jonnyappletree: Since the apple is ripe now and you are in central Minnesota I will assume it is some early ripening cold hardy variety. Beacon? Not sure from the picture. If this tissue browing occured on later season apples in storage it would be from a calcium issue (water core, internal cork). However I have seen this sometimes on summer apples. Some years they are great and other years the fruit looks good but the flesh is all brown. Many years ago I recall picking Viking in late July. One year it was good and the next year I picked none as all were brown inside. Another issue is that some early season apples do not keep long. Good examples are Beacon and Yellow Transparent. Great for 3 days then turn to mush. Are all the apples on the tree like this? Just wondering if they are over-ripe or if it is some calcium issue? I am not sure. Just my thoughts on some possibilities.

I love Fort Worth! I have been to Texas many times, my grandmother lived there when her family first came to the US and I have some relatives there. My son just got a job in Austin, he's 23 and it is a great place for someone his age to live. I was there a few years ago, going to visit again in the fall... When I lived in TX in the early 80's, I got a job working in a greenhouse at a maternity hospital, I believe it was a place where the patients were all unwed mothers. Anyway, they had this little greenhouse where they grew all kinds of stuff both for office bulidings and to sell, I worked part time with the owner, just taking care of all the plants. I already knew alot about plants from my mom, but I learned alot more at that job. She had 2 big hanging hoyas, a tricolor and the plain green carnosa, for me it was love at first sight! When I left TX, I went to Florida first where I gave my aunt the tricolor cuttings and kept the green for me. A few years later here in NJ I bought an unlabeled Pubicalyx Pink Silver...It was years before any of them bloomed, I never thought they would unless kept in a greenhouse, but I love the way they look even with no flowers so I didn't care. Then I was dusting one day and found a whole peduncle cluster about to open on my Pink Silver, which was in a pot on top of the TV...I screamed, I was so excited! My boyfriend came running to see what was the matter, of course he did not understand but I know you all do. And then, of course, when I got a computer, I went crazy with the hoyas!

I am so glad that people had advised you to use the SE11. I made a mistake when I made my first ball. I used weldbond, which I love for my indoor mosaics, it works great! For outdoor use? BAD IDEA! Its not for outdoor use. Soooo, I made a beautiful ball and worked long on it and now its still beautiful, but it needs to stay indoors for its life. which is okay, it lives in my living room. OMG I can't belive this, who is from Madison??? Thats where I live, oh my, I have never met anyone who does mosaics befor from Madison, if your out there I would love to talk to you!!!! Louella

Instead of trying to sell it, it would be so much more rewarding to find (or create) an occasion to use it. Independence Day, New Year's, Christmas...my mother uses her giant punch bowl as a salad bowl for large crowds (but not the cups!).