Good advice here. I might add though, that the size of the pot that the hoya is in is important - it needs to be small. When I start a new hoya, I put it in a 3-4" pot and don't transplant it again until after it has bloomed-which takes 3-4 years-and when roots are coming out the bottom of the pot. They like to be potbound and won't bloom unless they are. When transplanting only go 1" bigger in pot size and, again don't transplant until roots are coming out the bottom of the pot. This goes for any type of hoya. Identifying it will help you know its watering needs. All of them don't like strong direct sun, but do like it bright. I just re-read your post; do you have it planted in a pot, or in the ground? If its in the ground, obviously it will eventually bloom, but I don't know how long it would take.

Hi Dances: I sometimes wonder if the "female liberation" and the "equal opportunity" push in the sixties and seventies didn't do more harm than good to working women now. Of course I am for equal rights and equal pay for equal jobs - it just seems like NO ONE - especially the men - wanted to tackle that ever-present question of WHO'S GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THE HOUSE WHEN BOTH SPOUSES WORK?? Unfortunately, for the most part it still falls on the women to do most, if not all, of the domestic household chores. The result: Woman who now have less time than ever before; who are having to work outside the home full-time and still are expected to keep the house shining like a brand-new penny. I call it the "Ozzie and Harriet" syndrome ;)! Our house isn't as neat and spotless as I would like. Like most families (I think), both my husband and I work full-time jobs. We don't have any kids with us (his youngest daughter lived with us until she went off to college, but that was six years ago), but we (I) have four cats. To be honest, about the only thing he does is mow the lawn once a week. I edge, weedwhack and sweep the sidewalks. Even when it comes to yard work, I get more of the chores! I honestly don't think he would even remember trash day or recycle day, and he certainly wouldn't remember water bottle delivery day! He does like to cook big meals when time allows, but to be real honest with you I'd rather have soup, salad and sandwich for dinner after a long day at work than to eat a huge meal and than stay up until 10:30 that night cleaning all the pots and pans he uses! Yes - the bulk of the entire house workload does fall on me; and I am becoming increasingly more angry about that fact. Even though we both have full-time jobs, my husband earns about three times what I make, and I sometimes wonder if that's why he doesn't do more around the house. My opinion is: It shouldn't matter about the size of the income; we're both away from the house all day, and we both have the same amount of "free" time in the evenings and on weekends. I sometimes wonder how men can just sit there and watch the women they supposedly love and care about work their fingers to the bone doing all the housework? I know I couldn't do it. And when you ask them why they don't contribute more, most of the time the lame-ass answer is: "You didn't tell me it needed doing!". I find that hysterically funny, because you sure don't need to tell the WOMEN that the clothes need cleaning, the kids need feeding, the house needs vacuuming. I remember telling my DH that "this was his house too, and he should be able to see the things that needed doing just as well as I could!". It's amazing how they can turn a blind eye to the chores that need doing when they don't feel like doing them. A man can get away with a messy house and uncut lawn - but due to an awful double standard, women can't. Make no mistake - I love my husband, but this household workload inequity is really starting to bother me. And don't even get me started on the holidays - I'm beginning to dread holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas; simply because it means all that extra work on top of all the work that I'm already doing! DH and I have been together 15 years; and for those 15 years, he has NEVER once taken charge of the holidays, whether it be Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas. It's ALWAYS been up to me to take care of the Christmas cards (and that includes keeping track of all HIS friends when they move!) and accompanying letter, decorating the house, getting the tree up and decorating it. It's kind of hard to enjoy the "season" when your bone-tired! I'm beginning to feel like the "perfect" holiday for me would be a holiday where I wasn't expected to do anything - no decorations, no presents, no extra work of any kind! It's not that I don't like the holidays - I do - but it's becoming just TOO much work that it's tough to take some time out from all the hustle and bustle and just enjoy the holidays! I know that doesn't sound very festive, and I wonder if anyone else out there feels the same way I do about this. Now, I know that there are men out there who do more domestically than their women; it's just that more often that not, it's the women to do all the domestic housework. It's almost like we were expected to go out there and have full-time jobs and careers and STILL act like Donna Reed and have a four-course dinner prepared with the house spotless and ready for "hubby" to come home! Thanks for letting me vent, everyone! Dances - I know this doesn't solve your problem, but hopefully it will make you feel better so know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE in this.

Just for the fun of it, here is the definition of 'angle of repose' from Encarta, the World English Dictionary: "The maximum slope or angle at which unconsolidated material such as sand can be made into a mound before it begins to slide." I didn't think to look up the definition of the phrase until I was part way through the book when I read it a number of years ago. I think it might set the tone for the book, maybe? Am interested in hearing your comments about that and many other things at the end of October. : )

I know I am ridiculously late on this discussion, but in case some crazy person comes and rereads it the way I did, I'll still post my thoughts. I had some comments on the original question of why Kathy is blind to Ruth's faults, but also some ideas about Kathy and Ruth's relationship (as was mentioned above), and the character of Ruth in general. Kathy and Ruth's relationship, and the way Kathy was blind to Ruth's personality flaws irritated me immensely throughout the novel. As many people have mentioned, perhaps Kathy is "blind" because she has been conditioned to accept the fact that she doesnÂt understand everything. From the time she was young, there were facts about Hailsham, her future, and about her life in general that she didnÂt know. Yet questioning was discouragedÂperhaps not explicitly (Kathy notes that the guardians never forbid it), but at least de facto. The students would punish each other for curiosity, so Kathy learned to keep her mouth shut and not to spend too much time wondering about it either. She doesnÂt question, she accepts. Perhaps that is why she doesnÂt analyze or look deeper into RuthÂs actions, doesnÂt realize how selfish motives are governing RuthÂs decisions. She just accepts that that is the way Ruth is, it is only when Ruth makes her angry that she confronts her. RuthÂacting manipulatively and selfishly throughout the novelÂirritates the hell out of the reader. Or at least me. Probably most people have known a person like Ruth, had a friend that was domineering, nice on the surface, but secretly deceptive and selfish. If I am honest with myself, I realize that, although I dislike it, I can identify with RuthÂs emotions and motives...if not her actions as well. Ruth isn't an unusual child. On virtually any playground, you could find a child who wanted to be the "boss", the one in charge. Especially among girls, it is common to find one child who establishes her importance by blatantly displaying and calling attention to some possession or quality that she has and the others donÂt. (RuthÂs horses and her knowledge about the plot to kidnap Miss Geraldine). It is also completely natural that the girl would then proceed to solidify her power and her importance by exercising control over the others. For example, which girls are "cool" enough to spend time with her, or which students are "favored" enough to play with or even look at her special toy or possession. In my opinion, it becomes clear to the reader throughout the novel that RuthÂs precious displays of her own importance are merely compensation for her insecurity and her fear that she is insignificant. (Which is completely logical when one realizes that they are seen by society as "creatures" not humans). This is subtley shown in the way she manipulates the other girls and alludes to being Miss GeraldineÂs favorite,. It becomes obvious during their years at the Cottages as she tries to impress the veterans. ...