Anyone still willing to adopt a zone 5 newbie? Just signed up a few days ago. This is my first post. Here's my story. I'm a single mom of 2 hyperactive, possibly autistic spectrum 4yo's. They are so hyper that they can't sleep and wake me 5-6 times per night. They are literally my miracle babies and the joy of my life, however, how I manage to function and keep a job is sometimes beyond me and totally a matter of faith. Their therapies and special therapy equipment are expensive & insurance keeps cutting coverage. I've struggled to find a daycare that will accept them and provide the individualized care that their disabilities require. I've fought the school district to get adequate early intervention services...it's a daily battle. My nearest family member is 1500 miles away so nobody I can count on for regular assistance...even to watch the kids while I go to the grocery store where I can't take the kids anymore because it triggers more hyperactivity. Gardening is one of my "keep your sanity" tools. In the summer I wake at the crack of dawn before the kids so that I can go out to quietly dig for just a few minutes. In the winter I dream through gardening books while the kids are watching their favorite video for the 1000th time. I've lived in my present house for 12 years, much of it trying to learn how to adapt my gardening from Western WA climate to Northern CO climate- experimenting to learn what plants survive here and so on. The house was an old farm house with nothing but prairie grass and 4 mature trees. I had to install a sprinkler system if I ever had a chance of buying a plant and it surviving in this dry climate. I had an old well on the property which is OK to use for irrigation. 4 yrs ago I finally had a landscape plan drawn up but when I priced landscape installation (mind you I just needed someone to do the heavy work or "set the bones" of the garden) the cost was astronomical. I'm talking $10k just for soil prep! $40k for the landscape w/o fencing or plants! So, I hiring a friend to work a few hours/week after his day job. He is trying to support a family of 7 on My next sticker shock...I went to the nursery looking for plants and shrubs....Holy Cow! I'm in the wrong business! Ever since I've been looking for cuttings, seeds, seedlings that have weeded themselves under shrubs, and anyone who needs help dividing perennials. I have a few things to trade...see my lists. I would joyfully welcome being adopted by a zone 5 gardener with lots of perennials that need thinning. And thanks emmaelice for being so thoughtful to start this thread! Blessings, Debra

Gandle, I hope you feel better soon. I'm in the trenches with you. "Barking like a seal" -- perfect description. My doctor thinks I have Whooping Cough or Walking Pneumonia. (I thought we'd retired Whooping Cough years ago, but apparently it's on the rise again.) So I'm on antibiotics, probiotics, and Robitussin. And staying away from the madding crowd, working from home. Getting some filing done. Being amazed by how many hours per day the cat actually sleeps. Sometimes when the coughing spasms end there are tears streaming down my face, my nose is running, and it seems like my entire upper body is going all guns to get rid of all its moisture at once. I find it's easier to sleep propped up by a whole bunch of pillows. My doctor also "prescribed" humor: "watch a funny movie," she said. So I'm getting Netflix to send me "Greenfingers," "Ball of Fire," and "Creature Comforts - Season 1."

Ask the Dr. to do a Petscan which is much better and more through that a CT. It is done with radioactivity and shows up way more that anyother scan. DH just had one done to see if there is any active cancer at this time. Results back within a week and thankfully all is clear at this time. Our Dr always cultures anything involving breathing tests. Since he is allgeric to prednisone he has to take other drugs. But then because of his medical conditions, he had another pneumonia shot, only this was a double shot with something else included to discourage cold, flue and pneumonia. I asked the Dr what was in it, but he did not give me an answer, he only said a good lung doc should know how to combine shots, depending on the person's health.

I got the pneumonia shot at my last physical. Those shots do leave more pain and stiffness than most others. The nurse insisted on using my non dominant shoulder . I let it go even though I preferred the other. When I get the second one I will insist it be done on my dominant side. No debating. I had to consciously remind myself to work that side so it wouldn't stiffen up. My work paid off, I managed to stave off extra days of soreness and do my horse thing the following day which also helped. But it would have been so much easier if it had just been my dominant side using it in normal activity.