Hey folks, so I'm posting this follow up in my original thread because I think I have a related problem. Last year, I replaced the PTO drive belt and the mower blade drive belts on my inherited JD STX 38 Yellow Deck. Today I took the mower out (NOT the first time this season) and had some serious issues. First of all, the grass is tall - 18-24 inches. I had the mower height set to the tallest height. The grass may have also been slightly damp - although not wet. I was able to cut basically one path, then I realized that although the PTO was engaged, the blades weren't cutting the grass. I was going at the slowest speed (first gear) and even tried cutting using only 1/2 of the mower deck width at a time - no help. I took the mower back to my driveway, cleared out lots of old clumped grass from the blades, and started the mower and the PTO. The blades were definitely turning. I turned off the mower again, and noticed that the PTO drive belt is looking terrible - it's all pitted and slack - it's not tight around the PTO shaft! So, my theory is this: the PTO drive belt is shot again (Although not broken yet) - so the blade spin when I'm not trying to cut anything, but when I come in contact with any sort of grass of substance, the slack belt is "slipping" and resulting in the blades not cutting? Does this make sense? Solution: replace the belt AGAIN???? A few more things to note: 1) I tried cutting shorter grass and drier grass and had very little luck. 2) why would my PTO drive belt, just replaced a year ago, be so shredded already? That's worrisome... any advice would be appreciated. thanks.

Cathy, What type of seating have you used? Plastic is easy to keep clean and store but I want my theme to be kind of rustic/victorian looking and that means having more wicker or benches and such. Do you have water or some type of drinks people can purchase in case it is hot - I have been thinking about that. I will have to set aside the front and side rows of each bed for annuals, as Trish suggests, so they are easier to get to - to replant. I have already planted my flowers in rows so we shall see. My thought has been I would have the flowers already picked and people can choose from them - I am sort of protective of my flower beds - but maybe I will change - my beds are set up so they are concentrated flower masses and then grass areas around them. I have a covered patio with wisteria (which is covering good) but I have planted some trees on the west side to provide more shade and now I am putting in a bed of taller flowers on two sides of the patio. I have a rose arbor but it is a ways away (future growth area) and I have porches on my little gift shop on four sides. Willow trees with seats under them and now I am converting my kiwi (which isn't growing that great) to another rose arbor and it will have seats under it. My lavender is planted on either side of a meadow and I want to put a raised deck with one of those canvas patio coverings over that - but I am saving up to purchase the wood. (The deck has to be raised off the ground because it is a wet area during the winter and the wood would rot and sink unless I put it above ground) You say customers pick one of everything you have - how do you do your pricing then - charge by the stem or by the size of the bunch? Or different prices for more expensive flowers? Do you find customers take all the large flowers and you are left with only small ones or how has that been? Since I have a little gift shop - my idea has been to have pre-made flower arrangements in the shop - people can purchase those or buy loose flowers and arrrange those themselves. How do customers take away their bouquests - in a sleeve a bucket or vase? Eventually I want to have classes on flower arranging at pre-arranged times. THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU! - for all your questions (which stimulates my mind on questions I didn't even know I had), suggestions, ideas and sharing - this is a great forum. My weed barrier cloth came last night and emitter tubing - so I am going out to put that down and plant more plugs - it is sunny today - I think spring has sprung. Linda

Oh, this is such a hot button for me! I am a retired/disabled paramedic who spent over 20 years working on the ambulance in the streets of Atlanta and then several more years in the ER and PICU at one of our large children's hospitals. During that time, I saw countless infants and children who were severely injured or deceased, simply because their parent was too lazy/stubborn/ignorant/etc. that day to put their child in a PROPER child safety seat. It is so very sad to see a parent lose a child in ANY situation. It is especially difficult to see it when you know they will have to live with the guilt for the rest of their lives. One thing that really frustrates me, too, is that many parents do not know that it is not just babies and toddlers who need to be restrained in a safety seat. ALL children should be in a safety seat until they are AT LEAST 80-100 pounds AND 4'9" tall. MANY parents don't know/understand this because in many states it has not been made into law. However, in order to keep your child as safe as possible, they must be restrained in a booster seat until they are big enough to fit properly in a regular seatbelt. Seatbelts are specifically designed for ADULTS ONLY. If a small child is in one without a proper safety seat, they can be decapitated by the shoulder strap that is sitting too close to their neck, they can have severe pelvic/abdominal injuries due to the ill-fitting lap belt or they can be ejected if the shoulder strap is placed behind their back, which many children are taught to do. MANY parents do this, not knowing that it completely renders the entire seatbelt non-operational as it interferes with the mechanism of how it is supposed to work. When I was still working with EMS, I was also a member of SafeKids of GA. SafeKids has SO much info about Child Safety, especially Child Safety Seats. Here are a few links you all might be interested in: (They also have pamphlets, posters, etc. they will sent you.) Car Seat, Booster and Seat Belt Fact Sheet Find A Safety Seat Inspection Station I hope things work out for your family and that your brother and SIL decide to do what is right for their precious little one! Blessings, ~Addy~ Here is a link that might be useful: SafeKids USA

Tomorrow, gals who have pearls--faux or otherwise--wear the pearls. Or something equally classy. Get them out of the closet and on your body. Doesn't matter if you're wearing t-shirt or little black dress. Just don't apologize when questioned. Males, find a similar ironic M.O. and enjoy it. [I've clipped a few pearl strands together and strung them through my chandelier and pendants to celebrate the end of snow, a decor look copied from some high-end chandeliers currently for sale for prices I can't afford and I'll bet their pearls are fake. It's been a hoot since I did this--looks intentional and rather fabulous.] ___ Breezy -- Go walk some fabric stores and get your decorator hormones a-flowing. There's lots of special unique memorable stuff. ___ Recently I've found a number of sources for counter-height benches which might be helpful for some who are looking for a seating solution. Type in on search engine for examples. Breezy, there are also some very attractive benches for kitchen nooks, both tall and short. The glory of a bench is that it offers more long-term flexibility than built-in seating and can still be reuppholstered as needed if you get an upholstered bench. My father, although a carpenter who created many nook seating units for 50s kitchens, had a freedstanding bench in his own kitchen. Allowed him to push the table right over the seat of bench after the kids moved out. More flexible, less permanent. And in your kitchen the bench and table could be moved to a different position whe you need to allow a kitchen worker to work facing kitchen at island. Just be sure to include a toekick there. ___ O.T. BeckySharp, thanks for link to the plate hangers. These gizmos might be a godsend for someone with lighter pieces. I am afraid my stuff has more heft than these discs could hold. But...look at the large pewter pieces in the kitchen Boxer posted above. (Thanks, Boxer! Now find one for an 8-foot ceiling--there's a challenge!) These trays in photo are hefty babies and they're suspended with very large plate-holder style grasping hook apparatus. This is what I need to locate. Get this: My newest and most monstrous silverplate (a hunter's wife's revenge) piece is 2.5 ft by 1.5 feet and has a back made of a single board, a tray that may date from Queen Victoria's early reign (but then again, maybe not). Hefff-ty! I may have to just put it on top of new bookcase in custom groove and call it done. Unique and memorable perhaps but the specialness veers off into truly loony. This is not a decorating muse to follow, folks, it is a disease.