Thanks, jasdip, I actually like to write, if I were a little more patient..... Rusty, my brother is actually an excellent cook. Grandma taught him when she taught me, she said if he ever had to live alone she was going to be darned sure he didn't eat frozen dinners his whole life. And now guess what he eats? Frozen dinners, LOL. Nothing green, but he's always been better at baking than I am. Madonna, I've never been able to get an avocado pit to grow, ever. I stick toothpicks in them, suspend them in water, put them in the window. I've set them outside on the deck, put them under my grow lights with the tomatoes, you name it. They've never done one darned thing except get moldy. I'm blaming it on White Cloud's water, it can't be me. Of course, I can't grow a house plant anyway, my house is too cold and plants hate it. They die, all of them. I even eventually killed my aloe. I put it outside this summer, I figured they live outdoors in California, they'd be all right. Promptly keeled over and died. (sigh) I can grow nearly anything outdoors in the garden, but don't give me a house plant. My old secretary used to tell people to buy me cut flowers, they'd last longer than a houseplant. (grin) Annie

hhireno explained it perfectly. DH is going to the appointment also, we're not sure if her husband is going...he claims he's 'not up to it'. This is his MO...he has given up on life years ago and while perfectly healthy, has become an invalid, and she's his primary caregiver. It's pretty sickening. And the reason I am going is she has asked me to go for the reasons hhireno mentioned. She has one other son, who lives out of town-this is the anti-Buddha BIL. He is essentially worthless and she makes excuses for him not being able to come help her. She is the queen of making excuses for others! Her DH has children but he's pretty much estranged from them, due to his attitude on life. They may or may not offer to help her, but I've already made it clear that I WILL NOT step in to help him...that is entirely up to his children. I'm not happy about her depending 100% on my DH because it'll be too much for him to handle. He's got a mysterious health issue going on-long story-he's gone thru virtually every test known to man and they STILL can't pinpoint the issue. That has been causing me a lot of stress, as well as him. He wants to be there for her, and will, but he can't do it all...his business is at it's busy season, he's got order he HAS to get out; he's also sick, etc. If he were her only option for help, then I'd be ok with him doing it, we'd manage, but there are others who CAN help, she just doesn't want to put them out. I guess what is getting to me is that she's already ruled out offers of help from others and is expecting DH to do it all. I will not tell him I don't like that, it's his right to do what he feels he can do for her, but I don't have to be happy about her essentially taking advantage of his being self-employed. That is also a deeper issue...everyone he knows tends to think that because he works from home he's available to drop anything and do their bidding. He's not good at setting boundaries, so he tries to serve everyone and he and I ultimately suffer the consequences. So again, her wanting him to do everything is an issue of his not setting the boundaries. I am not going to do any more than I want to do for my own well being. My role is essentially going to be the one who transcribes the pertinent information. Others can take it from there. But having been thru this with my father and her once before, keeping it all written in a note book helps with every appointment, doctor, pharmacist, etc. That's all I'm going to do, be the recorder-the rest of them can figure it out. Oh, and I'll be an advocate for my DH...if I see it's getting to be too much for him, I'll direct someone else to step in for a change.

Cmarlin, the front door is to the right of the bump out where the dining room is located. There is also a coat closet there, but I couldn't figure out how it worked with the bedroom closet, so I left it off. I so wish I was able to get a copy of the floorplan. Adellabedella--I understand what you are saying about the lack of updates, but surprisingly, this seems to be the norm in my area. I have probably looked at every one of the couple hundred MLS pictures in my town, and I wasn't really impressed with but a few of the homes I saw. Even the very expensive homes didn't really have great finishes and so many of them were decorated in, at least in my opinion, the most horrible of styles. I am in the New Orleans suburbs and honestly there is just not that much money here as compared to other areas. There are a few enclaves here and there where there is some affluence, but my town is mostly solidly middle class, paycheck to paycheck people. So in actuality, the finishes in this house are not that bad for the area. The floors are a great upgrade as they are beautiful in person and I'm sure cost whoever put them in upwards of $10K. I also would love to slowly add my own style to the home. I am not in love with ceramic tile countertops, but this countertop looks to be in great shape and didnt really bother me that much. I think I could definitely live with it for a while. The cabinets are nothing special, but they are OK and I actually like the color. They aren't as washed out looking in person. For the exterior, a paint job would definitely be in order. The sides of the house are in red brick. I wonder how much it would cost to leave the area around the entry stucco and just brick the front of the garage? At the least I would repaint in probably a neutral tan sort of color or maybe even a subtle blue gray like BM Stonington or Coventry Gray. For the interior, my first priority would probably be to add propery drapery to the windows in the formal rooms and the family room/kitchen. I know this alone could easily cost in excess of $1K, and that is if I go with a Pottery Barn type drape. I was thinking maybe simple panels of lined silk in the formal living/dining with some nice substantial rods, and a lined linen in the family room. I really like Pottery Barn's lined linen drapes that come with the stitching that allows you to insert the hooks. I would also change out the Hollywood-dressing room globe fixtures in the bathrooms. I would love to do sconces on either side of the mirror in at least the master. Next I would probably focus on the master bathroom. Don't really think I need to move anything or change any plumbing, but I would love an old fashioned small marble hexagon on the floor and some new vanities with marble countertops. As to the price--I really don't think I will buy the house if they won't come down off of the list price. If I could get them down to under $225K, I probably would buy. I really just wish there was a least another one or two homes that I could consider so I don't feel like I'm settling for the first thing that comes along.

