Here is my original GWD post: I ordered seven plants, mostly tropical trees, in mid March. They were not shipped until mid May. The reason given for the delay was that the Dwarf Ylang Ylang was "slow to come out of dormancy." The plants were shipped loosely in a box packed with, no kidding, four pieces of wadded up newspaper. The plants were not rooted in at all. Most appeared to have been bare-root or in smaller containers, then were placed in the larger container filled with peat just prior to shipping. The 3" Carambola had two withered leaves which soon dropped and it did not recover. The Dwarf Ylang Ylang arrived with 4 leaves but within a day dropped three. I do have one emerging leaf, I am hopeful that it will recover. I received an email notice that the plants were shipped. I replied that the Carambola arrived "virtually leafless" and I got no reply. The Jaboticaba I received is a nice little tree, it exceeded expectations. But overall the quality of the plants and the packaging/shipping were substandard. As noted above, the jaboticaba really isn't a jaboticaba. The Dw. Ylang Ylang didn't recover. I received no compensation. Shop elsewhere.

The article mentions the DOD is looking at it!!! To ME...this is so fascinating since they're working at the DNA-level. Waaayyyy back in 1975, I was so fascinated with a book about DNA, that I did my 9th-grade science-fair project on it. My DF & I made a 3' high wood-block helix/coil of the 4 base-pairs chemicals. NOBODY knew what the hell I was talking about! Oh well! I was good enough to go the Regional science-fair, & was at least selected to be an "Alternate to State", from that competition! As an adult...you may not be surprised to learn how incredibly fascinated I was when all the Jurassic-Park stuff started!! DNA sequencing has been going on for a loooonng time. Faron

My DS, age 22, has worked at the local hardware for about 7 years. When I want special paint, I go to "his" store and have him computer-match it for me. Love the special service. But they do special services for everyone. Besides cutting keys, screening windows, cutting glass, etc., they also do extra things. Like DS on a Sunday afternoon. A customer was passing through town on his way home a couple hundred miles away. His trailer lights were not working and it would be dark soon. DS sold the man the needed supplies and then worked an hour or two re-wiring the trailer. He didn't take any money for his service. Another time an elderly lady locked herself out of her house, so DS drove her home, opened her window, then gave her a boost so she could unlock the door. Or driving cusomters to the gas station when they run out of gas, or any one of numerous tales. Just love the small town service you don't get from the big box stores.

We use a sharpening steel to help keep an edge on our knives. But I don't think it will add an edge if the knife is really dull. Some of our Henckels are over 40 years old and we're still using them. DH has used a whetstone and oil to sharpen blades but he switched to a Chef's Choice electric sharpener, he also has a manual model that he uses on pen knives or my garden snippers. At one time we had knives and my sewing scissors sharpened at our local kitchen store but they really didn't put a fine edge on them. This is the model he uses now - Chef’s Choice Model 15XV - Consumer Reports gave it a top rating.