Hope other countries won't have this sentiment of "I would rather pay more for our own products instead of paying for American ones". The company I work for generating tremendous amount of sales and revenues by exporting goods worldwide. In this globalization age, I have no problem purchasing foreign made products of better quality than American made ones. But I avoid buying products from companies/share owners that exploit domestic, foreign workers, such as American Standard.

Well, I just did the official count of roses after doing the annual June death march (to make a final judgment of roses that didn't survive the winter), and the present total came out to 1140 roses. I've officially joined the premium level of rose nut, which apparently hits if you have more than 1000 roses. Now as for time spent, I'm sure you're thinking that I either: a) spend every waking minute in the garden and have no other job, or b) hire out most of the rose care to someone. I don't do any of the above, since I have a more than full-time job and family with kids at home, as well as something vaguely resembling "a life". Also, I'd never trust my roses to any outside person, particularly the usual "mow and blow" services. We do our own lawn too. So what are the tips that keep me mostly sane? Well - as sane as anyone with over 1000 roses can be. 1. I don't spray anything. No spray is lazy gardening, and it makes the roses either shape up or ship out. I used to spray Liquid Fence once a year to discourage the bunnies, but I think they're so bewildered by the vast array of choices in my yard that no one plant suffers too much. Besides, my son complained of the Liquid Fence smell, so I don't even do that. Ditto for insecticidal soap - I've gotten a good balance between good and bad bugs and I don't see any rose slugs or aphids any more. 2. I get reasonably regular rains. As several folks mentioned, that is a key for successful gardens and a real time sink if not there. During our dry seasons in August (and this year, June) when we don't get any appreciable rain, I water all the garden beds for an hour a week each with overhead sprinklers. This involves setting the sprinkler on trips from inside A/C at 5 minutes a bed (maybe 1/2 hour total time). As I said, lazy gardening. I also plant all new roses with the Watersorb water crystals, so they have moisture reserves to protect them against dry temperatures. These crystals die down after a year or so, so they learn to survive on their own once established. 3. I don't weed, I mulch. As halloblondie said, there are few garden things that are more effective labor savers than organic mulch. For me, I can weed anything that pops up in my garden beds with two fingers, except dandelions or bindweed. 4. I make garden efforts do double (or triple) duty. For instance, I winter protect with bagged leaves rolled to the edge of the garden bed or stood around the particularly fussy tea roses in one bed. Those filled bags kill the grass at the edge of the beds, meaning I don't have to edge the beds. Then in spring, I spread the leaves around the base of the roses and other garden plants for mulch, and store extra bags for use later in the season. Leaves then break down lightening the soil and substituting for fertilizer by adding a little nitrogen. 5. Bundle gardening tasks, and make the roses mostly fend for themselves. I admire those of you who use the fish fertilizer sprays and things like that regularly, but I never seem to get around to it. I save milk jugs to fill with water when planting roses, and I have jars of fish fertilizer I always intend to use later in the season to perk up the newer planted roses, but I rarely get around to it. I sometimes add a little alfalfa, Ironite and 10-10-10 fertilizer once a year to the established roses, but I missed last year and haven't done so yet this year. If I successfully do the established fertilizer, it's usually bundled with pruning tasks in March/April so I spread the fertilizers around established roses before layering down the mulch. 6. Don't sweat the small stuff - roses are much tougher than you think. Chewed leaves, bugs, blackspot, wilting, lopsided growth - bah, you can handle it! And if not, you don't belong in my yard. 7. Monitor the important things. Canker needs to be dealt with swiftly and brutally in my yard, and Japanese beetles get no mercy and swift and (hopefully) painful death. 8. Enjoy the time you spend, and share the joy with others. Remember why you do this in the first place. You don't HAVE to work in the garden, you CHOOSE to. If it becomes drudgery, downsize and/or simplify. I agree with all of you that gardening is my #1 favorite activity in spring/summer and it's where I most want to be. 9. Take care of your body and listen to it. I have several herniated disks in my back, a hip replacement, rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, I'm in my 50's, and I'm allergic to everything that grows outside (so why am I a gardener??). I take care of my back by careful positioning and movement, stretching out frequently, and having treatments at home that compensate for full long days pushing my limits. I also make sure to stop and literally smell the roses, or hang out on the swing gazing at and appreciating a good day's work. Oh, and one of the two best activities to counteract arthritis?? You got it - GARDENING. The other is light weightlifting - both involve gentle weight bearing movement - and I get my weightlifting in my 50 pound bags of alfalfa... Movement is medicine, and I put it to its test. So how much time to I spend in the garden to maintain 1140 roses? Depends on the time of year: - Most of the summer into the fall, I spend maybe 3-4 hours a week on the weekend deadheading, cane monitoring/trimming, and taking pictures of roses. The latter occupies most of that time by far. I don't deadhead roses individually with so many blooms (like Darlow's Enigma), but chop off sprays when dead if and when I feel like it. Within this 3-4 hours is usually also monitoring and picking fruits and vegetables. - Spring pruning and rose planting season is more like 20 hours a week in the garden, usually long days both Saturday and Sunday. I also prune around 75 roses for our church, which adds another 20 hours I work in somewhere. The 20 hours in March/early April are pruning, inspecting, pulling off protection/mulching, and (maybe) fertilizing. The 20 hours in late April/May are planting and watering as needed (including the vegetable garden). - Late fall I return to 20 hours/week for a few weekends to plant the 1000's of bulbs I do each year, but the roses by then are on their own. After bulb planting is done in early November, I start collecting and placing leaf bags in my usual 3-4 hours a week max. See, it's doable! Not that I recommend this many roses for people who aren't insane, but I still have time for my family and work and church and cooking most of the meals, though I draw the line at cleaning house (that's why God made teenagers). Cynthia

