The average person looking at a wing cross-section would think it pushed down, not lifts up. Common sense would fail them there. And not wanting to be disagreeable, but I think common experience (emperical results), not common sense, guides most good gardening. We often don't know specifically why something works, at least in any rigorous sense, but we know what has worked reliably for others and ourselves. Reasonable, common sense solutions can sometimes lead us astray. Common sense might easily have all our pear pruning in the dormant season (as with most other deciduous fruits): practical experience shows that some summer pruning is often more effective. Common sense had us removing lawn clippings from the lawn ("leads to thatch buildup"): actualy experience (experiment) shows that leaving them is best apparently and has nothing to do with thatch. It is often hard to figure out when to defer to authority (whether university or neighbor) and when to go with the gut, with common sense. Fortunately in gardening, experimenting and failing occasionally has little risk.

Hi Stacy...so good to hear from you.... When I've "know" someone on here for over about 14 years...I really "miss" them when they disappear from my cyber life. It's like really missing someone I know and miss in real life. We've been through a lot with you. The burning of your house was one...I remember a lot of us sent you Christmas decorations to start over with. When you got your new house built. When you decided to end the first marriage and rekindled old love with "B" And all the ups and downs with your kids. There are way too many people to follow them all on facebook...so I really do miss you here. Stop back when you can to update us on life with you and your. patti

Side topic: Salgal, it's a shame your ex didn't tell his half-sib WHY he dropped her. She must have been terribly hurt. What you've described is the natural familial attraction that bonds families. When it doesn't take place between young children within their natural families, and they first meet as adults, the love and familiarity sometimes feels sexual. At my search and support group we always warned reuniting adoptees and birthfamily members about this. Knowing that these powerful feelings could be confusing helped to prevent some terrible heartaches. Where people misinterpreted the feelings and acted on them sexually, it destroyed the development of a genuine family bond. An adoptee, having lived a whole life knowing he is 'different', separated from his genetic kin, is especially vulnerable to mistaking powerful feelings of connection. (This is entirely separate from an adoptee's love for the adoptive parents and siblings.)

I just learn about the COOLEST things here! I had never heard about the movie, "Christmas in Connecticut" but now I just have to find it and watch it. I love Barbra Stanwyk. Here's a link to a discussion of the house and movie, http://hookedonhouses.net/2008/12/25/the-stone-farmhouse-in-christmas-in-connecticut/ Reminds me of another movie about a decor style that was recommended to me here, the remake of "Father of the Bride" with Steve Martin and Diane Keaton. It's a study in the pink/maroon/peach/brown color palette. That would be another cool thread, "Movies with great decor," although I did start a similar one in the "Discussions" section because I am madly loving the Art Deco sets for the "Poirot" series I am binge watching on Netflix. "Curated" is an interesting concept because I actually did work at a museum for many years. There's an old Victorian tradition that was the beginning of museums called the "Cabinet of Curiosities" which became "Curio Cabinet" and it was filled with souvenirs of worldly people's travels. We used to have something at the museum called a "touch table" that was full of interesting bits and bobs for kids to play with. I know pre-school teachers create themed hands-on play areas all the time. I kind of like the idea of having one for adults! Here's a photo of my old house, with the tiny, odd coffee table. SO hates it and as soon as we get our new place we are going shopping for one we both like. I got it years ago at IKEA just because it was cheap and because it was small enough to fit in my tiny living room and with wheels I could easily move it. Of note is the pine needle basket on top. You can't tell, but it is filled with beach stones, shells, driftwood, little plastic thingies that I found over the years, including a commemorative pickle pin that belonged to my grandfather who worked as a cucumber buyer for Heinz and that's how he met grandma, on her family farm. Also a little plastic guitar that plays rock songs when you push a button. Kids immediately gravitate to it when they enter the house. At this point, I am at the grandkids stage with it! Edited to say to SueB that I don't have a house yet. I am trying to reclaim my mother's house and the things from my own house. She died right after I sold my house and packed up my belongings. A year later, I have managed to get all of my things from storage into the back bedrooms but I am slowly going through all of our things and paring it all down to one manageable household. Not sure after that if I am going to stay or move. Meanwhile, here's one "curated" bit of stuff I put together in homage to my mom. All of the things on the shelves had some meaning for her. The shelving units are mine and came from my old house, they're not even set up yet and the geisha pictures are just covering up the ugly backing. Once set up, they have glass shelves on the top which will hold my doll collection and mom's collection of Japanese dolls, and then books will go in the bottom. Mom lived in Japan for a year, and was a librarian and history/english/french major for her undergrad, and was half Scot's Irish and English so that's probably where I get some of my book loving, old stuff fascination and British ways, along with life throwing me together with a bunch of Brits when I was younger. That's my "silver tea set" in the one corner! The cup is my baby cup I think actually.