OK, I just got off the phone with my resident science boy who's traveling on business (Robin, wave at him, he's in Nashville) and I asked him if I was smoking crack in my reasoning. His reply was that heat denatures the tertiary structure of any protein while freezing actually preserves it. So I'm going with the pineapple theory and agreeing that it was probably further amplified by the mushification of the celery in the freezer. Oh, and speaking of kitchen mistakes, I pulled a doozie the other week. I braised a whole chicken with veggies and herbs and had a little melt down as I was putting it on the table. I was PMS-ing, grumpy, rushed, distracted and arguing with Steve and I decided at the last minute to make gravy (which I don't make often). Ordinarily I dissolve my flour/corn starch/whatever before I add it to the warm liquid, but I was rushed and decided to whisk it in on the fly. While I was doing this, the phone rang and I left it for a second and ended up with lumps. I suppose I should have whipped out my immersion blender or strained out the lumps and started over, but in the back of my mind I remembered this salad dressing shaker with agitator my mom gave me... she had said it was useful for gravy making, so I filed that thought away without really processing it. So.... I poured the hot gravy into the shaker, sealed it, and gave it half of a shake before the pressure from the heat blew the lid of in a violent explosion that covered me and my whole kitchen in molten (lumpy!) gravy! Steve busted a gut laughing at me, pointing out that I should have known with 100% certainty that that could be the only outcome of that choice. I reluctantly agreed, and finally got him to shut up by pointing out that its a also a scientific certainty that husbands who mock their gravy spattered wives diminish in sexual appeal in proportion to the extent they go on and on about it. He got the message. We skipped the gravy that night. It took me a while to clean my ceiling and cabinets...

Nancy in Mexico, AVs are very variable and not always the babies repeat the mother plant exactly. In this case they are called "sports". Sometimes the sports are so beautiful, the are worth keeping and getting their own name. The second thing - wery often the first bloom is not typical, after the plant matures - it will be more or less consistent in its bloom type. And again - if the plant gets someway damaged - underwatered for sometime, the soil gets old and acid with time - the bloom changes and not for the best. Good Luck. It is fun and always something new to learn. Irina

Thanks, berndoodle (and the others that chimed in since I last posted!) for your thoughts and advice. As I have stated before, I appreciate anyone taking the time to think about, formulate and write a response to a query of mine. Since there are some aspects of rose growing that I am not particularly experienced with, I take any advice from a more experienced person seriously. I am my own cadre of gardeners so whatever I do is going to be that much more work for me and I know and accept that. I am constantly trying to think of ways to make the yard more interesting. I'm sure I am not alone in this desire! It is very flat here. There is no topography. I have very few large trees around my house (being built on a pasture 15 years ago). There is no beautiful bank of evergreens surrounding my yard to make a nice enclosure or background. Everything is one dimensional and flat, flat, flat. I would love to add an arbor or a pergola to add interest and bring things UP but I decided (wrongly or rightly) that a pillar would be the fastest, easiest and least expensive way to start and experiment. I suspect that arbors and pergolas also add a lot of extra work (just as the more roses you have to take care of, the more work you create for yourself yet that doesn't stop many of us from buying more more MORE!) I have learned that I probably chose the wrong variety so now I have to make a decision, based upon what people have suggested, as to what to do about it. I didn't deliberately choose the wrong variety to make more work for myself. The question shouldn't be "why did I do it in the first place?" but what do I do to rectify the situation NOW. I am still in the experimental phase (just call me a teenage rose grower!) of my rose growing and I want to try - and fail, if need be - to see what I am capable of doing, whether it is with a variety of varieties or how I grow them. Isn't that how we learn and evolve....by trying stuff and succeeding or failing? My entire yard is WAY too much work, and gets to be more work everyday with all the new beds I've put in, but I like the way it looks better than if I had just put in some evergreen shrubs around the foundation. Just the other day, I was in the pasture and looked back at the backyard and it looked really really nice and I took an enormous satisfaction in that. Sometimes the more difficult things in life are the more satisfying because you work hard and achieve something! I admit - maybe my poor BB is doomed - I just don't know yet. But I do know that neither the pole nor the plant are permanent and if it gets to be too much work, well, I always have a shovel and loppers! Again, thanks to all for their help and suggestions. I will definitely be a bit more careful in my rose selection next time! Lynn

If you were willing to give up one of two kids' bathrooms, you would have more options. Bedroom 1 on the left - Create one larger children's bathroom (possibly split bath) from Bath 1 (master) and walk-in closet. Bath 3 becomes walk-in closet for that bedroom. Bath 2 becomes walk-in closet for bedroom 2 on right. Rework master bath and closet in remaining space, possibly grabbing some of the storage closet.