Nothing new about 'Hino Crimson'.....one of the most popular older varieties of evergreen azalea. And I'd not consider it particularly adept at self-cleaning. The spent flowerheads are easily caught in the dense foliage but also easy to remove with just a gentle shake or raking. This is an excellent choice for a foundation planting as it is quite a compact shrub that tends to grow wider than tall with time. Height will be variable with age but you should expect 2-3 feet and 3-5' in width.

Hi We did well just selling out of the back of our pickup truck. We just parked it at the end of the driveway and stuck an umbrella up over the tailgate and pilled up the melons and corn. The stand was operational from noon until 6pm. We made a few hundred dollars during the summer.

Hmmm...reunion in New York. I could handle that, Pops could go to buddy up with the guy stuff and I'd swim at pool, get my hair done (maybe nails too), do a bit of shopping, check in and see what going on now and then and in down time I'd shop shop shop. I'd have a great time. LOL. I actually don't enjoy spending the day/evening with a bunch of people I don't know and have nothing in common with. I deal with people all the time, the last thing I want to do on my 'me' time is deal with more. I do do the family stuff I'd rather not when I have to, but I have no trouble excusing myself and doing my own thing after I get bored to pieces surrounded by people expecting me to make small talk. The DH does not mind, we enjoy the actual outing and getting away together, it's just the 'social hour' I back out on. Myfam, SIL does indeed seem to be the one with the problem and a bundle of jealous crap. I kinda 'get it' to a point, she does not have her husband home all the time and does not want to share when he is. Too bad. Childish to expect to have him all to herself the entire time. Of course he wants to see his mother and siblings. You'd think one dinner with all together would not cramp her so much. She sounds like a greedy one. I spend time with my DIL and even my ex DIL at times DS is not around. I call/email/text with the ladies, we have the occassional lunch, blah blah. I like the ladies above and beyond their connection to my DS. If I'm somewhere and I see something I think either lady would like, I pick it up for them. I really don't feel a need to buy for both just because I bought something for one...but both ladies get gifts and little treats, just not always at same time. I doubt my ladies compare notes to see what and if I've been up to. The other Ds's GF gets the same attention. This lady is a bit different. We get along, I like her, I respect my son loves her, but there is just not the closeness with this one as with DIL and exDIL. She does not get left out though. She gets the same treats and stuff everybody else does. We just don't do much of the lunches out and shopping blah blah together. It's not a snub, we just don't feel a need to hang together. She does come to family stuff, is always welcome and she knows we care about her...it's just we likely will never have a close relationship. She has a close one with her mother though. Those two lunch, shop, gossip blah blah. I think it's just a matter of we don't really have a lot in common and she'd rather spend her 'me' time with her own family. Which is fine and understandable. Quick question. Does your mom reach out to just the DIL minus Brother occassionally? Maybe drive over once in a while and see just SIL and the kids when Brother is not home? Phone calls to keep up with the DIL/kids on their routine daily lifes? I will assume yes, but if not a bit of just the two ladies one on one attention might ease the jealous notion SIL has going on. Your poor mom, carrying for an elderly too. That is a true labor of love. Caretaking for the elder family members is not an easy thing to do. And as the person gets more and more dependent they are not always real pleasant. It's hard on these older people to find their independence slipping away and to have to have someone else do for them and/or assist them in what they use to do all by themselves. I cared for my grandfather in his final year with alzheimers. One of the hardest and most heart tearing things I've ever had to do. He would say and do things that were so hard to deal with, but I had loved the man my whole life and he had cared for me ...it was my turn to thank him for all his years of taking care of me by me now taking care of him , no matter how hard it was or how much it hurt. Don't know the situation with your mom and the person she is now having to be care giver for, but I know it's not an easy thing to do and I wish your mom the strength and love to get through it. In the end she'll be glad she did and that she was able to do it. Give Mom another hug, she'll need lots of them.

Sorry about that!