"It looks like you switched to the Dyna grow 9-3-6 last year. Do you still use CRF in your soil mix if you are still using this fert?" Actually, I rarely use the CRFs at all. I like the near complete control the soluble fertilizers give me in containers. I'm pretty diligent about fertilizer applications, so I really don't need the CRFs to cover the 'in case I forget' base, or for any minor elements they might supply. I included them in the soil recipes to make it easier for others. As long as you're faithful to your nutrient supplementation program, you can easily do w.o them. If you think you'll be lax at times, I'd include them. 109 ppm alkalinity is nothing to be overly concerned about with fast container soils. It would be interesting to learn how the Ca and Mg levels are though. Alkalinity is related to pH because alkalinity (practically speaking and for our applications) determines your water's resistance to pH changes. If you have water 'A' at a pH of 9.0 with an alkalinity of 75 mg/L CaCO3, and water 'B', with a pH of 8.0 (a full point lower to begin with) and alkalinity of 300 mg/L CaCO3, it will take about 4 times as much 35% H2SO4 (sulfuric acid) to bring the water with the lower pH down to That aside - your water is better than mine, so I really doubt you'll have Fe/Mn issues if you're using either the 9-3-6 or MG. I will say though, that bark/peat soils have a potentially high Fe:Mn ratio, so applying Fe w/o Mn could easily create a deficiency of Mn. If I were in your shoes, I would do nothing until I actually saw evidence of an Fe deficiency. Then, I would acidify. Oh - the other likely cause of an Fe deficiency is too much P, which combines with the Fe to form an insoluble precipitate, so avoid the high P fertilizers - they are useless unless you are using them to supply the exact amount of P needed while intentionally (severely) limiting N. I used this strategy last year: I fertilized with regular dosages of 9-3-6 until the plants were well established. I then cut way back on the dosage and added ProTeKt to the solution. I rather like to envision that I used the added K (and got the benefit of the added silicon) to change the fertilizer ratio to 3:1:3 from a 3:1:2. This allowed me to reduce the dosage of N (reducing vegetative growth) while still having adequate P and K. Take care. Al

IÂm designing my new entertainment center and looking for feedback and critique. I want it all feature wise and I donÂt want complexity or it will fail the "wife test." Currently I have a run-of-the-mill Philips 20 inch or so tube TV, cable box, 3 tivoÂs, a DVD player, and an "obsolete but you still occasionally need it" VCR. The "house" stereo is a completely separate system using a Linux based web interfaced mp3 server. Way too many wires, too many remotes, too difficult to explain to any body else J I want to move to a 60" or so LCD/DLP/Plasma, integrate the house stereo and make the whole thing easy to use. IÂve always been pleased with Sony TVÂs in the past and will be looking at their product line. Sharp and Samsung are also supposed to make good LCDÂs. IÂm thinking of a MythTV (http://www.mythtv.org) based PC as the brains and the content server. Sage, Beyond, and Windows MCE are also a possibility in descending order. This will let me to put multiple Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-500 MCE tuner cards (http://www.hauppauge.com/pages/products/data_pvr500mce.html) in to replace the TivoÂs and their monthly service fees. It will also let me play DVDÂs and CDÂs as well as any random video downloaded from the Net. I can also set up a MythTV front end for each of the other TVÂs so all content will be available in all rooms. The "rear" speakers will be wireless because the room has vaulted ceilings. IÂm very happy with my Hot Link Pro IR extender (http://www.hot-link.com/) and will probably use it in the new system so everything that can be hidden will be. The computer will connect to the "almost released" Apple iTV (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITV_(Apple)) via Ethernet and on to the TV via HDMI. The cable box will be upgraded to HD and connect to an HD tuner card so it feeds into the PC. The other tuner cards will be for basic cable, which does not need a cable box, and the lowly VCR. The TV will be mounted in custom cabinetry with the bottom edge of the screen approximately 20 inches above the floor for a comfortable viewing position while seated. The PC will be mounted sideways in the cabinet above the TV because the cabinet will only be about 20 inches deep. The "rear" speakers will be a pair of wireless speakers mounted on top of the kitchen cabinets behind the entertainment area. I havenÂt decided on an amplifier or main speakers yet. The amp will also be above the TV and the main speakers will be mounted in the cabinetry on each side of the TV so I have about 12 inches on each side to play with. For a remote, IÂm thinking of one of the Harmony USB programmables (http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/features/harmony/us/en,CRID=2078) so I can program it from a PC to do exactly what I want. I really like the Sonos (http://www.sonos.com) zone system for a whole house stereo, but $500 for each zone (not including speakers) starts to sound expensive. Any comments, questions, opinions or critiques?

gbsim, you've cast the deciding vote! Thanks to you and lindac and Annie for relieving my 'guilt' over the whole dessert question. :) Guess my instincts were right but I was just afraid to trust them. My preference is also for 'plain' fruit, but I was worried that it would seem blah to everyone else. From your comments, I guess not. Teresa, something you said about that gave me a brainstorm. I have several dozen antique crystal champagne glasses that are really lovely. They're not 'flutes', so maybe they're not even champagnes, even though that's what my mother always called them. Anyway, they're wide-mouthed and shallow bowls on elegant long stems. I'm going to fill them with a colorful mix of grapes, melons and berries. They'll be on a separate 'dessert' table, along with an optional whipped topping of cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and Grand Marnier and some simple (but luscious) shortbread cookies. Omigosh, y'all have inspired me! Teresa, it's in Nov. Sounds so far away, but 4 months ahead isn't too early to begin planning, right? The weather here is incredibly unpredictable at that time of year. More often than not, it's really gorgeous between Halloween and Thanksgiving. Indian summer. But sometimes it turns nasty. I'm trying to think positive! I have also worried about the carb overload. But, hey, Michael Bloomberg isn't invited, so we should be safe. mjrdolfan, thanks for your good wishes! She's a lovely and *appreciative* bride, so it's my pleasure to do something special for her. I so understand your concern. But that's exactly why I posted here -- because I know how easy it is to get sucked in and end up leaving too much to do at the last minute and have it all go to hell in a handbasket. I promise that won't happen. You didn't 'throw a wrench' into it at all. You just reminded me, once again, how important it is to be on top of things. Thanks! sm P.S. Grace, forget the mimosas? Do you think I've totally lost it, honey chile??? :) Actually, the Bloody Mary's are what I'm famous for. Horseradish is my secret ingredient. But I've already put one of my ddil's in charge of the mimosas. And another is making bellinis. And a third is squeezing fresh orange juice. It's gonna be a partay!!

Update: they've decided against the resort for lots of reasons, some logistic, some esthetic, mostly they just couldn't "see" a wedding there in their respective mind's eyes. That last is probably the most important qualification or lack thereof.....I think DD was looking for a place that would make her say yes, this is a place I would really like to have a wedding, and that would make her want to have one We have backed out of the planning/ viewing / discussion process. We told the couple we would give them X amount of money to do with as they wish and have offered an engagement party here at home in the spring, probably May. I think they will likely just elope in early December. Last night some of our city friends hosted a dinner party in honor of their engagement. It was lovely amd DD and DF enjoyed themselves very much but have strongly discouraged or simply refused all other offers of parties, luncheons or showers. Much to my mother's disappointment!