Enjoying nature, I never have tried pruning hollies to a certain size. I let mine get to the full size and shape that they're meant to attain. You probably could prune them to any size and shape you want, but after a few years you end up with big thick branches with leaves sticking out of them and it looks unnatural unless you like tightly pruned hedges. I still can hear Neil Sperry's voice in my head on his radio show saying that if you want to prune shrubs into square green boxes, why not just go out and build a plywood box and paint it green. (grin) Who am I to defy Neil Sperry and try to prune my hollies to a certain arbitrary size? So, mine were spaced as far apart as they needed to be in the first place because I had a good idea how big they'd get and they are fine now---roughly 12' tall and 5-6' apart. Those are the Burford hollies on the south side of the house. They shade the south porch from the summer sun, which is precisely what I wanted them to do. On the east side of the house, which is where the front part of the wraparound porch and the front door is located, I planted Dwarf Burford hollies in 2011 and they seem more like the size you'd want. I wanted a naturally shorter shrub there so we could sit on the porch and look out into the yard somewhat at least. Mine have really had to struggle through drought (i think I planted them in April of 2011 and it stopped raining soon thereafter and didn't rain for 90 days that summer) so they have grown relatively slowly for hollies, but now are about 5' tall and about 3-4' wide and they haven't reached their max size yet. I expect them to top out at around 8' tall and 4' wide, but time will tell. They are a loose informal hedge, which fits with our country Victorian house....all relaxed and sort of cottagey. It is your house, though, and they are your shrubs, so you should plant what pleases you and maintain them in the way that makes you happy. I'm a firm believer that a person's landscape plantings should reflect their tastes and anyone who doesn't like it can just go mind their own business. Well, except, I still have Neil Sperry's voice in my head and I agree with his comments about picking the right shrub to begin with so you don't have to prune your shrubs to an unnatural size or shape. That's just me, though. Some people love formally pruned hedges and they should have what they want. All those years of reading Neil's newspaper columns, his magazine and his books when we lived in Texas (as well as listening to his radio show and attending his Garden Shows) trained me to be a certain way as a younger gardener, and I have his voice in my head the way I have my dad's voice in my head, even though he is long gone. Scott, We have native possumhaw hollies and I love them, but they sucker like the devil and we've got one in the front yard we're going to take out. I hate to take it out because it is the bird feeder tree where we hang the feeders, but we'll just move them somewhere else. It just suckers endlessly and I'm tired of dealing with it. We'll leave the ones on the edges of the woods because it doesn't bother us if they form thickets, and the birds love the berries in late winter and early spring, though they won't touch them until all the other berries are gone. When the cedar waxwings are migrating through in spring, they get pretty much drunk on those fermented possumhaw berries. I feel like pretty much everything we plant has one poisonous part or another, so I plant what I want. If kids are around, I keep an eye on the kids, and teach them not to eat plant parts without checking with an adult first. No child has poisoned themselves on anything we grow yet, so I try not to worry about it. (And I grow several types of brugmansias and daturas, but the spiny seed balls are so hideous that I don't think I have to worry about kids getting hold of them and accessing the seeds.) When we were kids we ran all over the neighborhood and played and we all knew to go home immediately when our parents turned on the front porch light. None of us died or ever got seriously injured or ill. It was a wonderful childhood, and we had a woodland, a neighborhood pond, rocky cliffs to climb, etc. I appreciate that we got to be kids with no one hovering over us too much. Times have changed. And, just so you know, most poisonous plant parts have a bad taste, making it less likely kids will eat them. Or, they will cause you to throw up if you ingest them, so kids are not that likely to eat and swallow them. (However, some dogs will eat anything, so that is one thing to keep in mind if you have dogs.) It is a sad commentary on life in this century that kids cannot play tag. No wonder so many children have a weight issue. It is hard to stay physically fit if you cannot do anything because you might get hurt. That is just sad. Dawn

