Hi, Jim, The first thing I would do is try to determine why the leaves are limp. If it had been properly watered in the store, they should be firm. Possibly the plant was allowed to dry out to the point of limpness, and then got watered. In some cases, the leaves will then firm up. Feel in the soil with your finger and try to tell that way if the soil feels waterlogged, or just damp. If you have had it for a couple of days and the leaves are still limp, I would then suspect root rot. Put out some newspaper to catch the dirt, and take the plant out of the pot. Before removing any dirt, just sit and look at it for a minute. See anything moving? Any whitish webby areas? If not, gently remove the soil from the root ball. You'll probably find that it is mostly peat moss, which holds an enormous amount of water. You will also probably find the roots very brown if any at all. When you get to the stem portion, is it mushy? If so, this is root rot. Your only chance at this point is to remove the rot working your way up the stem until you get to nice green stem. If you can do this and take off leaves as you work up, you can try to root the remaining crown. You will need a little stem to do so, so take off some more of the leaves until you have a 'stem' at least half an inch long. At this point, I take the crown and immerse it in very warm water to rehydrate the leaves, and leave overnight, changing the water to keep it warm. Then I pot it in a 1-1-1 mix, bag it, and put in a light place until the stems sends out new roots. If you have any moving things in that soil, pitch it in the garbage and kiss your $1.50 goodbye. Good luck. Barbara

Happy New Year to you too Josh!! Pop out the champain! Oh wait, it is only 2:40 pm..lol The ball has hours to go before dropping. I shall have to take a look and let you know. I am tired of picking up yellow leaves off the floor dropping from the main plant. Do you think it will be ok? Dave: Exactly how my plant was growing. In a huge office window flowering like mad until people decided to just let it go..I feel so bad for it. Taking it home is not easy either since I haven't a window even close to giving it sun like it was use to recieving. So I ordered a greenhouse..lol.I hope it makes it till then. This is the straw that broke the camels back. I had to order one for all my resues and those I love raised, inherited, purchased, or givin as gifts to me..It's time and long over due. Besides, I never made it to Disney World this, last year:-( Mike

No, I wasn't trying to convey hopelessness; I was trying to convey the uselessness & the insensitivity of making judgments about people whose resources are at low ebb, whose mental functions are compromised by powerful addictive substances, whose boots we never have had to even try on. Obviously, one has to exercise willpower to get anything done. I tell myself that every morning when the cat is sleeping on my head & I do not want to move... but I get up, partly because I am confidant that I *can* get up, & partly because there's not an addictive substance in that pillow that has made my body dependent upon it. Addictive substances are potent, & combined with genetic or metabolic predispositions, they're devastating. Alcoholism is a physical addiction; withdrawal has terrible physical consequences & some dangers. A registered nurse who worked at the Dallas County jail once told me that part of her job was to interview people who were going to jail, & she had to ask them about alcohol & drugs. She said that alcoholics had to be more closely monitored than people who habitually used cocaine; they might be called cocaine "addicts", but that addiction was mental, while alcoholism is a physical addiction: Withdrawing cold-turkey from cocaine might not make you happy, but withdrawing cold-turkey from alcohol could kill you. Something that can kill you is not something that "willpower" alone can overcome. Again, it's like telling a diabetic to just get over it; there's no more insulin, they need to exercise their willpower to keep going & functioning. An addicted person's willpower is at a very low ebb anyway, since they are at the mercy of their drug; expecting or demanding someone in that position to just break the habit (or saying it's an "obligation") is unproductive & uncompassionate at best, counter-productive & mean-spirited at worst.

Did you actually see the chain on the dog? And, we don't know that the dog had been taken care of in the past... we only have the owners word for it. The whole point of the controversy is that the local media and law enforcement refused to take into account the neighbors statement (and, there were actuall 2 people who called about the dog). The owners did say that they gave the dog an aspirin for pain once in a while! That dog needed a lot more than an occasional aspirin. Where are the owners vet records to back up their claim? Did you see the food and water bowls? I do know that I would have a very hard time walking by that dog for even one day, never mind, three days! And if the dog was so sick why even use that heavy chain (or any chain, for that matter) on him? He can't even get up. I think she did the right thing...the only thing that mattered for Doogie. It's disgusting how some dogs are treated in this country..and lots of times that disgusting treatment is perfectly legal AND sanctioned by the local so called humane society. And, excuse me, but.. there is a world of difference from a elderly, just bathed, dog, soaking up the sun and THIS dog who was found to be seriously neglected by a vet! That dog hadn't been lovingly bathed nor paid attention to, in any way, for a very long time. It may not have been illegal but it was most certainly immoral. And it would be nice if humane societies were at least required to put a priority status on almost dead dog calls! I don't believe for a minute that the owners cared, at all, for poor old Doogie. Silly