Sometime ago before my Larry got the zero radius mower, he'd get toooooooo close to my rose bushes and whenever a limb got ripped off...he'd quitely stick in back as if it was going to live. It really was funny, however, too serious not to have a chat with him. The threat was always a replacement. At least you had good intentions.

I have 1 composter that is 4' in diameter and 5 1/2 ' long for a volume of 60 cu ft..& 1 that is 3' dia X 5' for a volume of 30 cu ft.. I'm working on a twin bin that has 2- 30" dia X 42" long. The smaller 3 are/ will be powered by recycled wheelchair electric motors. The big one has a 7' lever to turn it. I cover them with insulating foam sheets to help keep the heat and moisture in. I get 200# coffee ground every week from starbucks. I mix grounds and dry brown leaves about 50:50. It has worked well. The key is turning the vessel every 2-3 days and getting the stuff mixed up evenly. The plants do like it! I can try to post pictures, but maybe I should go to composting forum.

I don't have his brains, but I am starting to look like Einstein's sister. When you are dating you get stupid. I never believed the crap about looking at a man's dad and seeing what he will become. I do now. OK I have one and I am the wife. Maybe this is a dumb husband post too hmmm. Hubby and I were at a beach state park in FLA. I went for a beach walk to look for shells. He went out the road to look for bait. There was a no tresspassing sign on the land but not on the beach. I walked down that way. He came back and parked in another parking lot up the beach and walked down to where he thought I was, but saw the signs and turned around. I walk to the parking lot and no hubby. I waited 2 hours and panicked. Called home from a pay phone and said I was stranded and my wallet was under the car seat. Mom called a wise cousin who said they would wire me money. I flagged down a ranger and told him the story and he guessed what happened and took me to the second parking lot where hubby was wondering where in the heck I was.

My boyfriend and I have been together for 5 years. He has two adult children (from first marriage) out of state in their 40's who I adore and we have a grand time of it. His second marriage (wife died of cancer) and he had two children (boy 23, girl 29) who were indulged and never said "no" to. We are both retired and in our 60's and love to travel, RV and enjoy the recent home we purchased. Though we thoroughly discussed his involvement with his children and my not wanting any role other than his partner, there is tremendous animosity with his younger two adult children towards me. It has taken my BF/Partner these 5 years to learn boundaries and to know how to say "no" in a healthy manner. His son is in therapy, though I feel it is for attention from Dad and to have the excuse of not finishing college (we are going on 6 years and NO degree yet and has not worked a paying job in 3) The daughter teaches in a foreign country but the time she comes home is wrenched with stress. I made up my mind recently that I need to sit back and observe and unless that it effects me directly through disrespect, I can not involve myself. If my BF/Partner asks my opinion, I temper my words, though I am honest with him with my thoughts. It's never fun to have this type of family dynamics, but I am a great believer that when adult children try to inflict pain on their bio parent or their partner, they are the ones that have esteem and security issues that only they can resolve. The daughter is manipulative of her father, as is the son and though I see a major change in my partner's thinking, he, (as any parent) wants to believe some of the BS they dish out to him. I have overheard them too many times conspiring to get dad to do something, take them somewhere, and/or buy them things. Though there have been many family discussions, they seem to walk away still making fun of their dad and myself (something they have openly done to their dad and me, and/or in subliminal remarks they think we are too stupid to understand the reference of). Not only do they make fun of their father, but when we are out eating, they have made fun of waiters and people they observe. (major insecurity in my book) Such a shame that two young adults would waste not only their time on, but their energy, internal thinking and the impact it will have on them (as nothing in life that is done in a negative connotation goes unnoticed by the powers that may be,,,it will bite them in the butt somewhere) I am reading inspirational thoughts from Wayne Dyer and I find great peace through that forum. My final thoughts:How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours. I refuse to allow my ego to get in the way of my happiness. Is it hard? you bet...but is it worth the work of thinking greater thoughts? YOU BET IT IS!