Ruthie, you are my hero! Way to go, Lady! My sister had cancer some years ago and beat it. She still gets her checkups. I have terminal melanoma and take treatments for it. Just don't want to leave my wife of 20 years... lol Couldn't make it without her. One of the tumors is in the rear part of my brain which they say controls motor movement. I have learned to live with it, just not the stares of the people in the restaurants as I come staggering in.... lol ps. I still garden too. woopee ty yie yippe yippie yaa for Ruthie! Shot

This is an exceptional year here as far as temps go. Most days are above 105, and have been for over a month with no rain for over 60 days.. It's hard to tell what is dead, and what is dormant, in spite of the watering. A lot of the ferns go dormant, as do the astilbes, and will put on new growth when the fall rains come (if they do at all) but anything that puts on new growth now, if that growth dies, the plant will be a goner. I've already lost some plants for sure that way. Not sure about the hostas, I think some of the younger ones are truly fried, and not just dormant. Most of the older ones will be ok. Dicentras should be fine, they all go dormant in dry years. It isn't the drought that concerns me so much, it's the extreme heat. Most plants can live through drought. But not if they are cooked.

Well, at 5'5" and 128 pounds, you're at your ideal weight. Depending on your chest size, you may not be able to lose any more. The reason why I say that is because, obviously, bigger boobs weigh more. My best friend is 5'4, like me, and at her skinniest she wore a size 9/10 and weighed 150 pounds, all because her bra size is a 38DD. I,on the other hand, at my skinniest, wore a size 9/10 and weighed 121, because my bra size was 34B. So it's all relative. I don't think you have a weight problem. I think the problem is all in how you see yourself. Anyhoo, I will address the separate issues you said you have with your body and your eating habits. You said you are the type of person who eats all the time. That can actually be a good thing- experts are now telling us that this is the way to be. All top models also eat all day. It is a way to keep from getting hungry and making the wrong choices. Do you have fresh fruits and vegetables available to you? In the mornings, instead of grabbing a doughnut or a bagel, or sitting down to a bowl of cereal before school, do fifteen minutes of excersize and grab an apple on your way out the door. Choose fruits or vegetables as snacks. Before you go to bed, do another fifteen minutes of low-impact excersize, such as leg-lifts, squats, toe-touches, etc. I've found that eating decent and excersizing daily really improves my own self-image. As for the "Pooch Belly", that's normal in women. We store fat around our reproductive organs "just in case" to aid in pregnancy. If you want to get rid of it, you can do sit-ups, and/or you can eliminate wheat flour (and yes that means white flour) from your diet. The flour is what goes straight to that area, but it can sometimes be challenging to people to find their starches elsewhere, not to mention the fact that you can't have cookies! The bit of fat on the upper thighs is hard to target. The only way I've found to get rid of it is a ThighMaster. You're not going to find a pill or "Miracle Diet" that will make you happy with your body. You're at your ideal weight. With some toning and adding some fruits and vegetables to your diet, you'll find that not only will your little problem areas all but disapear, but your body image and self esteem will skyrocket! It's amazing what excersizing does for you.

Good work! Yep its a good feeling watching and helping things grow. Enjoy the gardening!