That's one of the neat things about own root roses, Clare. As long as the variety is good that way and that type of propagation is appropriate for the climate and cultural practices, many can actually be divided like mums and other perennials after they've developed sufficiently. Many of my roses are divisions of older, own root plants I've grown. Fun stuff! Kim

April 2007 SLUGS IN PAPOU�S YARD in 2004: � In the Spring 2004 I noted one slug on one of the leaf of Sun Power in Garden 5. It was the first time ever that I became aware that there were slugs in my gardens. � After a day of heavy rain on July 16, 2004, I noted dozen of slugs all over the Sun Power and quit after removing and killing about 10 slugs. The Sun Power is infested with slugs. � Following hints by BigGuy and Gayle, I found hundred of slugs on the lawn after a rainfall. The rain has forced the slugs to come out of the ground, and they travel over the grass. � To destroy slugs, you can hand pick them and put them in a glass bottle containing about 2 inches of vinegar (acetic acid). The slugs die instantly. Liquid ammonia also is effective and even better because it creates nitrogen which plants love. � You create "slugs baits" where slugs will be attracted to. Examples: 1) a carpet left on the ground near your compost pile; 2) a thick layer of wet newspaper again left on the ground in the vicinity of the compost pile (which is away from your hosta beds); 3) use Sluggo around each hosta and slugs that make it into the garden will be attracted to the Sluggo and when they eat it they die; 4) you sink a container filled with beer level with the ground. Slugs will enter the container and will drown. This beer setup can be also near the compost pile. � After a rainfall, slugs are forced out of the ground and you can see them all over the lawn; they travel over the grass at whatever attracts them first�or the most. Eliminate these loose slugs by spot spraying the lawn with diluted ammonia. Attach a container filled with ammonia to the end of the hose and adjust the outlet so that water will mix with the ammonia in a 1 to 10 ratio approximately. This method is fast and efficient and provides nutrient to the lawn. � After a rainfall is the best time to cut the grass. Keep it short. The new lawnmower picks up the grass clippings and may also suck in the slugs that were travelling on the grass. USING AMMONIA AS A TREATMENT (Best method) Irene, here is part of an article by Bob Olsen of the American Hosta society. This was in the Hosta Journal a few years back. Larry Clemmons, an accomplished hosta grower from Dubuque, had an almost slug-free gorgeous garden last year while many of his friends from nearby towns were being overrun. Unlike the beer and lightweight chemicals they were using, Larry was spraying the hosta once a week or so with a dilute solution of plain old ammonia. The slugs hate the ammonia and the plants love the nitrogen. He uses a regular inexpensive tank and nozzle sprayer and went over and down into each plant-and he has a lot of them. He sprays the hostas with a dilute (4:1 or even weaker) solution of water and household ammonia in the evening once a week-more often in the spring or with a lot of rain. It would take him no more than two hours a week and there were almost no slug holes. The folks visiting from Iowa City which was being inundated by mollusks were astounded by his lush foliage just a few miles away and many have adopted his system. Don' Well, that should settle it. No one in their right mind would try to argue with the late hosta legend Papou. Jon

Chisue, When we were in on Tuesday, and she STILL had not been seen by her Dr, since Sat. we were not impressed. We'd asked the nurses when he'll be coming in, and they have no idea, as he does surgeries, and comes in whenever. He did come in Wed. am, and both us, and my brother tried getting info out of the nurses what he said. They wouldn't tell us. Brother lives in Toronto, and he is forceful, but even he couldn't get answers. This whole thing has been not good care from the get-go IMO. When the paramedics first got called, and he looked in her garbage pail and said. Quote !"I've never seen anything like that before!" , and her resting heart-rate was over 130, they should have taken her in. Actually, they DID say, they could take her in if she wanted, but she had to sit in a chair, and wait her turn to be seen. The only way she could be rushed to the top of the line, if it were something dreadful/death-threatening. So we should be glad that she won't be at the head of the line. AND she couldn't get a bed. The paramedics the second time we called, took her in, and stayed with her, on the stretcher. That's what we expected with the first crew.

mustangs81- Thanks for the up-date. It's been a long time since I purchased instant pudding. They must have changed the instant pudding formula if they suggest fat free milk. I'm sure it once stated to use 2% milk because I did a pumpkin pudding recipe at the public library with kids (along with reading books about pumpkins) and I had to be sure to buy 2% milk or the recipe wouldn't thicken properly. Decades ago I had a home-based business and sold whey-based milk substitute (fat-free) and it wouldn't work unless I made double-strength powdered milk (twice as much powder) - so it had more milk solids by doing that. That was a trick for making yogurt with powdered milk. I found "fixes" on-line that included reducing the amount of milk (1-1/2 cups instead of 2 cups) and adding 2 t. cornstarch. Did you try that, and if so - did it work?