Right-o to what everybody else says. I never plant my roses more than two deep, and then only if I can access the bed from both sides. You need to be able to get at them. I heartily agree with madgallica that you need other plants besides roses. Spring bulbs are wonderful under roses. Plant some clematis to scramble among the roses and bloom in the summer. Get something evergreen for winter--a columnar yew? how does box do in your area? Other shrubs for variety of foliage and bloom and fruit, for fall color: viburnums and barberry offer possibilities. Late summer flowers, perhaps Japanese anemones or dahlias. If you offer room to these other plants, I think that in the long run you will find that your garden will be more beautiful and more interesting over a longer period. If it were me I'd eliminate some of the doubles, but that's my style--well, all of this is--and not necessarily yours. Melissa

You may be past the point of decision, but I thought I'd chime in just in case. I am also growing out my hair, and I was a hairdresser for twenty years. Growing out is almost always a pain. My suggestion is if you have gone this far, hang in there. You can always cut it later if you decide it isn't what you thought it would be. About style. I've done the short bob thing like you are doing in the past and this time I have been keeping it in long layers as the top grows out. I have found this MUCH easier to deal with that a really short bob, and as soon as I had a little ponytail I started clipping it up. For awhile I flipped it out and now it is long enought to flip or go under. This is in part due to the fact that I look rotten in a short bob and much better with layering. I just want to say I will never have short hair again. I'll be a little old lady with a bun :-) You can get a short look with putting it up especially if you have layers around the front...well, not quite the same, but I love the practicallity of putting it up. About those bangs... A small amount left long and swept to the side is in. No POOFY bangs. I add that because of your age. I am 44 and had "big" hair and it was hard getting away from it :-) All that being said...there are some people that just look great with short hair, and if you are one of them and it makes you happy go for it. I have to say I love feeling more girrly with it a little longer though. Everyone always told me my short hair looked great too, but I like it longer! As far as flattness, some of that may have to do with your style in the past and what you are use to. Kind of like when you stop getting perms! I have found that as my hair grows out I really like using velcro rollers and a heat set spray. After spraying get the velcros really hot with the hairdryer and then let them cool completely. This will give you MUCH more volume and may even be too big at first. You just have to play with the roller size and placement and see what works for you. This works great for me at this point, and lasts all day if I use a little Paul Mitchell Freeze and Shine in it (it holds but you can still run your fingers through it when dry to break up the frozen hair look. Heat sets sprays are different and you may have to experiment with your hair to find the best one for your style. Remember that when you set hair do it in a similar manner that you dry...for example if you hold the hair up in the crown, or pull the top forward set it the same. This will give you the fullness.

I won't comment much on this woman's situation as I don't know the details. What I will comment on is how it really disturbs me to see the occasional misuse of the system get prime coverage. It casts a negative pall over what is a godsend to a great many people--the ability to have children when reproductive failures occur. This woman is well past the age of acceptance for most (all?) American clinics, but managed to sneak through the system by being dishonest. Unfortunately, in many people's minds it then becomes wrong for clinics to offer such services at all. It leads to attempts to limit or eliminate certain fertility treatments (current push for this in Virginia, among other states). I do feel it was wrong of this woman to lie, and I think 67 is too old. However, I don't claim to know how to determine what age clinics should use as the cutoff for such IVF procedures, nor am I really qualified to judge this woman's actions. We all age so differently, both internally and externally. I am way outside the norm, having had a completely natural (and surprise) pg and birth at age 44. Wishing to give our dd a sibling, we tried again and were successful--until a m/c ended our hopes. And again. And again. And so on. So we turned to a fertility clinic and got our beautiful twins, born when I was 47. Was it morally wrong? I don't think so, but others would disagree. I don't think any of us can really judge such a thing for another. In all honesty, I think the woman in question did not act in the best interests of her children-to-be. My own opinion is that one must be honest and act in the best interests of ALL parties involved. If she feels she did that, then I won't nay-say her, though I admit to doubts :)

Stray cats in particular need kitten food before birth of their kittens. Feeding Your Own Pregnant Cat If your cat is already on a diet of quality canned cat food, it should be safe to continue feeding her the same brand she is accustomed to for awhile. However, during the last three to four weeks, she should be switched to a nutritious canned kitten food, and continue on that regimen until after the kittens are weaned. (The kittens will then be fed the same food as mom.) In the final week of her pregnancy, try a supplement of KMR (Kitten Milk Replacement (Compare Prices), which is readily available in most pet supply stores and many supermarkets. (http://cats.about.com/od/reproduction/a/pregnant_care.htm) A commercially produced kitten formula is a good source of the extra nutrients required both during gestation and for some weeks after the birth. The additional calories and higher levels of other key nutrients are just what the mother needs. Kitten foods also have an added advantage during weaning: the litter will already have tried some of their growing-up food by copying Mum. If your cat suffers from mild food sensitivities and is fed a �delicate� formula food, there are a variety of sensitive and delicate formula kitten foods available. However, if your cat is on a specific diet for health reasons, consult your vet before making any changes. (http://www.purina.co.uk/Home/All+About+Cats/Your+New+Pet+Cat/Pregnancy+and+Birth+Cat/Feeding+During+Pregnancy+And+Nursing.htm) The queen should eat a premium adult food prior to pregnancy and for the first few weeks of pregnancy. Starting the fourth week of pregnancy, begin adding a premium kitten food to her diet. Each week, increase the amount of the kitten food, so when she is in her final week of pregnancy, she is on all kitten food. Increase the frequency of the daily meals to three or free-feed her by mid-pregnancy. She may need to eat small meals every 3-4 hours during the last week of the pregnancy, as the kittens continue to take up more room (remember that most fetal growth occurs in the last two weeks of gestation). During the last week of pregnancy and the first 3-4 weeks of lactating, she may eat 1�-2 times the amount she ate before pregnancy. As long as she is gaining a healthy amount and not becoming obese, she should receive the food. (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?c=3261&articleid=546&category=232) It is safe to feed your pregnant feline the same brand of cat food you have been feeding her before. Although this is true throughout the majority of the pregnancy, there are food diversions that you should be aware of. When your feline is on the last four weeks of pregnancy, her cat food should be changed. Whatever she�s eating, it�s time to change it to high quality kitten foods. This will ensure the proper amounts of nutrition reach both the mother and the developing kittens. Kitten Milk Replacement should be given during the last week of pregnancy. This formula can be purchased at almost any credible pet store. As for stray cats, I would recommend to start feeding them kitten food from the start of the pregnancy. The reason for this is if you have adopted a stray cat, she will be most likely malnourished and thin. She needs to regain as much energy as possible to build up her stamina and strength to provide the necessary nutrition for her unborn developing fetuses. Now you�re thinking, what are the risks for my cat during pregnancy? Well the main risk that is developed in the last stages of pregnancy, and during nursing, is a condition called eclampsia. This condition results because of a lack of calcium within the bloodstream. That�s why calcium supplements should be given to your feline friend to avoid this life threatening condition. Also make sure your cat receives quality foods and a constant fresh supply of water to combat fatigue associated with pregnancy and nursing. (http://www.petcareclub.com/articles/cat_care/pregnant_cat.php)