You know, I remember when only farmers wore jeans or denim. It was prohibited in high school by our dress code, even. Now they are everywhere! OK, I'm way out of my league here, LOL. I don't have enough clothes to wait weeks between wearings. I used to have office/work clothes and farm clothes and nothing in between. Now I have no use for business suits and that single pair of black pumps that I wore with everything. I'm 5'2" and do not have long legs. I also have a big bust and short waist, no jeans look good on me, they either come up to my ribcage or they fall off my butt (or both, I can't figure out how that works) I hate 'em all but I'm far more likely to go with jeans that feel less awful (none are comfortable) than choose them based on how they look. Since I'm retired my wardrobe now consists of one pair of Carhartt sweat pants, two pairs of dress slacks, one pair of capri pants, half a dozen assorted t shirts, both long and short sleeved, a couple of long sweater/cardigans and a zip up sweatshirt (black) and you have my entire wardrobe. I never wear jewelry other than my wedding ring, I haven't put on a pair of earrings in years, I didn't even wear them to Ashley's wedding. Shoes? I have one pair of black Avia sneakers, one pair of muck boots (also black and not the $100 ones either, the $11 ones from Tractor Supply, goes with everything, even those maroon Carhartt sweatpants), one pair of snow boots, one pair of white flip flops and one pair of black Skecher flats. Although I've been to Chico's, I've never been able to actually spend what they want for clothes, regardless of size. In spite of my completely non-existent fashion sense and my woefully inadequate wardrobe, which I did not realize was woefully inadequate until this very instant, I still don't think you're ever too old to wear jeans, if you want to wear 'em. And yes, I realize that a very large percentage of my woefully inadequate wardrobe is black. I like black, it goes with everything and I don't have to think about matching, I'll wear it until they invent a darker color.... Annie

As a collector, I track my seed longevity, so that I know how often seed needs to be regrown. I planted a lot of older seed this year, and these are my observations: Beans: Of 10 varieties planted from saved seed, (mostly from 2009), 5 had 100% germination, 3 had 96%, and 2 are just coming up now but look strong. Two more varieties being grown for the first time (one labeled as 2009, the other a swap of uncertain age) had rates of 87% and 60% respectively. Two limas (2010 & 2013) & two runner beans (2010 & 2015) had 100% germination. A yardlong bean (2012), adzuki (2010), and garbanzo (2014) all germinated 100%. One cowpea grown last year, however, had only 66% germination. It was grown under poor conditions, which demonstrates that you have to start with good seed to get good storage life... and I am hoping for better seed quality this year. Soybeans: Seem to have a shorter storage life than beans, especially large-seeded edamame varieties. An edamame type (2010) had very poor germination (under 10%), while a grain variety from the same year had nearly 100%. I was happy to see, though, that an edamame variety from 2007 still had about 7-8% germination, which is enough for me to renew the seed stock. Tomatoes: Two older varieties (2005 and 2006) had 100% germination, and another from 2005 had 83%. Saved seed from more recent years was 100%. The only tomatoes of 12 with poor germination were from swaps; one 64%, and one 0%. Peppers: Much more variation in germination than I see in tomatoes. The oldest (from 2007) had 92%. However, two varieties from 2012 (Beaver Dam & Pizza) only had 59% and 74% respectively. Of 15 varieties planted, only one had 100% - from 2015 seed. Seeds recently acquired (swaps or purchases) again had the worst performance; 27%, 57%, and one at 0%. Bitter melon: Two varieties; seed saved from 2015 (100%) and 2013 (98%). Cucumber: Very long-lived... seed saved from 2009 still had 100% germination. Watermelon: Blacktail Mountain saved seed (2012) - 100%. Onions: I did a bunching onion trial one year, then tried to plant some of the left over seed 3 years later... it was dead. Onion seed is the only one that I always freeze. I don't save seed for sweet corn & Swiss chard, but I buy them in bulk, and they have good germination for 3-4 years. Except for a few irreplaceable varieties (for which I freeze samples), all of my seed is stored at room temperature in an air conditioned home. I have had good luck with zippered freezer bags, since I can squeeze out excess air before storage; the bags are then packed tightly in boxes, so they can't re-inflate. Don't know if naming a brand is OK, but the Hefty freezer bags have proven to be the most durable. Cool & dry is important for seed storage, but exclusion of oxygen is also helpful - especially for room-temperature storage. For the most dedicated seed stewards, enclosing a desiccant & an oxygen absorber in the seed container will extend storage life. It is also important to avoid exposing the container to direct sunlight, especially if it is clear... heat buildup can occur very rapidly, and could kill or damage seeds in a very short time. If the seed container is opened frequently, the desiccant may need to be changed periodically, especially in humid environments. "And if you decide to give seeds away do tell people seeds age, as best as you can recall. Recipient will at least be prepared for what to expect." Agreed... and keep in mind that for swaps, your storage may have started in a hot mail box.

A slim chance, but I think the chewing on one side and the drooling and bad breath probably mean she does need some sort of intervention. She is a former feral and still not easy to handle, so light sedation probably wouldn't work. We'll see what the vet thinks after the blood tests and exam this afternoon. If all are good and she is likely in pain we'll have it done first thing next week.

Body image is so subjective and personal. I am sure we have all had the experience of beating ourselves up at a point in time, and then looking back later and saying ... "what was I thinking; I looked great." I think it would be very regrettable if a woman looked like Lady Gaga and felt she needed surgery for the curve of her tummy, especially after having had children. And especially if she was not performing half naked on stage, LOL! But I do know it happens. I do hope that the public consensus agrees that Lady Gaga is a beautiful specimen of the human form, one of many versions of beauty. Because everything we can do to empower young girls and help them find their own "perfection" is good for them and humankind.