I am amused to hear there is house envy extended both ways. :P It reminds me of when Mitzi joined us. We were all jealous of all the native flora of Brazil and she said she wished she could grow Tulips. @ Ingrid I am enjoying looking through your blog very much. How fun that you got your cuttings of Mathilde from Emilio Begine himself! I love your photographs, too, especially the ones of the swing flower garden and the shaggy pony by the shore. I think you live in a wonderful place! I am looking forward to reading more - but must work now. :P @ Mitzi I agree with you. I tell people to think of my plants like having another pet. There is a lot of work involved, but it gives you a peaceful feeling to care for them and interact with them.

Hi Debbie - Jumped in to check on you today and am so happy to see your post. Know that just by getting up and brushing your hair and teeth in the morning that you are strong enough to move ahead day to day. Despite the snow (even we here down "south" got snow yesterday) take heart and know that spring will bring sunshine and warmer breezes into that newly painted, cheerful bedroom of yours. You did a really good thing for yourself by painting. This is your home and it needs to be a place that makes you feel happy to come home to. Chelone, I understand how you are feeling also. We are finally at the point where we need to discuss alternate arrangements with my FIL, as our family is bordering on the breaking point. Everyone is trying their level best, but it is apparent that we are nearing the tipping point where he continues to thrive at the cost of the remainder of the household who must accommodate him. He is now 94 and a half. I wrestle every day with the question of how do I know when I can truly no longer do this... because we know we can bear almost any situation "just another day" and then "just another week" as others do in similar situations or worse. I beat myself up every day thinking "if I only could be more patient I could do this as long as it takes". "If only I weren't so self centered then maybe I could provide this care without feeling wrung out." There are people who seem to have an endless capacity for loving and giving and caring no matter how frustrating it gets. They just keep on giving and loving and caring with joy. I envy them so much. I know that I love my FIL - after all, I have been caring for him for more than 6 years and we are very close. So I know that when the time comes for him to leave our home, I will be a mess. A mixtue of guilt and grief and relief and sadness at the end of an era in my life. Debbie I'm so proud of you. Do your friends and neighbors a huge favor and make it a point each day to accept at least one person's offer of help. Al's friends and your neighbors are grieving in their own way at als passing, and helping you in some tangible way would help them too. Really. We feel helpless when we know we could be making someone's day easier somehow but they won't accept our help. Maybe there is some way to connect Matthew with a trusted friend who could do guy things with him from time to time? That would be a help to YOU as much as to him. I'd wager that there are several people who would be honored to do that for Al. Maybe a friend would take Carley over to the nail salon and treat her to a manicure. $10, such a little thing, but would make her feel special and loved if a manicure isn't something she would usually do for herself. The next time someone asks how they can help, have a little errand or two at the top of your head each morning that would be a big help if you could delegate it. I offered to take a friend's cans and bottles and cardboard to the recycling center for her after her husband died. It was an easy thing for me to do on my way to the recycling.... but a HUGE project for her in addition to all the other #$%$ she had to think about. The recycling wouldn't have made it to the top of her to do list for weeks and would have sat there weighing on her and piling up. Just a little thing to me , but it was big to her and I was so happy to know that I had really helped make her day a little easier. When I see her now, she will always give me a hug and say "I can't believe you took my trash to the dump for me! I love you!" and I know she means it. So make a little list and accept people's offers of help. You know which ones really mean it! Easter wishes to all of you. Trish

elly has hit the nail on the head. You have a highly intelligent dog, they were bred to work 8 - 12 hours a day, so they are not going to be satisfied with being let out in the backyard for a couple of minutes in the morning to do their bsuiness and then placed in a crate all day - this is a good way to make a good dog insane. I suggest you find a local dog park, start training your dog with frequent and long dog walks - preferrably leash walking. You also need to start some obedience training, hopefully through a good positive reinforcement trainer with a good sized group of dogs. You should run your dog, let it play at a dog park or take it for a long walk before training - a tired dog is easier to train. Start behavioral training with the basics, sit stay lay down and leave it. These should be done in a calm manner with a firm voice. I suggest going to get a Natural Balance meat stick, cut off a round, dice that up and use it for training treats/rewards. When your dog does what you want, praise it with your voice and with the food. Find out if your dog is a ball dog, a frisbee dog or a stick dog, most Aussies are one, I suggest you have some time set aside each day for playtime, playing fetch. I would also recommend trying agility or flyball or some other activity - including search and rescue. Your dog is highly intelligent, very adaptable and willing to please you. You just need to direct it. Once you get training down you can tell your dog to leave it, when it goes to the place it likes to dig, once you have told your dog what you dont want, follow it up with playtime, and letting your dog know what you do want. Provide a kong, fill it with meat sticks, baby carrots etc, and have your dog play with that - your pup just needs some stimulation in its world, and it is smart enough to go start its own if you dont provide it. Good luck with your dog, in the right environment your dog will be an asset to your life.

Beverly, et al: What is "lightweight potting soil"? I'd like to know so I can order some from Amazon before I start digging up hostas. I have no idea when my place will sell so I can complete my purchase of the Baltimore condo, but I think I should start potting up the hostas and heuchies I intend to take with me. I intended to dig up all my hostas, like I said, before the ground freezes and snow covers the ground, so the I.D. tags would not get separated and I don't have to freeze my behind off out there digging. For one of my largest hostas, Paradise Island, could I get away with a 12" plastic growers pot? My huge Paisley Print is already in a pot. Right next to it is a very big Blue Jay. Also a 12" pot? Some of the teeniest minis, like Pure Heart, are already in groups in an 18" ceramic pot. I guess Marilyn Monroe, a big girl, should also be put into a 12" pot? Ripple Effect is a bit smaller, but still biggish---a 10" pot? Now, I have Virginia Reel, High Society, Hyura Urijiro, and a couple of other small hostas---should they be put into a BIG plastic pot as a group? Then I have Raspberry Sundae, got very big this year--10" pot? THANKS to all, very much, for your advice in this. I don't want to lose my 36 lovingly selected and cared for hostababies!