I totally hear you on the subcalva. Last year I too had "every intention" of moving all of my temperate species to safe locations but I didn't move fast enough. I think it's because it is impossible for my body to perceive cold in the same way they do, so in my head it wasn't that bad and there were more pressing matters to attend to. Needless to say, I almost lost a couple that were strongly affected by drafts near the door. And the time and attention I spent nursing them back to health allowed a few other things to go haywire. MY biggest piece of autumn Hoya advice, for those going through it w/Hoyas for the first time, is to cut back on watering immediately. Just start being a bit stingy when you go to water them and check on them more regularly for the first month, to see how the pace has changed. A little concentration now makes for a lot fewer problems over the next couple months. What always happens to me is this: 1. The weather shifts and I am preoccupied with moving plants indoors. I keep doing everything else the same because I vaguely believe summer is going to reassert itself. 2. The plants don't dry out from that last ordinary watering for like... 2 months. (Okay maybe not that long but it seems like forever.) 3. Since the apartment is so much colder and they have stayed sodden for a month a number of them get pissy and if there is any other problem it is hugely magnified. Chances are one will have its roots compromised, need to be rerooted, but I won't act until it's too late. My only other piece of advice for right now is do NOT try to root a bunch of cuttings right now. It can be done, but what takes a week in spring takes the whole winter for them to be truly established. Oh and isolate those plants you are bringing in from outside, obviously. They will definitely have spider mites on them. They always have spider mites on them. -_- Oh and about your windows, Quinn, I totally believe it. My west facing balcony doors are toxic to my plants during spring and early summer but I have been using it as my prime rooting zone since midsummer passed and Hoyas LOVE it there. What used to burn now feels like a happy little once-a-day sauna to them, I guess. I DO think that artificial lighting makes life easier in winter. I tried to get away without it last winter because Denise does and she's in the same city, but I think her grow space lets in a lot more light than even my generous nearly floor to ceiling apartment windows. I courted a lot of problems with the plants in the windows that I didn't have with the plants under lights. I wouldn't mind if they just didn't grow very much, but it's difficult that they are all just more vulnerable/delicate without strong light. If you only have a few plants, then I think it is fine, but with a big group of plants there are enough unhappy customers that it is too stressful/annoying.

From what y'all have been through and will go through with Ivan, I think the most important thing is TRANQUILIZERS. You can always replant and clean up but you can't always get yourself together enough to do it. Hurricanes are traumatic and three in a row just kills the human spirit. God bless.

GOTCHA!! I see the whole picture here! Thank you all for your imput! It is very understandable and I see things a lot clearer now. Choosing non-married couples makes sense for a lot of reasons. I am no longer miffed and will be very supportive. Actually, I am kind of glad it happened this way because it will allow my fiance a better understanding of the relationship I have with my own god daughter. He is such a wonderful partner and father, that any child he is able to have an intimate relationship with would be truly blessed anyway. No - I am not Catholic, but the rest of my family is. To Carla35 - Yes I do know what it means to be a God Parent. I am a God mother to my best friends' daughter. We baptized our son last July so I am very familiar with the Catholic religions practices regarding God parents and the sacrament of baptism. To Colleenoz - My fiance's neices and nephews not calling me aunt doesn't bother me. I used it as an example for you all to better understand my relationship with the children. It is up to their parents and them as to what they call me and if they ever decide to even call me "aunt". Also - we DO have tentative wedding dates set for either November 1st or 8th of 2008. We plan to marry in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Thank you all for your comments!

ROTFLMAO! I didn't know there was a thread going on about this. It's about time somebody mentioned this! I LOL daily when I peruse the CL's ads. Where are these people coming from? People, proof your ads before you hit that "submit" button. I really LOL when they list an appliance for sale that is so filthy and then they say "would really look nice when cleaned up". Well, duh, clean it up before you take the picture and heck, you might actually "sale" it! I'm glad somebody posted this thread, I've been thinking the very same thing for months. LOL Now I think I'll go have a looky at Craig's list and see if I can find me sum of them thar anteek chester draws.