Looks like an aechmea version of 'Miss Fortuna'! - well...almost? I've got one, but with greener leaves, in my shade house, yet to flower. I've also got Ae. nidulariodes x hoppii. I intend keeping them in my illusive hot house during winter - if the hot house eventuates by then - otherwise they'll prob get Sander's KKK treatment. I understand it is one of those real tropical-type broms - you know, those ones we all want to grow because the grass is greener....... Cheers, Kerry

That first cross is a stunner! I also really like the yellow with the plum-fuschia eye and thin edge- that one is as gorgeous as anything out there!

(And, you can see what a great teacher I am, Highalttransplant ;o) Seriously, I believe the trick is coordination rather than all that much "craftiness." You've got to be able to hold the little bunch of dry material in your left hand while the right hand winds the wire around both the bunch and the base at the same time you are keeping what you've already got on the base in place. I've got to use 2 XL hands, a knee, and my forehead to perform this task - usually winding up with my hat in the arrangement . . . It is quite a bit easier with larger bunches of green material. A friend once gave DW a large bag of 7 different kinds of evergreen boughs. She was in 7th Heaven. The evergreen tips were all cut to a uniform length and then she would grab 4 or 5 (with gloves on) and proceed apace. The rich variety led to very interesting and lovely wreaths. Steve

Thank you for the input from everyone. It's quite obvious that many of you have had similar issues and can relate from both sides. I did feel a little bad at the time (hence the reason I posted) so it's nice to know that many of you can relate in one way or another. As a clarification, this is not a "rule" for the dinner table, it was a one time instance. I have made several changes to dinner as well since we began our arrangement of living together including smaller portions (her dad used to give her larger portions so now I control it since I seem to have a better idea of what she can finish and I know she will eat all of her favorite thing and get full if she's allowed to) and earlier dinner time so that it's not a huge rush. FSD takes a shower after dinner and also calls BM which generally takes about an hour between the two. There is no rule that she has to clean her plate (I think that leads to poor eating attitudes down the road), but she can't ask for dessert unless she ate all of her meal. Also, she is no longer allowed to get her own snacks because she was sometimes eating too close to dinner and then wouldn't be hungry. I think the main problem (which I've observed a number of times) is that Dad feels guilty that she doesn't have any siblings to play with. His behavior often mimics that of a sibling rather than a parent. It pisses me off when I am expected to be the "parent" and scold both of them for bad behavior. He likes to tell her how she "got him in trouble" when I tell him to stop distracting her from her food. It's like a whole "us against her" game that not only leaves me feeling left out but is so completely inappropriate for a parent. I assume this is something that stems back farther in their relationship. As for the time that he spends with his daughter - he has 50/50 custody so we have her every other week and he talks to her on the phone every night when she is at BMs. I talk to him regularly (when she is not around) about the things I notice that bother me for the sake of her development or my sanity. Oh, and he asked her to apologize to me for not listening which I politely told him the next day was totally unnecessary since he was the one that I expected an apology from (after all, she was just following him), but I suppose that does mean he brought it to her attention that she should listen to me. pinkhill: Just because a child lives in my house half time was not in my body for 9 months prior to their birth does not make me a "guest" in my own home. I understand what you are saying regarding Dad making the parenting decisions, but to imply that I am a selfish control freak for asking my FSD one night to be quiet and eat her food (BTW, Dad generally asks her this every night and I think had asked her several times already during that meal) seems a bit harsh. If only every future step parent took your advice and allowed themselves to be completely steam rolled by their partner and their partner's children there would be a 0% chance of step parenting survival. Maybe that's what you're hoping for though...