Hi, Joan, It is so interesting to read your thoughtful questions and enthusiasm! You obviously are an avid and inquisitive gardener and know what you are doing. The great responses and advice you received from Rosie are perfect. The mix you use is very good, as it seems to work. The plant you have is a classic beauty. It is most likely from Optimara. Their plants are intended for natural window-sill light. They tend to sucker, as you discovered. They are bred for "looks," to give a satisfying full head of long-lasting blooms with "stick-tite" features. (They will not fall off, you remove the spent blossom stalk from the base. As you discovered.) They are a commercial vendor that developed the features that make AVs ideal houseplants, such as slow-growing symmetrical foliage. They have extensive information on their website. Optimara.com. Their store is Selective Gardener. AVs grow leaves in a whorl of three at a time. If a leaf is removed, a new leaf will not grow in its place. But a sucker might. Your plant can stay in that 4" pot size. When repotting, it is advised to trim the bottom roots and add fresh mix. As Rosie advised. More on that below. In general, Optimara plants come packed in peat for transportation purposes. Peats tends to dry out and pull away from the sides of the pot. Many people leave the plant in peat while blooming and just make sure they water frequently. Others repot right away in their own AV potting mix, which is looser. If the mix your plant is in is caking, try to loosen it up and add fresh potting mix. After repotting, it will not need refreshing of the potting medium for about one year. Ordinarily, fertilizer is not needed when freshly repotted. The bag will tell you. When repotting, remove the plant from the pot when dry. If it looks root-bound, gently pry off or cut off the lower 1/3. Place fresh AV potting mix in the bottom. Remove any tired looking leaves. Scrape off old mix from the top and replace. It can remain in 4". The rule of thumb is the leaf span can be 3 times the diameter of the pot. So, theoretically, 12" in a 4" pot. Plastic pots are fine. The flimsy peat pots have larger holes. When selecting a new store-bought, thicker plastic pot, look for narrower drainage holes. Capillary matting is for larger collections for people who don't have time to check frequently or water lots of plants. Clay pots are fine but need more frequent watering. Ceramic glazed can be used for cache pots with the AV in a plastic pot. As Rosie said, for just a few pots you check often, wicking is not needed. But nice to have as insurance. Optimara (Selective Gardener) makes an attractive self-watering plastic pot for their size of AVs. They are good if you need to be away from watering for a few days. Some people like the self-watering ceramic pots made for AVs. However, they must be made in the U.S. or Canada and must be decalcified annually. Those made in China do not work. They lack sufficient porosity There are other potting methods that give good results but those are usually reserved for specialty plants. Optimaras are rugged and bred for average skills. No fuss, no muss. If you want to add another AV to your collection, I can recommend Simpler Times. It is an older, classic variety that will thrive for many years and can grow large. It can grow to need a larger pot size, 6" or more. The flowers are dark blue double petal "star" (round) shape. The leaves are deep green. It is available from Lyndon Lyon. Com. I If you place an order, you might as well order a few other varieties because there is a minimum shipping cost. The older varieties are stable and tested by time for longevity. Yes, AVs bloom cyclically and usually in the brighter, faster-growing times of year. Blooms typically come from beneath the top row of leaves only. As you noted, from deep beneath leaves. Avs have no center stalk, so the blooms emerge, tucked beneath. They normally last many weeks. Perhaps 3 or 4. Once the blooms are spent, you can use your foliage booster. They grow out from the crown. They won't bloom again until the crown leaves have matured. You were wise to let the foliage develop strength. Eventually, some people switch to organic fertilizers and potting mixes. As for light, some people recommend 12 hours of light, 12 hours of dark. However, your method sounds fine. Best, Joanne