it died a horrible death this morning as the frost was too much for it to bear now that was a pretty good extended season

I think an update is in order ...long overdue. Thank you for your well wishes rose friends :-) I am doing so well weight wise - have lost 110 pounds and I am getting in better shape every month, by running, biking, swimming and weight training. I have had no complications from the surgery what so ever (Yet?) - I take my vitamin supplements and I eat very healthy - smaller portions than before. I just do not tolerate sugar - it makes me really sick (metabolic dumping syndrome - heart races - I sweat and get nausea - so I stay clear of foods with too much sugar). But loosing weight has also made me regain myself or discower new sides of myself. I have had to work hard on healing years of sexual and physical abuse as a boy - since I have become more in touch with my feelings - my core self - and it has been rough and not always pretty as roses in may. I was assaulted and it retraumatized me and gave me anxiety problems and the court case was tiresome ...to have him sent to jail. For a while I coped by drinking way too much - so I had to bite the dust and admit - that I had to quit drinking - that it was no way to cope with emotions running up and down ... it has taken and still take some therapy ...but I feel better and stronger and more grounded. I am looking for a bigger house ... so I am in between gardens - At least I will be able to keep my rented allotment gardens I use for cutting roses, propagation and veggies/herbs. It is spring so I work my butt off preparing the soil, building raised beds - but it is nice. Most new roses I buy this year I will grow in pots - so I can take them with me to the new house and garden (When I find one I can afford) and I hope that the garden will not be too shaded ...since it will limit the number of roses I can grow. I really look forward to the spring flush - 8 weeks and the roses will start blooming and 10 weeks - peak bloom! Ahh ... (hope the weather behaves the 3-4 weeks they peak!). I do the last pruning and weed these days ... I have not blogged about roses and gardening ... I have had to prioritize and work on the issues I mentioned. Roselvr: Yes - it is important to find a good surgeon that specializes in WLS surgery. And yes there is a risk of complications - but the chances of of improwing life quality is much better - and far out-weighs the risk of complications - most of which can be managed. But all surgery has risks of complications ... Doug - How blessed I was - to be able to meet you in Iowa. I often think of you and your wife and hope you are doing well - and that your rabbits do not eat all your roses. Hugs! Ingrid: If you have read this far - you probably understand why I have not posted much - but just read and lurked here on the forums the last year. The reason you have not seen pictures of me as a big guy - was that I was very good at avoiding camera lenses :-) I will post a before and after picture - this summer. Alida - Sure I remember you! I hope you and Gerbe are doing well - even though I must say that rose does not repeat well - I still love the scent of the flowers.

I think JBDollar asked his bees, his four in the sun were gentle and prosperous, and the one on the shade was mean and not prosperous. The problem here is we start thinking about what we want, as humans, and transfer our preference to the bees, ie, comfort and shade. The fact is, it's probably easier for the bees to cool a hive rather than heat a hive. Remember, they need to keep it at 95° or so all the time. So I still have people, even associated with our school who recommend partial shade, simply because it seems to make sense. But in practice, full sun, even blazing Arizona or Florda sun, is recommended.

Congratulations Robin! That's an ambitious first canning session. My first was 4 half-pints of pickled garlic using a jelly kit my roommate had surprised me with, because she knew I was interested in canning. Your asparagus is fine and safe. You don't want it packed too tight or you could create a situation where air bubbles get trapped, which makes the heat processing less effective. Pickled asparagus or dilly beans packed too tight are not safe. Packed too loose is fine. I believe some people can the leftover brine by itself with no veg in it (remember it must come up to the proper headspace, no excess air). Then you can open the brine to use in the next batch. I make dilly beans with as many jars of long ones as I can, then do the trimmings in their own jars. The short pieces seem to stay crisper, I think. Also they are just the right size for oil & vinegar potato salad. There's no safety issue with not washing the pans, but it could cause a quality problem. 1, that smidgen of leftover pectin is getting cooked a long time as the second batch boils, which could affect texture. 2, the stuck-on stuff could burn (as you mentioned) or get overcooked and make the next batch taste less fresh. But if you're just talking about a thin coating of leftover liquid, you could just rinse it, or wipe it out with paper towels. If it's starting to jell I would wash it. So glad you had a good experience! I'm still picking out which weekend this month to pick raspberries for jam. Can't wait! Melissa