Great picture! I love how everyday things when photographed on their own, seem to take on a new life!

Thanks everyone. I think I might forego any assigned seating at all - there will be no wedding party, and the only parents left between the two of us are my mom & stepmom. My two moms might feel awkward being stuck at the same table, and choosing one to sit with me would hurt the other's feelings. I also suspect that I won't sit in any one place for long. Lots of circulating (and too nervous to sit still anyway), maybe I'll grab a salad plate & eat that somewhere, then get some lasagne and have that somewhere else, then a piece of cake at another table... Good point about not everyone eating at once. That's kind of how I imagine it. Gellchom, you bring up something I hadn't thought of - someone clearing tables. We've had a good number of parties at my dad's place (he died at the end of last summer, and I can't help but think of it still as his place), and generally, we just have a few large trash cans so guests can clear their own places. Is that really tacky to do for a wedding? I think there will probably be between 100 & 150 guests at the wedding, but that includes some babies & very young children. I just came up with another (unrelated) question about his/my families. Will start a new thread. Thank you again. Carrie

I guess I've been very lucky as I've never had mildew. Must that they're mostly outside in the fresh air, same thing with Lucerna which I know is usually a mildew magnet. I'm not sure I heard about Brad passing, might have if it was years ago and I've just forgotten. I obtained a plant of cane White Ice this summer and noticed this evening it is on the cover of a 2005 Begonian issue with hybridizing credit going to a Charles McGough. This name rings a small bell, do you know where he lives and anything about his hybrids? Caribbean King continues to amaze me with its size, strength and durability. Several have rooted in the ground thru drain holes and become very large, sprawling rhizomes rooting directly in the ground. Next spring I'll find a place in the ground for popenoei as I'm tired of moving it to ever-larger pots, I'll take a chance on freezes. I do love these big rhizomatous types, in spite of the room they require. Thanks, Russ

I have a relative who is LGBT. I am not yet sure what she actually identifies as. It's not important to me. When I first met her she had not yet changed her name to a "male" name but closer blood family relatives were starting to call her by her future name. So I simply asked her what her preference was. She told me and I immediately began to call her by the new name that she has since legalized. You will notice I continue to say she. Well that's because she is a she. She is a loving daughter, a sister, an aunt, a grand daughter and a niece. She may dress in male clothes,occasionally binding her breasts, but as long as she has girl parts she is a she. So far she has not stated any desire for any surgery or hormonal treatments. She is in a healthy, monogamous relationship with another woman. I am happy for her. That is all that matters. Should she decide in the future to actually change her gender physically ( a sex change) she will still be that DD,DGD, DN, DS and DSIL. But the pronoun will become he/him. I raised my own children to be gender neutral. DS had dolls and DD had trucks and building toys. I had the same outcome as another poster. A very masculine DS and a DD who grew into a strong, self assured woman. Grands are the same. Little GD is a fashion diva who loves vehicles and rough- housing. Little GS loves on dolls and soft toys but there is no doubt he is all boy when it comes to fantasy play. Bang-bang you're dead gramma. LOL