Hi Diane, I just responded to you and was interrupted by an advertisement and my response was lost while I was just about to submit it, oh well, here it goes again. Thanks so much for taking the time to respond. I was beginning to think my question would go unanswered. My H. Carnosa is set upon a tray filled with pumice and contains water to provide humidity around this plant. The cuttings in plastic cups, small pots are on a small table and one larger pot with a H. Latifolia is on the floor and the ficus located closer to the fireplace is moved away about a foot while the fireplace is turned on. Last night, it was on for about 4 hours and while it was toasty and warm, I added more water to the container, and again spritzed (I don't think this helps much because the mist evaporates quickly). Right now, it is snowing again with a forecast of 4-6" (but further north they can expect to get about a foot of snow) Hope that you aren't within that range up north even though I love the snow! And hope that you do as well. But, we will again enjoy the fireplace with our hot toddys and a warm afghan.... Thanks again and hopefully, those peduncles will hold on tight, keep your fingers crossed and perhaps they will survive the rest of the winter. Vicki

As has been adequately driven home here, aspen is a colonial species (whether quaking or bigtooth aspen) and each individual stem or ramet is but one part of a larger organism. While I may not plant aspens in my smallish city yard, where space permits, they are beautiful trees, if a bit temporary. In nature, aspens are early-succession species which set the table-so to speak-for successive waves of other tree types. In your yard, perhaps you can somewhat mimic this process by perhaps planting young fir or spruce trees in the midst of the aspens. Aspen produces light shade which is the ideal situation for what amounts to a tree nursery for later tree types. Look into it-you may just discover a world of wonder. Or maybe not!

Thank you for your thoughtful replies. And I'm sorry to have abandoned this thread. Life just picked up in a crazy sort of way. We decided not to paint the room behind the fireplace at this point because of the cost. So we are focusing on the front girls bedroom with the desk/suspended book case. We demo'd the desk but kept the bookcase because those curly-Qs are just so darn sweet. We purchased a new queen hybrid bed at Sam's (Sealy-$500 ten year warranty/return, so we'll see). Donated the 20 year old white painted maple girls furniture: headboards, dressers, night stands, pair of twin beds. Purchased two of these campaign dressers at West Elm on sale for about $522 each. Delivery is $100 each : ( cannot pick up in store. Once I saw these during my online search for a low white dresser, I could look no further. I love them: They will be positioned as night stands, on either side of the bed, one for each daughter. And I lost the comforter battle, so the blue Ralph Lauren Home comforter set pictured above and the Chinese porcelain lamps I was dreaming of has given way to a faux-boho Anthropoly comforter set called "Happy Indigo" we found at BBB on clearance, but as long as I have a happy daughter, it's all good. We switched comforter sets about five times, and I for one am tired of shopping and so is she. The walls will be SW Olympus White, with Rhinestone on the ceiling and basic white trimwork. I'll post pictures when we are finished. It is a very bright room thanks to two large windows, hoping the pale gray walls don't look gloomy. Can anyone recommend a good accent chair or an online store that sells well-made ones? At this point, we cannot afford a Pottery Barn chair, and we have checked the chairs at Pier 1. They are smallish, which is good, since that desk alcove is only 42" wide, but not terribly comfortable. Thanks for your ideas!

Some years ago, several of my friends recommended an internist, saying he was as caring and available as any doctor could be. I signed up with him and found him to be as advertised. His thoroughness and comprehensive caring were unique. Unfortunately, his office staff members (in an office of 4 docs) were a disaster. Messages not passed along, test results not communicated and sometimes lost, on and on. I mentioned this to him a number of times over the years. He would shake his head, apologize, and say that personnel matters were an ongoing problem. But little was ever done, new hires weren't any better than those they replaced. I reached my limit and switched to a young, bright internist who works at a local medical school practice as part time faculty and part time clinician. It was like going from the Middle Ages to the Modern Era. It's a well oiled machine. I sometimes get test results the same day. I get reminders for appointments by phone and email and leave every appointment with a copy of the doctors notes and items for follow up and all info remains available indefinitely on the website. When I contact them, I get a complete and thoughtful response in a few hours. I've sent my doc emails in the evening with questions and I've sometimes gotten back responses in less than 15 minutes. My new doc is a bit more mindful of time but, I think, is more comprehensive and the med school setting requires her to be more up to date. I see this practice for more than just GP stuff and everyone is the same. And after every appointment, I get an email with a patient survey, asking me to provide them with information that describes my experience and point out what was good and what was bad. There's no excuse for a poorly run practice and no need to be stuck using any doctor who doesn't pay attention to the totality of the patient experience.