Since the plant must drain, the closure of the drainage hole(s) by its roots must be seen as trouble. It does appear the plant is crying out for a re-potting and since it is causing problems, the need to wait until spring sunshine is not what it should be waiting for; re-pot now. Make sure the soil drains well...but does retain some moisture. For that, possible use of a heavier than usual percentage of peat moss might be considered. It holds on to moisture longer and mixed with any of the good mediums....vermiculite, coarse sand, perlite and potting soil/mix the plant might do better. Repotting of course is going to show what extent the roots are in. If you are considering a total re-soiling, then I suggest you remove all the old soil, wash the roots clean and inspect for any sign of damage there. A barrier between the drainage holes and the soil will prevent somewhat the reoccurrence of the roots making it to the drainage holes. Stones of size, or shards of clay might be used. I like the broken clay shards because they leave important spaces so that water can drain well, yet block the path of soil that can plug up the hole. Go up one size only...repotting to a pot too large for the roots---even tho they have expanded--can cause future problems. Its alright to remove what roots are superfluous. Ferns, generally all, like their water and they can sometimes drop a measure of debris that makes the plant or the floor its sitting on, unsightly. But, in winter, even ferns don't grow all that much and need less water. A constant vigil by testing the soil dampness is one way to avoid underwatering/overwatering. Ferns too appreciate light....just not direct light. Give your plant more than usual at this time but give it a filter when the time comes the light intensity resumes. Mid February is the time we usually allow that plants begin to start growing. Its the time that geraniums and their ilk, come out of their cool storage to resume their voyage to summr sun. Until April tho, the sun takes its time to come up to light that influences greatly plants in windows and on window sills. Common sense should prevail. When it does begin to put on new growth in earnest, the time to begin feeding can resume. Fertilize every 3rd or 4th watering.

Just checked in (don't spend much time even on conversations lately).... glad to hear that it's what they thought and not the other. re: caffeine... reducing your caffeine intake really helps! And helps the stress management too. Take it from an ex-caffeine junkie. At my worst, 2 cups of coffee and 6-10 diet cokes a day!! (I LOVE diet coke in a can!) I've been caffeine free for 3.5 years now! Well, mostly caffeine-free, it's hard to avoid it completely... I was never a chocoholic (I didn't even like chocolate until my mid-thirties!) so I don't eat much of it... but I haven't given it up. I also drink decaf coffee... which does have small amounts of caffeine. I may have a caffeinated root beer by mistake once in a while (some, like barq's, has caffeine, some, like A&W, doesn't). I don't drink real coffee. In fact in the past 3.5 years the only real coffee I had was that first summer while touring in Scotland and it became more of a problem to get decaf than just drink the stuff... and I wasn't fully weaned. now, I'd just skip it! I cut back in a couple of steps... went from 8-10 diet cokes a day to 2, keeping my cups of coffee at 1-2, or drinking decaf if it was just as available. I was very proud of myself. I remember the conversation with my doctor, though, when telling him I had "cut back" from nearly a case of diet coke a day. "That's really good!" he said. "Now Quit." I have noticed the differences of being caffeine free. The withdrawal week was tough, but not as tough as I expected. Now, I am less cystic (my are mostly POS-polycystic ovarian syndrome), have less headaches, and show better stress management. Not too long ago I was out to dinner. When dessert was served I dug in, took one bite, and could "feel" the espresso hit my blood stream. And it wasn't pleasant. I was eating Tiramisu, made the "right" way! I don't eat tiramisu anymore, either!! Good Luck!

Stacie, I don't know why after all these years of getting them on my lips, I would suddenly get one on my nose, but I will agree with your sister that it's a very painful spot! Mine is on the underside of my nose, but I think it extends into one nostril a bit. My cold sores started when I was 19. My boyfriend at the time was in the service, stationed in Albuquerque, so I know I didn't get the virus from kissing. I probably picked it up on one of the office phones where I worked. A doctor with big ideas decided to treat my cold sores with 28 smallpox vaccinations. Yes, 28. And because I was so young, I readily went along with this. When the series was finished, I broke out with the worst cold sore of my life. It extended up almost to my nose and down under my chin. Now, more than 40 years later, I hope the virus hasn't decided to migrate.

Town was most important for the schools and distance from Boston (close). I wanted a Victorian with natural woodwork in my town that was originally a single family but now a 2 family that could easily be converted back to a single. It would probably be an estate sale since I couldn't afford anything else. I started to look for "my" home a year before we were ready to buy so that when the "perfect" home came on the market I was ready to pounce. A week into the initial search and a year before we were ready to buy I pounced on a 1825 brick federal home. It was structuraly sound but cosmetically challenged. The price I couldn't pass - easily converted back into a single BUT no natural woodwork. Those homes with beautiful woodwork were $300K - $400K MORE - way out of my price range. This is our forever house. I still long for natural woodwork. We stripped the doors and they're either black walnut (probably) or mahagany which I will leave natural with tung oil. We stripped some woodwork - hodgepodge of many types of wood so we painted again. I still long for that painted lady Victorian with beautiful natural woodwork inside but settled for the Federal brick home. A wing was added in 1840-1860. It was really muddled in 1914 when the house was converted into a 2 family. We gutted the kitchen and that wing (didn't want to gut all of it but ice dams and collapsing ceilings changed our mind). I had a hard time deciding on trim, door types (5 piece vs. 6 piece raised panel, etc.) Decided to go with the last major muddle - 1914. I could find the trim work as stock in the local lumber yard vs. buying knives for my 6" trim in the main house. This also helped me pick door wood type and style, flooring, etc. I let the house try to guide me in the right direction. Yes, I would like that Victorian but I love where I am now.