Time to revive this exercise thread. Sorry, due to a glitch I couldn't do a new post. ............................................................ I have had a bad month and a half. As I have mentioned before I work around a few issues so I'm always playing catch-up. No matter...I will not give up. It's ok that I will never be in the advanced catagory. It's ok that I have to make several modificationS. My new dog added to the usual with throwing my back every which way possible while leash training. I was sitting in misery stuffing my face. Things are better now. Anyway, thought I would share some of my favorite "new" workout dvd's. I like these because they are more intermediate but can be modified to more beginner for my bad days or harder for rare good days. Two are short with one only twenty minutes (the 20 min. DVD kicks my butt). One is longer but it goes by fast. I just need light/med hand weights and a mat. There is a suggestion of a small ball for abb work but I modify. Share your workouts , obstacles and DVD recommendations (if you have any) and why you like them. My new to me fav's! 20 minute https://www.amazon.com/Jillian-Michaels-30-Day-Shred/dp/B00127RAJY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1539109104&sr=8-2&keywords=Jillian+30+day+shred 30 minute & you can use a chair or furniture instead of a bar. Great for legs!!!! https://www.amazon.com/Physique-Cardio-Blast-Minute-Workout/dp/B00OP4QU92/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539109264&sr=8-1&keywords=physique+cardio+blast+30+minute+workout This last one I like a lot. It's very doable. Longer but the time seems short. https://www.amazon.com/BarreAmped-Bootcamp-Suzanne-Bowen/dp/B00GVHA04C

9ft ceiling $5664 - YES Loft $7614 - Are the majority of other homes in the development adding the additional space? If yes, then this is a big YES. If not, you don't want to be the largest house in the development because the answer is you'll never make it back. An additional question is will you actually use the space or are you adding it just for resale. If adding it to use, then yes it's worth it for your own enjoyment, resale be damned. Full siding beams $470 - What is a full siding beam? Black railing $550 - Is this a black railing inside or out and what's the material? Is it just someone painting it? Entry door $500 - What is the difference between the entry door offered and the upgrade? Riverside doors $315 - What is a Riverside door and what will it add to the house? Tahoe dark bronze $99 Railing $5541 - Railing for where? And why so expensive? Glass pantry $161 - NO. Anything in the pantry is better off without light French doors $566 - What is there now that you need french doors? Bath hardware $42 - What kind of bath hardware? Toilet paper holders? Towel bars? If so, that sounds inexpensive so YES. Water softener $2512 - What brand? How does it work? Does it also filter out chemicals, etc? Depending on brand, etc and if you have hard water, then YES. Faucet $330 - Probably YES. Half bath faucet $116 - Probably YES Lighting package $1000 - If you mean upgrading the lights that are there, then NO. I'd rather wait and find exactly what I want and change them later as I find my favorites. It's easy to change out lights. However if you're talking about adding more lights, cans, etc to make the house brighter, then a big YES. Ceiling fan master $200 - Again what brand and what is there now? Canned lights $400 - Is this additional canned lights? How many additional? Exterior canned lights $600 - Same question as for interior canned lights. Carpet $2200 - NO. I'd choose hardwood or luxury vinyl planks over carpeting everywhere. Carpeting doesn't hold up. Laundry room tile - What is there now? Cabinets $708 - What brand of cabinets are the upgrades and what's there now? More importantly what is the layout of the kitchen and bath cabinets? Island $518 - Can the kitchen fit an island? Or will it be tight? Kitchen hardware gold $200 - Big NO. That's a trend and in 5 years it will look dated. Sink $85 - What kind of sink and where in the house is this sink? Bathroom culture marble $789 - Cultured marble is fake. What was the original option? Bathroom cultured marble $585 - see above? I'm surprised everyone is giving advice without knowing the answers to the above questions!