Japanese Beetles - Humm (knock on wood). I didn't have the problems with JBs as others in Eastern and Central PA last year. Oh, I had beetles, but not to the point where they destroyed all my blooms on all my roses. I still had a lot of roses to cut and bring in the house. I have Milky Spore down for a couple of years. I had read somewhere that milky spore doesn't work. I guess to each their own and it makes me question those "experts". I still will get some beetles because I live out in the middle of fields and the farmers don't put milky spore on their fields. Then there's the drought. Droughts are hard on plants, but it also will harden the soil to the point where the female beetles find it hard to penetrate and lay their eggs. Because of my water situation here, I don't water except for the very new plants to get their root systems started. The others are on their own. Unless the drought gets extremely dry, my plants don't seem to suffer. I keep rain drums positioned around the house for watering pot plants and any other plants that do seem to suffer from droughts. I will also feed a select few the Bayer triple systemic and the rest will get the Bayer double systemic about once a month and that also seems to help with the black spot and insects. My white roses that seem to have a problem with thrips will get the triple systemic and that helps with thrips. I want to be able to enjoy my roses and other plants. That's why I have them. But I'm not going to break my back out there every day trying to keep every bug, every bit of disease from them. If that were the case than I'd live in a tiny third story appartment without even a balcony. I let Mother Nature handle most of the work and I will occasionally help out with spray, systemics but mostly food. I have found that keeping my roses well fed is a key to helping them with the disease and insect problems. A good organic food once a month will keep them much more healthy than any spray for fungus or insects. Besides, spray for insects will also kill insects I don't want to kill. I'm not big for poison of any kind. I have found that to let those few mice and other pests in the garden, they don't generally become a problem. Others will gladly come into the garden temporarily to help out with the pests. I must be doing something right. My garden is a traffic stopper.

Thanks palmcirtusbananavaz7! Dennis, I think the largest majesty I saw was in the part 1 of the pics. Im trying to remember if I saw a larger majesty palm because I think I did, but their definitely weren't too many large majesty palms. But the majesty palms I did see looked very healthy! Thanks for looking! -Alex

I agree in that you should only play a supportive role through this and make it a no drama zone. Just be honest if asked a question (don't sugar coat) and provide them with whatever information they ask. The only thing that would make me cautious, and you didn't mention it is, if you broke up for reasons that involved violence or drugs and/or alcohol addiction for obvious reasons. In regards to the relationship they have with their step father, when you say it's the last nail in the coffin, it suggests there has been other issues. IMHO, kids are very loyal to the people who have always been there to love them, if they do go away it's most likely due to things he's done on his own and not the fact that they've connected with extended family. You know what they say, "you made your bed". My first husband and I divorced when my daughter was still a toddler. He was an violent alcoholic and a wife beater. I always felt that eventually one day that would extend out to my daughter so I made it impossible for him to see her. I would answer any questions my daughter had when she was growing up but did not fully disclose details with her until she was in her 20's and it was appropriate for her to know. By that age it was no longer my call and if she chose to seek him out, she deserved to know the facts of why I made the decision I did. Luckily as it turned out she said she was never interested in knowing him but just curious about what exactly happened.

Lot of things! I would take the sunroom off and add about 6 or 7 feet to the entire back of the house, making my bedroom, both bathrooms and the kitchen bigger. I would make a little cozy sitting room/den/sunroom area off the kitchen. Completely redo the kitchen and add a little bigger dining area. I bought tile flooring for the bathrooms that never got put in so that would have to be done, actually the baths need to be redone, they aren't horrible but I can't stand fiberglass tubs. If I had the money I would put in real porcelin. I'd put in Pergo all through the house and get rid of the carpet. I only have it in the kitchen right now. I don't really care about granite counters to I'd just put in some nice looking Corian or laminate in both baths and kitchen. Then I'd put in a brick patio area out back with raised bed gardens for my vegetables. I'd then have a landscaper come in and fix my existing beds, making a Japanese style garden out front, complete with koi pond (that I would hire someone else to take care of-LOL!) with the little bridge over, etc...( : I'd also have a couple dwarf fruit trees put out on the side yard: apple and cherry. Take out the pear tree out front and put in a big Sugar Maple.