It's already been said, but I'll try to propound further on the notion that color and its "theories" are very much tied up in knots by culture and fashion. Tibbs has already mentioned the marketing aspect: consumers are coached in their purchase of plants just as much as they are persuaded that this season's clothing collection will date and supercede anything that has gone before. When we are not being manipulated by fashion, we are being coerced by cultural norms. In the midwest, at least, certain colors, combinations, and even bloom sizes and shapes are instantly pegged as gawdy, flamboyant, unsophisticated, or cheap. If someone manages to use these colors and shapes effectively, the result might be labelled surprising, daring, or avant garde. Use the same colors and shapes in another part of the world, and you'll find yourself fitting comfortably into the regional norm. My own response to color and color theory is weird. I find myself caught between pride and memory. I am loathe to admit it, but I hate the thought of people thinking to themselves, "Poor thing. She tries, but she's blind, you know, so how could she possibly get the color thing right" I guess I'm also admitting my ego-centricity, as well, as the number of people who pay any attention to my garden are probably few to none. To make my point a bit more general, people tend--sometimes for very personal reasons--to choose the Russian doll labeled "I'm one of the herd" or the one labeled "I break the rules" or the one that says "I'm a trend setter." Sometimes there are clues in a thread about which "doll" the poster prefers. The ones that puzzle me are those wanting "something different". I mean, if you want your garden, home, life to reflect "something different" then it doesn't make a lot of sense to ask for a group opinion to determine your unique, creative touch. My point, which I seem to be making quite tangentially, is that color is a seductive, but rather misleading mistress. In fact, she probably isn't as important as a mistress might be, unless that's your thing. She really ought to be viewed as just one of the high kickers in the chorus line. She's always there, and if she's out of step, you'll notice. She may even be the featured dancer in a particular landscape, but her allure won't work if you're trying to put on Swan Lake and the musicians are playing bump-n-grind, or, worse, if the musicianship is just plain bad. (Sorry for the extended metaphorI'm feeling frisky after getting out of the hospital!) But, then there's memory. I could see normally until I was 24, partial vision until 26, now totally blind. I am still very much a visual learner. I dream in color. I visualize, or try to visualize, the landscapes described here or in other sources. I remember places I've been on vacation--Vienna, the Lake district, California, Colorado--in visual pictures although I've never seen them. What I discovered with plants was that, for some reason, they trigger some of my strongest inner pictures. For another blind person I imagine that the same effect might be triggered by fabrics. If someone tells me that they like the beautiful sea-green shade of my sweater, I'll get a mental flash of that color. Someone who is more passionate about clothing than I am might have a stronger response. For me, it comes from direct engagement with growing things. I'll touch the dicentra eximia with its fern-like foliage and its little pink flower locketsor a particular tulip poking up bunny ears, or holding up a fattening bud, or open like a star. Something goes up my fingertips to my brain and I get an immediate picture in my mind of the form, foliage, flower and, of course, all the colors. I constantly ask people to describe the colors of different plants, leaves, flowers. I add their input to what I read from catalogs and other sources, which is usually somewhat contradictory and therefore interesting. I could probably do a Ph.D. dissertation on the beneficial effect of stimulating the brain's color imaging in persons with visual impairment. For me, at least, playing with color is an extremely pleasurable part of playing in the garden, both when I'm out there in reality and when I'm installing mental landscapes over the winter. I guess you could say that I'm easily seduced, although my preference would be a dancer of the very male persuasion. Wellspring / Charlotte

Thank you, Karen. Nana ...if you type in Lynne Mann, you may get her FBk news ...give that a 'search' try on FBk. Cont. prayers for this precious lady who has endured so much & appreciates her family & friends & being able to get back home ... sounds like she is on track again & hopefully will be 'home' again soon. Jeanne S.

Ladies may I join you in this discussion? I am a young healthy looking 62. And today is my first visit here after looking up adrenaline I sure understand better now That's what I have going on MY NATURE'S PACE MAKER.working. Adrenaline After a stay in icu heart recently everyone finally agreed i am mot crazy.it was.my heart. The docs installed is a device catch my heart acting badly is a heart tracker like halter monitor. Under my chest muscles on top of my heart. I can cause it record what just happened.. iam write with excitment because your stories are all so familiar. These stories for me begin after mitral valve repair. 7 years ago. Basic problem ..unless the doc sees the heart behaving badly they deny the problem. All this time we never could catch it Last doc said bluntly if we dont see it didnt happen. You must to er Well recent at 230 am it woke me up, just as you have described. I went directly to the er They caught the serious thing! Arrithemia and more then two days in icu. Now meds have slowed my heart from 70 to 52 while docs decide what to do. Last night I realized I was having an adreilin rush. The same rush I went to a neurologist for help. Over a year and half. Often it also affect my skin. Goose bumps crawling feeling all day long! Well have I got news for him.I was not crazy about that either. my gp I visited last month just to say. I know you don't know what is wrong but I still got it. Knows too I sat in neros office two months ago ,,,same thing. I said dr i just want you know ME when I end up in er..and i need you. well it was er straight to icu. Home now with electrical issues. Last last night meds have my average at 52 bpm.it woke me. 2 3 am. I use my tricks to get back to sleep.as soon as felt sleep coming on the stomach feeling spread. It woke me up heart pounding.sweat .out of breath!!! Happened several times . then checked average heart rate on my Garmin. 48. Average 48 so i was probably lower. Maybe 45! My natural pace maker kicked in every time sleep lowered bpm and I was short on air. Natural pace maker? Adrenaline can't wait to see what was recorded on my device Thank you body! Now I think i know what as going on for long time hidden from doc view. Electric shock adrenaline style

Psst, now I don't know if this is true or not, but I've heard that some women going through menapause like to lay on cool granite because it helps cure hot flashes. Now, I know this sounds like an old wives tale, but you know, there certainly does seem to be a majority of more mature women insisting on granite, don't you think? And it does seem that laying on cool granite naked might cure or at least give relief to hot flashes. I say it's worth a try and it should be all about cooling thyself off. Common' ladies, those that really know, is there some hidden benefit to owning granite that you haven't openly shared? Do I have something to look forward to? My DH would be thrilled to know his money might have gone for medical benefits. (Do you think we could use this as a deduction of some sort? Just asking...) What say you? :0 D