I just checked my baggie clematis - I had 2 from last year, 2 from this year. My last year's ones are alive and starting to put out - they are in 1 gallon pots. I am planning on leaving them there another year - am quite sure they have not filled the pot with roots but they are growing well. These little baggie things are in peat pots filled with roots so are quite tiny. The ones I just planted - HF Young is really looking nice with some very green leaves coming on - Henryi's shoots are not as far along but are alive and well. The difference is I had HF Young in the greenhouse, just put it out when we had warmer weather and sun. Henryi was in a different place and not put in the greenhouse. Tonite we will have colder weather - am going to put both in the greenhouse and give them the benefit of warmth and will take them out again when it is sunny and warm. I just ordered 7 from Brushwood's sale. I had ordered quite a few last year from Brushwood, Silver Star Vinery and Garden Crossings. All were fine looking older plants. I potted them in 3 gallon pots. I was checking them today - all but one made it. They are very healthy and will be ready to plant in the ground when I figure out where they will go. I think, even with older plants, that this year they spent in the 3 gallon pots really helped them - now they will be ready to take off. As with most things, you get what you pay for. Older plants will grow out quicker - the baggie ones are fun for me to grow and I enjoy that - but I think a year of pampering in a pot will reap benefits for later on. Have fun with them! Judith

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder" Not only is this true with kids, but when a parent is totally gone, the child can also fantasize about how wonderful the absent parent is. They can create the perfect parent in their mind if they want. I was 22 when I got together with my BF that had three kids. They were 1, 4 & 6. Their mom was on drugs and left and never came to see them but maybe once a year. I spent my 20's raising his kids without benefit of marriage and when it didn't work out, I was 29 and he wouldn't even let me talk to his kids anymore (unless I would come back to him). I had no legal rights. In a way, I spent my youthful years taking care of his kids while he worked on his career. (he went from a street deputy to detective Sergeant while I was with him, because my being there allowed him to work any shift and not worry about his kids) A house was purchased (in his name only) but I paid on it and helped with improvements but ended up walking away with nothing. (I sometimes think I was lucky to leave with my sanity intact) I get the impression that you think that you and he will have a wonderful little family, especially if the boy is calling you mom. I didn't think of that before gigglemonster said it, but if he is, I can certainly understand why BM would be jumping on you. I'm not saying she's right to, but I could understand that here's her little boy calling you mom and you are trying to make the family she was supposed to have with this 'prize' of a guy and not only that, but he's thinking the kid might forget about her. I'd be fighting mad too. My guess is that the mom is also fairly young, early 20's??? There's a lot of emotions and immaturity too that could be contributing to all the conflict. and I guarantee that she'd tell her little boy to stop calling you mom if he is. He is too young to understand why it's upsetting to anyone, he'd call you both mom if he loves you both... they don't know the difference or think about how the 'real' mom will feel. They are so innocent but that's being ruined by immature people that put him in the middle of all this conflict. I'm really sad for the little boy in this.

When I do baby rack ribs I slow cook them in a shallow pan on a rack with about a quarter of an inch to half inch of water in the bottom of the pan, cover tightly with foil. I will cook them at 325 for a couple of hours. I can fridge them or cook them on the grill right away. In your case you may want to fridge them and pull them out just before your gathering, hubby can grill them while the corn is resting. just a thought.

"Do you have a design for your Kitchen? Has it been vetted here (the Kitchens Forum)" Oh pleeeze! You act like doing it the Kitchens Forum way is the only way to get something the person will like (eye roll). No one NEEDS a kitchen designer, but they do make things a lot easier and save a lot of headaches (I am very pleased with the work of mine, but I've also known a few people who've not been as happy). No one NEEDS to get approval from anyone here, and sometimes what a Houzz poster gets is nothing but egotistical ridicule with comments that seem totally unrelated to the poster's position. Not everyone needs a "gold standard" design in order to be happy with their kitchen and use it well for decades to come. My kitchen plan was mocked and belittled when I posted it, even though I had never even asked for opinions or advice from Houzz posters on the plan (like this poster). But, on the flip side, I've gotten a lot of good advice and interesting ideas on many other subjects --- but I would never recommend anyone post layout or design device here. Answers virtually always ignore a poster's preferences and lifestyle. I certainly wouldn't ever suggest that without letting us in on their plan that they must be up a creek without a paddle.