The local paper says we've had .46" of rain in May (that would all be in the last 3 days.) Not much but I'll take it. I was VERY surprised yesterday when I moved the pine straw that I put down on Tuesday to plant some annuals to find the soil moist (this was before half the total rain had fallen) AND zillions (well, several dozens) of tiny (1/4 inch long) worms sitting under the mulch on top of the soil. (I can't find anything about what these might be; hopefully, they're good worms. They're not moving much.) I fully expect my roses to "slow down" in August, but I'm hoping they won't "shut down" like last year and go leafless. I'm hoping the pine straw will help a lot along with resituating the soakers earlier this spring. Like others have said, it's hard to bear bushes in my front yard that are ugly and bare, but people up north do it all winter long so if I have to sit tight for a month or so with naked Teas and Chinas then so be it. The rest of the year they're mostly beautiful. The trick is getting them mature and building the soil to support them. Hopefully, I'm on the right road. At this point I can't see myself taking them out. I will take out individuals that don't like it here, but to stop rose gardening at this point would be a defeat of huge magnitude. A local Rosarian with 400 bushes (moderns & OGRs) wrote in this month's Society newsletter that 2 years ago he stopped spraying from mid-May until just after Labor Day (due to the strain of doing it in the heat & humidity of our summer). He listed several (mostly OGRs but also Polyanthas & Shrubs) that defoliated only 25% or less and also those that defoliated 75% or more. So certain roses can be grown well without spraying even in hot, humid Central Florida. We simply have to be smart in our choices and not expect unreasonable results from the wrong roses. And from personal experience Earthkind may or may not be a smart choice in Florida with our different climate from Texas. For example, Rosette Delizy last year (1st year) seemed to keep a lot of yellow leaves. This spring not so. She is green - and growing just as much if not more. So age definitely is a factor. And I'm seeing a lot of Knock-Outs in other landscapes now with a lot of yellow on them - a lot more than my OGRs. So, Ingrid, we do have two challenging things in common - porous soil and hot sun. All I know to do is to amend the soil - so that it is less sand and more organics & topsoil - and keep it as cool as possible. Rose roots don't do well in hot soil (I think somewhere around 80 degrees, I forget though). I see a lot of rocks in your photos. Can you anchor newspaper down with rocks or with the bricks that you may get? It may give your garden an unusual look to have rocks scattered all over it but it may be an answer. La, when I handwater, I'll try to use you method with wand where I don't have soakers. But (and I don't know if I'm right on this) I think it also makes sense to "cool" the mulch a little by dampening it some, but I may have the luxury of being that extravagant since I'm not on water rationing. Sherry

First of all, don't give up on the therapy--this is what many would consider an emergency, so DO NOT let the therapists put you off. Call your local children's hospital for a referral or, if need be, call the suicide hotline for advice. Yes, the threat is vague, but you're absolutely right that it needs to be addressed, sooner rather than later. Beyond that, try to get your son interested in doing something to make a difference. Maybe he could initiate gun safety talks for younger children, or perhaps there's some way he could volunteer with the police. Brainstorm with him to try to find something he (and perhaps the other 2 children involved) could do to make the world a better place now. Even if it's just getting a playground or Angel Garden installed in the local playground in memory of their friend. The more you can get him involved in making a difference, the more worthwhile life will seem to him. My nephew was similarly depressed when, in high school, he saw his best friend fall through the ice and die. There was a bridge keeper right above where the accident happened, but he had no emergency equipment available (it would have made a difference). I suggested to my Dsis that nephew see if he could raise money to get the equipment so nothing like this ever happened again. They went to the mayor/counsel, and THEY agreed that it was necessary and provided the emergency things for the bridge. My nephew was the catalyst and was able to feel that at least he helped stop this from happening again, hopefully. I reallly think, getting your son involved in something that makes a difference is the way to go here. Might take a little encouraging, maybe even a little subterfuge (you might present it that YOU want to start some sort of memorial effort, and see if it doesn't encourage him to get involved, rather than pushing the idea at him when he may not be quite ready for it yet). Very sad story--my condolences to all who have been affected.

Questions: How big is your family? My husband who is 6'1, 2 big boys : Quinn just turned 2 (appox 40 lbs and 40 inches all) in January and Declan will be 6 in Oct (approx 51 inches 50 lbs)...and me I am about 5'7 (135 lbs) How do you plan to use your kitchen? �Prepping/Cooking only? �Homework? �Hang out? We r planning on using our kitchen to cook and prepp, homework (prob @ the island?) and definitely a place for moms to hang out when the kids r playing. Do you entertain a lot? Informal entertaining, this is why we r thinking of knocking down the wall b/w the DR and KIT and utilizing our DR more often...we have since moved our kitchen table into our DR to see if we like eating in there and we do thus far. Do your children frequently have friends over to hang out in the kitchen? Yes..and we also finished the basement where we keep all the toys for the most part, and we also have an office where we keep all of our files etc...books, and a computer that recently crashed and r not using. We r currently using an iPad and a laptop. We have a wireless printer so I can print from my iPad....thinking that we will eventually be all wireless. How many people work in the kitchen at once...prepping, cooking, and/or cleaning up? �If one, will that change as your children get older and you teach them to cook & cleanup? Yes, 1 at this point..I do all the prepping, cooking, and �cleaning for all three boys! hehe! I am right handed. Is island seating a 'must'/non-negotiable? i would say yes unless you have a better idea!? We were thinking of doing this door on the left side of pic for our basement door (so it wouldnt swing into the stool at the island. From your layouts, it appears you are planning the following appliances: 36' counter-depth refrigerator (31' deep counting doors & handles) The fridge is not counter-depth..it is 35 3/4' Deep and 35 3/4' width. We were planning on pushing it back into the one wall in our mudd room and gain a few inches of walking space b/w the fridge and the counter that butts up against the den..(make sense?) 30' range Yes the GE Cafe Range with a 36' hood that our carpenter is going to build 24' DW Yes, we recently purchased a bosch b/c our other one was going. MW?? Placing a 27' GE Advantium 120 (high speed cook oven) in the island Sink is the Blanco Silgranit 440-147 32' outside width and 9 1/2' in depth ...single bowl. Our carpenter will also be building us a recessed sink so we will have a little more turning radius to the trash can We will also be placng an Anderson 6"0 x 6"8 FWG in the DR where we currently have our windows and then an Anderson 4 x 4 CW24 being built to look like a garden window and flush with counter top...make sense? We r seekimg a functional kitchen over looks... We need more cabinet space... In the mudd room we were thinking about putting front loading W/D and a small slop sink (21-22 nches) and a counter top over top of them...and cabinets above of course..and on the opposing wall a bench with storage cubbies for all the coats hats shoes etc...a pocket door going from mudd rm into hallway ! I think this is it for now..I am sure I will have additional info fr you. thx again! Courtney

Things That Make You Peevey Part Deux... I don't have any sort of fit about this, but it's a bit of a peevey issue...Here, when describing home, or any really, "stuff" that has been accomplished, the author will often say "We did this"...And I take that literally, which makes me all sorts of excited because I'm an avid diy-er. But further reading reveals that they didn't do it. They HAD IT DONE. If someone else came in and tiled your bathroom, then you didn't "do" it, did you? You simply paid for it. Anyhoo. Is it too early for a cocktail? I will make it myself :)