Didn't mean to make anyone feel bad about Kev'ing their 'chids. Honestly, there are times we're better off just tossing one and buying another...however, in both my cases the cattleyas were irreplaceable (meaning no one sells them anymore). I used to think "no eyes" meant they were goners. It was pure denial that kept me from tossing these 2 catts. BUT, orchids will sprout growths from even blackened eyes! Or some other place along the rhizome. There must be hundreds of "eyes" that are dormant just not visible to us. Of course a rootless orchid is not going to have enough energy to activate all its eyes but if your orchid is strong enough and you provide proper culture, given enough time, one of them will activate. Good luck to everyone who's nursing an orchid. And I look forward to seeing all your recovery posts in the forum!

Hi Linda OH ... now GA, Don't go ga-ga over this, please ... ... but are you just waking to the realization that jassy is a picturesque writer? (Listening to the radio helps one prepare - one draws one's own pictures to accompany the story: sorry - no "text"ing allowed). o j

Oh Rita!!! What a mess! Take the time to clean under the plate really, really well & change the needle. I have a window on my machine that gives all the settings related to any given stitch - I pay close attention to the detail, and use it as a check list, even for the decorative stitches I use all the time (like the antique or blanket stitch). I just can't remember everything---like raising the feed dogs!! Our new machines are not simple-and mine is less complicated than most. Your example is a good reminder to always do a test on a sample!

Luis, thanks for your suggestions. The only ones that I've cut back so far are the endless summers. The others will get done this week. I usually wait till now to do it, just in case there is more growth. I have a few more that I forgot to include in my count. My Hydrangeas: 3 Endless Summer 2 Endless Summer lace caps 4 Forever and Ever 1 Nikko Blue 1 Forever Pink 1 Pia Pink Elf 1 Blue Danube 1 Strawberry Vanilla 1 Annabelle 1 Annabelle type (smaller blooms, don't know variety. It was here when I bought the house) 1 Double Delight Stargazer (new last year) They are all on the Eastern side of my house, and they are fairly protected by my 2-story house, a 6 foot fence beyond, a hillside of evergreens behind, and a picket fence in front. I never wrapped any until 2 years ago. At that time I started wrapping the Forever pink which blooms purple, the Pia Pink Elf which blooms blue and is right beside the Forever pink, and the blue Danube which blooms a deep dark pink, and is across the lawn from the other two. I winter the Nikko blue in the garage because it's a zone 6. The new Dbl Delight Star Gazer was planted last fall and is now full of buds. The Forever and ever were planted 5 years ago in a row in a center island bed. My soil is mostly rich black moist well drained with some clay below 6-8 inches. I fertilize every spring, and again in summer (if I don't forget), and keep a good layer of mulch in all my beds. Below are the Pia Pink Elf, and the Blue Danube and they are not mixed. They just bloom the opposite color from their names, and they are growing maybe 35' apart. Pia Pink Elf Blue Danube I'm wondering if anyone has Forever and Ever that actually bloom. Mine grow 4-5' high and are very full. My yard is fenced, so generally no deer or rabbit problems, until this past winter when deer pushed down a section in loose soil, but they didn't munch the hydrangeas. All but the endless summers, Strawberry Vanilla, and Annabells were wrapped.