A friend just planted a few of these and they really do look very good!

Hi putzer, I have a 300 gallon stocktank that I've sunk into the ground. It doesn't have shelves. I'm glad for that, since hopefully the coons will leave things alone....but they would be nice for the little guys who fall in. I wonder if pieces of styrofoam would work, until the plants get big enough for them to hold onto.......like little life preservers?

Are you saying that GM should bust the union ? I can hear the caterwalling and cry for a boycott already, Boxer and Kennedy screaming in outrage. You are under estimating the pension problem. Unions were necessary, but now the pendulum has swung too far their way. You don't see any brick chimney's around here anymore as their unions have priced them right out of a career, chimney's are framed in wood now. I'll bet the packages for foreign car makers in the U.S. are nothing like UAW gives. I probably should state that I have never belonged to a union -- in fact, for 'most any job I ever held, union membership wasn't even an option. Similarly, the only person who ever fights for my job and compels companies to pay what they pay me is -- me. With that out of the way.... Bust the union? No. But GM could have stood a lengthy strike to make the point that benefits were getting "out of hand." The time to do that was years ago, when GM was strong and the UAW was just starting to build on their great benefits. Now all GM needs is one more solid punch and they're down. I still don't understand the "liberal" characterization unless you're using the sloppy meaning in which "liberal" is used to mean "not-pro-business-at-the-expense-of-workers". Didja ever notice that Southwest Airlines is about the only airline out there making money now? While American/Delta/Northwest/United/USAir/etc. are trying to force their employees to work for cheap, SWA keeps right on going. Funny thing is, they're as unionized as the bankrupt carriers. But they've figured out that working with the necessary unions is a better way to go than constantly being at each other's throats. Detroit never learned that lesson, so in addition to some stupid short-term thinking, they have an enemy in the UAW. Brilliant. Motor vehicles is not the only business facing huge pension liabilities. So are airlines. So are city, county, and state governments, because accounting practices let them defer the real cost of paying pensions and now those pensions are coming due. Speaking as someone who has never had anyone guarantee my pension, I think current and future retirees are in for some nasty surprises. What was promised (either by the business or their union) is just not sustainable. Especially if SSI will be handed out indiscriminately and especially for a generation or two that has seen the biggest increase in personal wealth in the history of the U.S. There will be a lot of caterwauling as people realize either they get stiffed a little bit now or they get stiffed a lot later when whoever is providing the pension and health care goes bust. FWIW, my next-door neighbor retired from one of the Big Three about four years ago. He was a line worker and was making in the mid-50s when he left after his 30 years. Including full health coverage for his family. Minus UAW dues. Not too bad for a guy who has no degrees and no certifications. He's d@mn good at what he does, but people in fields requiring far more education and certification are making far less than that even today. Not a bad deal at all.

jamesdasmum, the feelings you are describing are not at all unusual. After I lost my 20-year-old son three years ago, at the suggestion of my counselor, I started attending group meetings sponsored by The Compassionate Friends (an international grief organization that supports parents, grandparents and siblings following the loss of a child). I was very surprised to hear other parents describe the same feelings I was having. At one meeting, every mother in the room acknowledged that they had hurt so much, they didn't want to live. The group meetings have been a respite for me from the awkward or painful comments of others who do not understand the depth of the pain mothers, in particular, experience when they lose a child. It became a forum where I could ask questions or just listen, eventually discovering how normal my suffering, feelings, and experiences were. As I looked around the room and saw people who had similar experiences but who were further along in their grief, I realized their sense of humor had returned, they had plans for their future, they were once again finding joy in living. It gave me hope. From your comments, it appears that hope is missing from your life. Life WILL get better if you put in some effort. If you are not already seeing a counselor, I would highly encourage you to start there. Not all are the same, but generally the interactions can give you positive feedback about the thoughts and feelings that are controlling your experience of grief. Also, determine if a chapter of The Compassionate Friends is nearby and call them. I answer the phone for our local chapter. I'm on the phone for more than an hour with every caller. I love to tell them how the hope that returned to my life can return to theirs. Most are so desperate for change they attend one or more meetings just to see the future version of themselves. Life will get better, jamesdasmum. You can hurry the process along by associating with others who have lost a child. After we lost our son, my address book changed dramatically. Most of my friends have also lost a child. Life is good again.