My 4 year old son gives roses to his teacher at Valentines day. I go to Costco and pick up a bunch of roses. I then put each rose in a plastic tube with water. I get clear plastic wrap (sold in wrapping paper section at Target, etc.) and cut a large square. I lay a colored tissue paper to match on top of the plastic. (Make sure your roses are not wet or the color of the tissue paper will run.) Lay the rose in the center. Fold one side over, the bottom up and the final side over and around. Tie with ribbon. Attach a card. Hope this makes sense. Michaels Craft Store sells the little plastic tubes you can fill with water. But are a touch expensive without the 40% off coupon. I like the idea about approaching a florist...tell them you are a school teacher and they will likely sell them to you for cheap. All these supplies can be bought for cheap but in bulk at a florist supply store. But to get the wholesale price you would need a resale license. Maybe a freind has one.

Kristi, Congratulations..maybe you could plan ahead (when is this talk anyway) and have some seedlings ready to give away..might be a treat as well as full size bulbs..just a thought, I'm sure whatever you do it will be successful.. Donna

Just looked up Habitat - what a good idea. None in good old MA. WHere dod you see Peel and Stick? I didn't find anything that appealed to me at the Depot or Lowes, but I have to get some, like, now. Where else can I find some. Simple ones - like they're not there... There's also the issue of our current floor - in good enough condition to lay on top of, thank goodnes, but it's going to be higher than the thresholds with something new. Looks like there's 3 floors down there already!

Melanie, follow your instincts. If this dog is too much for you, then talk to a rescue organization by all means. You have not failed this dog, this dog may have some big, BIG problems that you are not prepared to deal with. JRTs are a great breed, but there is a huge span of personality and temperement in the breed. I know first-hand, because I have had them for many years, but I had to give one up to Russell Rescue due to escalating, terrifyingly violent aggression against my other dogs (including her own mother.) It really came down to the commitment I had made to the oldest dog 12 years ago when I adopted her - I just could not allow the attacks to continue, because one of them was inevitably going to be fatal. We went the whole route when the problems began, from weekly visits from a dog trainer recommended by our vet for aggression problems (with much homework in between visits), to medication (which did not help), to dividing the house with baby gates - with the constant risk that one moment of inattention would launch another savage attack. At one point, the troublemaker was in her crate, and got herself so worked up into a rage that she got the OTHER TWO to start fighting on their own, just by watching her. It really was h*ll on earth for many months. It all came to a head one day when my boss took me into his office, shut the door, and said, "I'm really disappointed in your performance lately." I started crying, and it all came out - living in a war zone - the tension, the stress, the disturbed sleep, the fatigue, the arguments, the guilt, the fear, the disappointment, the injuries to the old dog (a trip to the emergency vet with a torn jugular once, a ripped eyelid another time.) My boss was really understanding, but it all suddenly became crystal-clear to me what this situation was doing to all of us, and I understood that it was time to move on. After much soul-searching, tears, and long talks with my wonderful vet, we were THIS close to putting her down (we had literally dug her grave anticipating taking her in to the vet the next morning), when Rescue called back on a Sunday night with a temporary placement, fully understanding all of the dog's problems. The Rescue people were absolutely terrific. The last I saw of my beloved pup (the dog whose birth I'd witnessed, the dog I thought I'd grow old with) was seeing her sitting on the Rescue person's lap exchanging kisses after a parking lot hand-off. Within a few weeks, they placed her with a family out of state who had experience with the breed, had lost their own aged JRT, had a fully JRT-proof backyard, and fully understood the behavioral problems. Last I heard it was working out great. Like Migo, mine was a fabulous buddy and just adored people, but could not tolerate another dog. Serious aggression between dogs is terrifying and unmistakable - it is NOT playing - not even aggressive playing. Your comment about your other dog screaming gave me chills - I remember that sound so well. Do what you have to do to protect all of the other animals to whom you have made a commitment, and do the best you can by Migo. You're not a failure - everything you've written shows that you are a sensitive and responsible dog-lover, and you need to be strong and do the right thing for everyone concerned. Best of luck, Susan