Unfortunately, I doubt many will see your post in this obscure photo sub-forum. Also, I am a little uncertain about some wording in your post, but I think I understand the general idea. Trees can often cover over their wounds if they are growing vigorously and are in good health. You mentioned that your tree has been "pruned to be very sparse". That sounds like you are making it much harder for the tree to successfully recover. Starving the tree of food by limiting it's foliage and forcing it to overcome pruning wounds would certainly present obstacles to the tree's recovery. It is unlikely that removing a section of trunk would be the way to go. A bridge graft might help, but is probably not worth the trouble. Again, what you need to do is to increase the tree's vigor, and the best way to do that might be to leave it alone for a while! And, yes, the plaster cast is a crazy (bad) idea.

Janice, My dear I hope I have not caused you any unknown stress!!! I have adopted Ken as my on line son. He, on the other hand, has relucantly acknowledged me and is putting up with me! As you know sonKen sometimes needs to be reminded to relax and not be so serious and all knowing in his remarks to others. I have taken on that responsibility to lighten him up. Not all of us who frequent this forum are as knowledgeable as Ken and he intemidates newbies at times. It's my job as his Mom to pull him back to the real world where we common hosta people live. LOL How well I'm succeeding is still up for grabs!!! Love ya son!!!! monConnie

Well, as im reading, all of you have such great input on what the actions i should take, but im not sure everyone understands the situation, i can suggest counseling and some other types of help we can get, but it doesn't seem to matter, because if i suggest it, she will say "your right YOU do need it." just like the other day she was telling me that i needed to back off on our son, MY argueing is affecting him, as if she never done anything wrong, its not just my argueing, its hers too. but she doesn't see it. that way, another thing, our son backing her up in the situation of our argueing she doesn't see anything wrong with that, even though she knows our son is in the wrong, and for her to admit that shes wrong would crush the whole essence of her being right all the time and she couldn't live that down. Thats why i say im in a NO WIN situation anymore. I can admit when im wrong, she cannot, even if she knows she is. and that alone is affecting me. Bottom line, no matter what happens, between anyone in our family, no matter whos fault it is, SHE SEES THAT SHE DOES NO WRONG no matter what, and the blame goes to me. I rather just not even talk to her anymore, its pointless, i can't win. she is also emotionalless, i mean that to the extreme, she has no emotion anymore, but she also doesn't see that as affecting our lives. In fact her quote was " i don't have to have emotion to show that i care about someone" if im not mistaken, isn't caring an emotion. Im so frustrated, and i honestly don't know what else i can do. In her eyes, im root of the problems.

I watched it last night and watched the Today interviews as well. She knew, or at least suspected, and I think the only thing that they regret is that all came to light. I noticed the change in her appearance, did you? On Friday she looked more made up, there was a lot of comments made about it. Last week she looked well maintained and I noticed the clothing as well. She is not a fool. I think the same about the sons. Why would you not insist on being shown ALL the operations of the company? Fear or suspicion, they were not fools. I feel the same way about the way the book is being presented. These people are sly, I cannot figure out why the fiancee was even there, she never opened her mouth and the author of the book is Laurie Sandell, not the fiancee. Tho I too am positive that Matt Lauer made reference to the fiancee having written the book. I keep thinking about the people they bilked. And nothing, no one, would ever keep me from talking to those I love the way Ruth claims that her attorney did in keeping her from her sons. There is way too much wrong with this story to me.