It looks good. I think you are correct in expecting it to leaf out/flower in a few days. I can't see it clearly, but is there any padding on the strapping around the trunk? It looks to be putting a fair bit of pressure on the trunk - if the strapping is an inch wide or more, then it's probably OK. I would loosen the strapping as soon as the tree is sufficiently upright - the more it can move in the wind, the stronger it will get. If you could mulch out to the drip-line, it might be a good idea - there have been studies showing that trees mulched out to 20' did better than trees mulched out to 10', which did better than trees out to 5' or less. It looks like you have only about 2' of mulch out from the trunk, although I know judging distances from a photo can be tricky. The mulch mantra is; as widely as possible, no deeper than 4" and no mulch in the inch or 2 next to the trunk.

Errrr Patti dear.....loser is spelled with one "O"! So see your looser not a loser, its not as bad as you think! Just trying to make you feel better, no thanks necessary! Bwaaahahaha These are all very funny! Patti can take comfort knowing she's not alone! Oh wait a minute, I might fit in here too! I was shopping at a local store, they have a phone on a pole in two different locations in the store...I guess for employees if they get a call?? Anyway, I was walking down the aisle in the store, these two gals are unloading frieght and stocking a shelf. I am walking past the phone and it starts ringing. The phone is like 6 ft from where they were working, they kept working!!!!! I thought geeze can't one of you guys answer the damn phone? Its ringing off the hook, THEN I realized I'd turned my cell phone on when I left the house and it was in my purse ringing!!!!! OMG was my face red! I always got a hard time from the girls because we never had the phone on when we left the house, they'd try and call us and couldn't get us. LOL So I turned it on and see what happens?? LOL

@beaglenc I agree, the vinegar is not as effective, though I do think it works great on removing soap from clothes. I use Seventh Generation powder detergent, but was using a liquid brand called Ecos. @monicakm_gw I own a top loader and always leave the lid open when finished. I agree, hot water is very good. The harsh environment that my clothes have been washing in seems to be having some side-effects. I've recently noticed some rock sediment appearing in my washer after the load is finished. It looks like a mixture of green, black and white molded into a small flat rock. My loads smell like BO whenever I see it, and I'm pretty sure it's mold, though I'm not sure what kind of species it is. I wanna say black, but I'm not sure. Unfortunately, whatever that crap is, I've since decided to convert to handwashing my clothes. I admit it's not very fun, but I do think it's been helping me. @dubs44 I tried the Oxiclean and that stuff kicks some serious mold @$$! The dizziness has been gradually dying down as I continue to wash and soak things in it, and I am so grateful. I have been using 1 full scoop of Oxiclean per gallon, as suggested on the box. I am not sure what you mean by "removing" the mold after its been killed, the Oxiclean doesn't seem to care and eats it right away :] I've been hanging more and more stuff outside, as I do like the idea of the sunlight getting to the clothes.. can't always rely on mother nature though, it's been very rainy here lately.

Black on Black, the AC/DC kitchen, is a hot look on Insta at the moment. Every one of those photographs are highly manipulated, with extra lighting during the professional photoshoot, and with Lightroom after the shoot. It takes a lot of skill to pull off good pictures, with details in the shadows, and without the whites being washed out, because of the high contrast. Our eyes don’t naturally see that way. In person, we search out the light, which blinds us to the dark, making it one large undifferentiated mass. If we squint to try y to o find the detail in the dark, it all becomes blurry. Or if we focus solely on the dark, the light blinds us, because we have dark adapted eyes. To get the to artificiality of the photographs requires a LOT of added light. A huge amount. Matte black absorbs twice as much as does gloss black. You’ll need lots more recessed lights, with higher lumen output, plus some added cable wire spotlights, and stronger under cabinet lighting. You can’t take a standard lit kitchen and paint it black and then expect to be able to see your bleeding hand in front of your face and the sharp knife in the other like the photos fake. This isn’t just a minor kitchen change. It’s a different way of living in that kitchen entirely.