeler. Cut into chunks. As to the size of the "chunks" about 1" square is the smallest I would go with. Mine are about 2 inches. Depends on your taste for the presentation. I like my chunks bite sized, but you can do this with bigger chunks that then need to be cut up to eat. Because the beets bleed and stain the other veggies, do them in a separate small pan. Sauce: 1 cup lowfat chicken broth (or veggie broth. can use less) 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tsp. ground rosemary 1 tsp. sugar or maple syrup (I think I use more like 1 TBLSP, but that's because I also use some balsamic vinegar in the sauce). Mix together until blended. I also add 1 TBLSP tamari, some sea salt to taste, and ground pepper. Also sometimes 1 TBLSP red wine or a splash of balsamic vinegar. Place veggies in a 9x13 inch roasting pan (or larger). Pour sauce over veggies and stir to mix. Frankly, I don't mix up the sauce separately. I chunk up the veggies, put them in my steel roaster, dump the sauce ingredients over them, and then stir them to mix before putting in the oven. I've made these in pyrex baking dishes and nonstick coated aluminum pans too. My steel roaster is the best but the others are still good. Roast at 375 degrees uncovered for 1 hour. Check after 30 min. stir if veggies are drying out. Check again after 1 hour, may need to go a little longer if veggies are not done. Stir occasionally to redistribute the sauce. Don't stir too much though, or your veggies will turn to mush. Can cover with foil at the end if it is drying out too much, and/or add a little water. This freezes pretty good. Can use these veggies later in salads or casseroles or soups.