Hi Jen, I didn't know you wanted to grow slipper gloxes. I have had them on and off for years. The best way to get them is to grow them from seed. That was how I started with gloxinias back in the early 70's. My mom got a packet of Tigrida strain gloxinias as the free packet with an order from Parks. She grew them and had about 70 pots (these weren't slipper types though). So, after the summer, she boxed up the tubers from Chicago and mailed them to me in Berkeley. At the time I had greenhouse access at the university, so I, quite the neophyte, potted them up and put them on the benches to sell. They sprouted from the tubers and also grew very well from broken leaves or crowns. So, I did sell a few, driving around to a few plant stores, but mostly I grew them and eventually took them home. I don't have any of those originals now, though I think I might have some plants that still have some tigrida in them. Anyway, the slipper form is the orginal species form of speciosa. Sometime in the late 19th century, the peloric form was discovered and hybrids have emphasized this form ever since. But, all along, there were slipper gloxinias still being grown. They just sort of died out in the trade. AGGS does have quite a few different strains of Florist Gloxinias or natural collections of Sinningia speciosa that are slipper form. All of the natural forms of speciosa are slipper types and then there are the ones Komi mentioned. Plus the 'California Mini's' are a dwarf strain that contains both slippers, semi-pelorics and peloric small growing gloxinias. One of the parents of this strain is a very nice mini slipper with very dark purple flowers, called 'Elvira', which I still have. In fact I just found the plant outside on Friday. It is quite small, having survived outdoors all winter. But, I will put down leaves pronto! I have been doing a poor job with my speciosas for a long time. But, I will look around and see what's still alive and get cuttings down for you. From seed, you can have blooming plants in as little as six months. All parts of the plant will propagate from cuttings very easily, and seed is very easy to set. They are propagating fools. Jon

Depending on your situation, this may be a little tricky. The powers you're talking about typically come into play when the person who granted them is "unable or unwilling" to act on their own behalf. (Or some such language.) What that means is that, if your sister is considered legally competent, her instructions will override yours notwithstanding the documents -- if she chooses to assert them. As you may imagine, that is not something you want service-providers to have to sort out on-the-spot. How are they to judge whether or not she's competent? Terrible spot for them to be in. In many situations, this works very well. Between myself and the person for whom I hold such powers, it's perfect. This person conducts all their own affairs at all times. However, I pay the bills, write the checks, etc., and their bank and doctors know my directives can be relied upon if they're confused or unclear in their presentation. (That has happened countless times.) What my charge can do, they do. What they choose not to, I do on their behalf. However, they're still competent. Their competent instructions trump my "powers" if push comes to shove. I don't know if its possible for a competent person to simply grant such irrevocable powers to another without legal guardianship being appointed. However, that does sound like a simple question that any lawyer would answer quickly and for free. If so, that would be the way to have the documents executed. From what you have said, it seems to me you should have guardianship -- which will make you responsible at all times and the documents enforceable at all times -- regardless of what your sister may assert. Guardianships are granted by courts. They're a nuisance, but otherwise pretty easy assuming no objection from your sister. If your sister does object, then you're talking about competency hearings which can become very troublesome.

What Tina says about guardianship being a pain is true. But I was just trying to illustrate that there is a process to deal with these issues if someone does not have all their legal ducks in a row before they become incompetent to do it themselves. It is not insurmountable and just knowing what is out there can sometimes take some of the pressure off of trying to figure out what to do. There are other things to consider and that is mostly if there is other family that is going to interfere or care what is being done. As long as you are honest and acting in their best interest, it is possible to take some liberties with what is spelled out in a poa. I cared for an elderly aunt and a cousin with dementia for a few years. I had a durable poa on both and didn't need a special medical one because the one I had included medical. The biggest problems were with banks and with investment companies. I was homicidal a few times over trying to do things even with a valid poa. I finally got to a point that I had to have my incompetent cousin sign things because I was sick of the hassle. A couple of times I had to pretend I was my aunt on the phone because there was no other way to get things done (like problem solving electronic banking problems). Also the IRS doesn't recognize a poa - they have their own forms for permission to sign tax forms. Well, sorry, but it was too late to get that form signed by the time I learned that. So I just signed for them both and luckily was never audited for it. Social Security also was a problem when I wanted to change banks for their direct deposit (to a bank that had a branch in my community). They required me to become a protective payee and I would have had to file reports on all their expenses periodically. Taking care of all this business was almost a full time job and there was no way I was adding that to my plate, so I left as it was. It is a lot of responsibility and I'm sorry you are having to go through it. Your parents are very lucky to have you willing and able to do it. Really, do check into free legal services for them. Legal Aid attorneys are the cream of the crop and will do right by them. And this is a reminder to the rest of us, regardless of age or health, to have these forms in place. You never know when a car accident or health problem may make them necessary.

Take it from one who learned the hard way..absolutely do not trust any off the shelf Power of Attorney or Will, whether you get it in a RediForm package at a stationary store or offline. Nearly every state and sometimes local jurisdictions within a state all have their own format, language & requirements for what constitutes a bona fide will. When my grand dad died we all knew he had made a will and filed it with the local probate court, so we thought things would go smooth, yea,,right! First off, he had made the will using an off the shelf "will kit" that was available through the local newspaper publisher however on that form he only had to put his Last Name, First Name & Middle Initial, but the court required the full middle name. The court approved form also required the full first last and middle names of both of his parents, neither of which were listed on Grandads will. Grandads form listed the complete address where he was residing when he made out the will, but it did not list where he was born, another no no. Grandad had 12 children and all but one had left the farm and took up trades or businesses of their own. The one remaining son, Charley, stayed on and worked the farm with Grandad and it was assumed by all the children that when Grandad passed the farm would go to Charley. Well, sure enough, when they read the will it said Charley was to inherit the farm with title to all lands & chattel and the remaining children were to receive a cash payment of $1,000 within one year of grandads demise. Wrong-- The will said "All remaining children", but the state said that all the children had to be named individually. Per the instructions in the will kit, Grandad had the document certified by Notary Public, but the court said it had to be a court recognized "Notary Public" at the courthouse. The will form had provision for one person to sign as a witness in addition to the Notary Publics signature & Seal, but the court requires two witnesses who have to testify that they have personal recognition of the individual named in the will plus the notaries signature and stamp. As a consequence, it took over 4 years and numerous trips to court to finally settle the estate. At the final settlement hearing all the children had to be present in the court, and they all had to swear an oath that they would accept the terms of the will as originally specified by Grandad. (Keep in mind that while this was happening in N.E. Ohio two of the children lived in Michigan, one in Florida and one in Texas.) Now comes the clincher, When Grandad bought the farm in the early 1920's he not only got land & water rights, but his original land deed also included game & mineral rights. About three years before Grandad died they had drilled a natural gas well on the farm, but shortly after drilling the well it was capped off and basically forgotten, except of course for the unlimited supply of natural gas for the house, barn and outbuildings on the farm, including 12 gas pole lights along the lane and in the barn yard. Now here it is 30 years later and the Gas Company wants to tie into that well, but the mineral rights were not listed in Grandads will so they have been back and forth to court another dozen or so times trying to figure out who actually owns the mineral rights? Take my word for it, you can probably save a few bucks getting a will kit from a stationary store or offline, but in the end, using an attorney will prove to be the cheapests and easiest method.