It will be a carnosa, no doubt. Susan, your Hoya is tolerant of low light conditions. That is to say, it will not die in your vampire abode. However, it will stop blooming, because it does very much prefer high light conditions. You basically have two options. You can either give it the best light you've got, sticking it RIGHT up against the window, and be content with its pretty leaves, or you can get some kind of grow light to supplement what you have naturally available. Other general care instructions are that carnosa likes to dry out between waterings. You'll want to water it until the water runs out the bottom, whenever you can stick your finger in a couple inches and it feels dry. It's best to err on the side of watering it too little than too much. It is a myth that Hoyas do not like to be fertilized and prefer to be neglected. The common species are just tough, so in other words, do feed it. ^_^ When you repot it, which should be done periodically when the soil is draining too fast or the plant just seems less enthusiastic than usual, try to use a chunky mix. Most people here use a blend of peat, bark, and perlite. You're so very lucky to have inherited a beautiful heirloom plant. It is not a difficult Hoya to grow, so relax and experiment and I'm sure you two will be bonded in no time.

Hi Plllog! "That is, I know it's possible, but might not be in your budget." See, there's the crux of it. This little beverage center idea of mine was not in the original budget. (Nor, alas, were new drywall in the livingroom and halls, the gorgeous walnut top on my used cabinet island, the matching gorgeous top that will soon be on the new media cabinet and the near full gut of the bathroom.) And we're still determined to get through remodeling our ugly duckling without taking out a loan or dipping into savings. Conventional wisdom says: Wait until the coffers are full again but that's so hard to do. First off, I'm a cheapskate. Even if the goose who laid the golden egg waddled up onto my deck and built a nest, I'm not sure I would willingly pay someone to mess up the walls I just paid to fix. Second, I'm not quite cheap enough. My new kitchen is starting to look pretty good but, gosh, it would look so much better if the microwave and coffee maker didn't take up so much room on that one counter. I'm willing to spend a little bit more to change that, especially since I'm going to have a piece of countertop leftover that should be just the right size. Still, it's nice to know that it's possible. Maybe when the coffers ARE full again I'll put a tile counter outside on my deck to shade the golden goose should she happen to wander by ;) Thanks for your help!

GOTCHA!! I see the whole picture here! Thank you all for your imput! It is very understandable and I see things a lot clearer now. Choosing non-married couples makes sense for a lot of reasons. I am no longer miffed and will be very supportive. Actually, I am kind of glad it happened this way because it will allow my fiance a better understanding of the relationship I have with my own god daughter. He is such a wonderful partner and father, that any child he is able to have an intimate relationship with would be truly blessed anyway. No - I am not Catholic, but the rest of my family is. To Carla35 - Yes I do know what it means to be a God Parent. I am a God mother to my best friends' daughter. We baptized our son last July so I am very familiar with the Catholic religions practices regarding God parents and the sacrament of baptism. To Colleenoz - My fiance's neices and nephews not calling me aunt doesn't bother me. I used it as an example for you all to better understand my relationship with the children. It is up to their parents and them as to what they call me and if they ever decide to even call me "aunt". Also - we DO have tentative wedding dates set for either November 1st or 8th of 2008. We plan to marry in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Thank you all for your comments!

I'm writing to keep myself in check, that I do everything that needs doing today. I haven't hardly done anything the past 3 days after work. Last night, DD and I went out to dinner and for a walk along the dyke. We had a really nice time out together. I should have mentioned that DD's disability is a neuropathy of the digestive system which happened because of her life long diabetes type 1. She has to live with constant chronic pain while trying to manage her very brittle diabetes. Most days, she cannot eat but on the odd day she feels well enough to try to eat. Last night was one of those nights. Before supper, we went to a couple of furniture stores, just to look. My mind is made up about my dining room set - it's got to go. We saw an espresso table with a butterfly leaf (and chairs) that was pretty small, oval shaped, so it will fit sooooo much better in a small condo. Seeing that table put everything in focus for me. I didn't buy it but I will, I think, if I get this condo. I had been fretting about the stereo equipment and speakers. DD is engaged but her fiance doesn't live here. The marriage could be in a couple of years. She said that she wouldn't be able to buy the quality of the 2nd set that I was going to sell so we decided to store it for her. If there's room in her bedroom, she could use it now. She wants to keep my computer desk for now so maybe that's not going to be for sale, either. In return, she's almost made the decision to sell her large all wooden dresser. So, I am selling a big screen TV, dining room set, professional 5-drawer filing cabinet, king-size bedroom set (might give this away), washer & dryer, hardly used elliptical machine, carpet shampooer (used twice), sideboard (credenza) - not sure what people call it here, an end table, tools, etc. I might sell DD's dresser, desk, teak cabinet that holds stereo equipment, a table that goes behind a couch and a 4-shelf metal shelving unit that I had bought for the kitchen here to hold the microwave, etc. that perhaps could be used in a storage locker to hold boxes. There's also some lamps I might sell. I also have 4 large drawers of wires that DH would never let me throw out but I did keep organizing them. I have no idea if I should just throw it all in a bag and put it in the garbage or should I show people and let them take it. Some of the wiring is very expensive but DS says that in the past decade, even wires have changed. I still have boxes of books that might be worth something, music DVD's and CD's to sell as well as unopened expensive puzzles and models to sell. We decided that after we move, we'll figure out which ones are worth something and put them on E-Bay. I was going to try to find a CD store that would just take them all at hopefully $1 or $2 a piece but DD knows that DH had purchased quite a few from overseas that were very hard to find and were not cheap. It's worth waiting on these. I could always drag them to a store to get rid of. So today, I have to pack the stereos. I don't know if the speakers need packing. I also need to pack or throw out odds & ends from various surfaces around the house, move the boxes for future selling to one room, pack my night table (which I'd already gone through), do laundry, move the sideboard to the living room where I'd already put the dining room table and chairs, start sorting out clothes, etc. for taking with us while the stuff's in storage, pack up the bathroom (already sorted into containers), etc. So, these are the things I MUST tackle today. But I'm sitting at the computer not wanting to end this entry because I know I'll have to shut down the computer for at least a few hours while I get to it. Wish me luck!