Hello I have tried the Igia Elctro Sage 8 and they dont know any more about the product than the people at AbEnergizer. There video you can buy for free but you pay the shipping. What a joke that is. I have emailed customer service at AbEnergizer. Here are some of the questions I emailed them. Of course I never really got the information I wanted. Q: What would the reason be to use 3 to 4 AbEnergizer units as opposed to 1-2 units. What are the benefits to it? If I ordered these two units how much extra for shipping and handling. Ans: It will of course generate increased stimulation, thus providing a more intense experience, hence its designation of advanced. Q: What is the part number (battery number/model) for the (3) 3 volt Lithium Batteries. I called the battery store and they said they range from $2.99 and up. Ans: I am not aware of the part number. I am sure they vary with manufacturer. Q: I asked if I had to replace any parts on this product and you told me no but did mention that I am entitled to two free replacement belts. Please tell me a little about that. (They gave me the wrong phone number so I had to email them back to get it, Goog luck trying to get through to Customer service) Ans: For further information regarding belts, please contact 1-866-517-ABS I recently had back surgury so I am game for just about anything if it will help relieve the pain. I figure the most I loose is shipping from and to so I guess that isn't to bad. The bigest problem I see for me is that the batteries used are 3 3 volt lithium batteries. It would of been a lot cheaper just to use a 9 volt battery. If you don't have a lot of money like me you can go broke just buying batteries. I did find a web site that explains about how long the batteries will last and some common questions. Here is the link http://www.energize-abs.com/main.htm There website is still under construction. www.abenergizer.com and doesn't really explain anything more than what the info commercial does. I will probbaly order this just to see if it will help with my back pain. I was originally going to buy the Abtronic belt but I like the design and look of the AbEnergizer better. Well good luck. Michael

of course everyone would like a quick fix but nadine01 is right the only way to really lose the flab and tighten those muscles is healthy eating and exercise and it will take time you didnt get flabby over night and you aint gonna be toned over night either believe me i know i was very small in highschool a size 3 but after high school i got married had babies (4 of em in 5 years lol) my youngest in now 11 and im just now getting back in shape part due to the fact that i hate to exercise and i love to eat but i am getting real close to 40 and i have decided to change for me for once just me so i have been eating right, exercising with weights and doing a lot of walking and learning to drink water until about 6 months ago i had not drank a full glass of water since i was a kid i hate the taste of it, still do but i manage to choke it down in 6 months i have lost 40 lbs and 6 inches off my waist :) my goal is a size 5

Lukki, I surely understand what you are saying - and I don't get any of this either. What I have to do right now is believe my son. I am thinking he may be misinformed, but I don't believe he is lying to us. I am still thinking that when I sign the title over, it will have both of their names on it. I do not know what I will do then. My sister is also on the title; I cannot even imagine her reaction. She does not know what has transpired over the last two weeks. I do not know what her parents are thinking either. They are on the other side of the country and I have met them twice. Our offer of money was way before theirs, so it would seem to me that they might have contacted us?? They know at the moment this is my house. If I were them, I wouldn't be putting a penny in. Kswl, this is not a new situation. When he first offered to buy the house, my sister and I sat down with both of them and explained the terms of the sale, which were basically the price and title. No other strings were attached. So she knew the terms from day 1. But you are right, no outcome will satisfy all parties. The whole situation is horrible. I have tried and tried - we all have, and when any one of us wants to give up on her, I say try harder. We have all bit our tongues and tried to keep the peace. My son defends her every move - and can explain away any of her antics, FB postings, etc. She is both the antagonizer and the victim. I think he feels the need to take care of her. But at this point, at least we see our son, not as much as we would like, but we do. He is the youngest and we always seemed to have the closest relationship with him. Unfortunately, not anymore and there is nothing we can do about it. I don't know what I will do if both names are on the title when I have to sign. I just don't know, but I do know that whatever happens, this nightmare will be over by June 1st. Thanks to all of you for your support! Great day to all!!