I placed an order to Roses Unlimited the other week with clarity and purposeful thought -- really, I did. Old Gray Cemetery had to be on the list because my original one died this spring, and I had to have another. I love my Red Radiance, so I got the original Radiance for the antique HT bed in front of the house. The other 4 are ones that I thought would be interesting: Mrs. Keays Pink Noisette (you know about me and found roses), Dr. J. H. Nicolas, Ringlet (a cool Alister Clark climber), and Pharisaer (an old HT). With my fall Palatine and Pickering orders, I concentrated on getting roses to replace the ones that I already have budded on Dr. Huey. The exception to this is Peace. I have Peace from a Walmart bag, Peace VID ownroot from Vintage, and now I'll have Peace on multiflora. I'm going to grow them all just to see what happens. I agree with the assessment about shopping at an actual nursery (except when I'm with Robert -- hey, Robert, how many plants can you stuff into a BMW?). Went to the nursery yesterday to get some supplies . . . wandered through the plant section and oohed and aahed at lots of stuff (tropicals were 50% off, BTW) . . . went back inside and left with 2 bags of spagnum, a huge bag of perlite, and 3 packs of bamboo stakes. No plants. But, put me in front of a computer with a cat in my lap and a credit card close by . . . you all know the rest. :) Connie P.S. I blame it on the cat.

I'm sorry to hear about your baby.It's NOT your fault. Whenever our pets get diagnosed with something, we all go into this mode...Maybe IF I did something sooner...I should have noticed...etc. That is not the case. Pets get illnesses just like people. I believe that when its their time, its their time. All we can do is make them comfortable and give them the best existence we can. Some illnesses are treatable, some are not. My dog has been diagnosed with Hypothyroid, Kidney disease(not much I can do there) and Cushings (she has a TUMOR growing on her brain-the pituitary area). None of those are my fault. She is sicker on paper, than in realty- TG. At first, I was in denial. Then I got scared. Then I got angry. Why her? She had a rough (puppy mill) beginning. Then I accepted it. I just lost the older one last November (she lived a good long life-18). I didn't expect this one to start getting sick right away... Anyway, I decided that I will give her the best life I can. I take her for rides-to her store. I walk her. I play with her. I feed her good food. I am making her life very happy. I have no idea how long she'll be around, but I'm not one of those people who will put her on some awful tasting food for her kidneys just so that I can get an extra month out of her. I know some people force their dogs to eat crappy food, just so they exist. I'm thinking what is life for her if she cannot enjoy her food? I feed her whatever she wants/likes. I just don't give her too much protein, or anything that would make her sick. She seems to be happy. That's all I can do. Try to put yourself into a mode where you realize that every living being goes through a cycle of life. One day you'll be together again. Enjoy the time you have together now and don't show her YOUR STRESS. They can tell.

LOL, magnaverde! I hope this isn't too far OT, but I have another, more mundane, color/taste observation. Every year I make gallons of that middle-class holiday staple, cranberry Jello salad. My recipe, from a church cookbook, states "any flavor red gelatin." I prefer to use the red raspberry flavor, but I think almost all artificial 'fruity' flavors taste alike. Following are some ingredient lists for (basically) the same salad, found on the internet, on different sites: 1 (6 oz.) pkg. raspberry gelatin 1 c. boiling water 1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained, save juice 1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice 1 (14 oz.) jar cranberry-orange relish 1 c. diced apples 1/2 c. broken pecans 1/4 c. celery, chopped 1 lb fresh cranberries crushed or minced 2 packages black cherry Jello 1 medium orange peeled and seeded (all white must be removed) 1 cup pecans or walnuts crushed 1 cup sugar 2 sm. strawberry Jello 1 Ocean Spray cran fruit (12 oz.) 1/2 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple 12-16 red grapes 1/4 c. chopped nuts 2 c. boiling water 1/2 c. cold water 1 lg. pkg. orange Jello 2 c. hot water 10 c. cold water 1 jar orange cranberry relish 1/2 c. chopped celery 1/2 c. chopped walnuts I was surprised to find this one, too: 1 (3 oz.) pkg. lemon Jello 1 2/3 c. water 1/2 c. celery, chopped or diced 1/2 c. nut meats 1 c. ground cranberries 1/2 c. ground orange 2/3 c. sugar Or 1 c. cranberry orange relish may be used I'd be willing to wager that very few people, least of all myself, could tell what 'flavor' of gelatin was used in the final product.

How is your food? Low-fat carbs to me equals vegetables. Are you eating mostly meat (or other protein) and vegetables? Are you familiar with glycemic index? I do best with eggs & veggies for breakfast, green salad with meat for lunch, and small appetizer plate like cheese and grapes for dinner. I no longer drink soda and avoid sweets and starches. I drink lots of water. I do start the day with a small coffee with a teaspoon of sugar to give my brain a quickstart. Corn syrup does not equal sugar. I believe it's the glucose in sugar that works - not the fructose. Also, "an apple a day" really works for me. When your insides are clean and your weight is optimal and you feed your body what it was designed to consume, it functions well, at least in my experience. Take breaks of deep breathing to refresh, outside if you can. That can be energizing. If I HAVE TO, I'll have an afternoon coffee with sugar. Caffeine doesn't work unless combined with water (you can't be dehydrated or it will put you to sleep) and for some reason the sugar makes it work better too. Thought control: When you see yourself slipping into a bad thought pattern, catch yourself and change it. There is no need to judge yourself. Focus on what you need to do, what positive action will make you feel better. Exercise: walking, yoga, cardio, core. This is a goid time to get into the best shape of your life. Yoga is a necessity for me. You can do some movements at work. Getting the blood to circulate will give you more energy.