I face a similar problem whenever we leave home. In the past, any caregiver usually was too concerned the plants would dry out and overwatered. Hopefully, you can convince your gardener that the plants don't have to be soggy wet. This is tricky for a non AV grower. The last few years I have not relied on anyone to water my violets. Granted, we are seldom gone over a week, but this is what I do now. Some of my plants are on wicks or a bottom watering system. . . so no problem. The remaining I bag. I save large plastic bags, some I recall came from pillow purchases and the like. . . just any clear plastic bag that will hold a violet or two. I water & then enclose the plants or plants. Mine are left on the plant stands where they grow. I will move them elsewhere if they would be subjected to direct sunlight. Domed plants are already set up. When I arrive home, the bagged plants are fine & are usually still damp. Sometimes I leave them bagged for another week as they like the spa treatment. I wouldn't stress out too much. Violets are fairly tough and can withstand some abuse. Good luck! Terri

Those lilies are pretty much done, but i have some decent pictures that i'll place where the lilies were. My red, yellow and red-and-yellow lilies will still be blooming on Sunday - thank goodness! Of the daylilies, only Silent Sentry is blooming so far, but some of the others may open by then. Centrefold is just starting to open now, as are some of the Orienpets (i thought the fasciated ones were Orienpets, but they weren't), and there are a couple more that are going to open this week. Lots of yarrow is blooming, and some veronica spicata, as well as hollyhocks, delphiniums (may be touch-and-go), filipendula and a few campanula. There are lots of cosmos and poppies too, nicotiana, impatiens and morning glories. And i got started on the weed whacking this morning - it's too hot again, so i'm here inside until it cools down. Have to laugh - i've been keeping track of the WeatherNetwork's predictions for Sunday ever since it came on to the two-week trend. Here are the predictions for each day: Sunday July 9th - cloudy, 28° Monday July 10th - partly cloudy, 29° Tuesday July 11th - rain, 33° Wednesday July 12th - cloudy, 23° Thursday July 13th - no data Friday July 14th - mix of sun and cloud, 21° Saturday July 15th - mostly sunny, 25° Sunday July 16th - cloudy, 26° Monday July 17th - sun and cloud, 29° Tuesday July 18th - a few showers, 29° Anal? No - it gives me a good laugh! LOL I love weather predictions!

Our only experience is with plumbers. The first was a friend recommendation. We actually had them come out twice. First for a water leak where our primary wate pipe had siding nailed into it. They fixed the 3" pipe that had. Racked all the way down into the slab. Then told us our 1 1/2" pipe from the kitchen sink wasn't to code and put in 2" pipe outside the wall, inside the cabinet. Called them again when we had a gas leak where the PO had copper run under the patio slab then into the house. Settling happened and the joint completely separated. They came out and ran new copper pipe strapped to the foundation. Fast forward to our kitchen remodel. Called one that was recommended on the Next Door app. They were stunned at the length of copper run outside and said there's no way that will pass inspection. The sink drain pipe that was supposedly not to code would have been fine. The new plumbers did a reasonable job with running the new gas line in the ceiling. I'm not happy with where they drilled the holes through the ceiling joists, but that seems to be fairly common with plumbers.

Megan, Only pressure canners are safe for use as pressure canners. Pressure cookers are not safe for pressure canning. Instapots (regardless of what the manufacturer may claim in their marketing material) are not safe for use as pressure canners. People have to be extremely careful with pressure canning because any mistake can result in botulism---and there are no telltale signs to alert you that your food is contaminated---it won't look spoiled, it won't smell bad, but if you eat that contaminated food, it can kill you---and in a very painful, slow manner with much suffering involved. When and if the NCHFP tests Instapots and finds them safe for pressure canning, they will say so in writing on their website. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it to happen. The NCHFP is painstakingly cautious and careful, and for good reason---proper food preservation is serious business. The kind of testing they do is very thorough and can take years and years, and with big budget cuts over the last decade or more, they have to be careful about where they choose to invest their time and their research dollars. I've been canning my entire life because my dad loved canning, and I am ultra cautious and never take unnecessary risks because that is what I was taught (and correctly taught). Jennifer, I hate having to go to a party when I'd rather stay home, and I almost never commit to go anywhere if it involves leaving our neighborhood. The older I get, the more of a hermit I become....and I don't care. I spent a lot of my life doing what I was taught a good daughter, wife, mother, employee, neighbor, friend, etc. "should" do, and I'm at the point now where I'm going to do what I want to do. Time is precious, and I try to use mine wisely, which for me means choosing to do the things I like to do and want to do, and not just things I feel obligated to do. I hope you didn't find attending your friend's BD party to be too tortuous. Congrats on the sprouting plants---they always make late winter feel more like early spring. Nancy, Our first evening with a full house was pretty calm. The adult kids were moving stuff in, unpacking, etc. while I made dinner with the 9 year old in and out of the kitchen checking on its progress (I believe she was hungry!), and somehow Tim arrived home about a half-hour early so he was able to eat with the rest of us. I think he slipped out of work a little early after a very trying day---he may have worked through lunch. We ate dinner together and then everyone headed off in different directions to do things. It was just a whirlwind of activity for a few hours. While I've gotten used to quieter evenings, I didn't mind the whirlwind at all. Rebecca, Audrey is at such a perfect age. Pumpkin still is pretty playful and youthful, but I think he is 4 now and is starting to be slightly less kittenish. He likes to start things with the other cats, so he isn't a calm old man yet, though. I'm long past the seed acquisition stage. If I don't have it ordered and on hand by now, I'll live without it. At some point we have to stop buying more seeds (grin) and just plant the ones we have. I'm dreading the wind on Saturday, and we won't even get the worst of it, which is expected to remain a few counties west of us (where a High Wind Warning is in effect). I think our max wind gusts expected here are only in the upper 40s, but that's bad enough. I have no garden-specific plans today, other than just watering the seedlings. This is the longest. slowest start to the gardening season in ages, and the weather isn't looking much better for the foreseeable future either. Dawn