@stormy Yes, from greenwood cuttings They are literally in a row in the middle of nowhere, up in the woods (bordering a small planting of perennials I stuck there

@stormy - I hsve another vice - sugar in the form of chocolate and sweets. Don't take sugar in tea, figure I get far too much from junk sweets anyway, am addicted to smoking and sugar. Its a good thing I don't like alcohol or I'd be an alcoholic, I'm sure, addictive personality I think... As for 'ornery' hmm, well yes, although its more usually described as 'formidable' ha ha. Sometimes I mean to be, other times I don't mean to be, but tact is not my strong point, that's hard for me....

Luckily, a lot of my

@stormy sorry, hit the wrong key - a lot of my 'say it like it is' approach is met with a degree of surprise or shock and hilarity - there I am arguing with some medical specialist about something and he's falling off hjis chair laughing before he admits I've got a point, its very disconcerting.

then they write to my doc saying they 'saw this nice lady in clinic' to the point I'm wondering if nice is code for something else - but my own doc, after finishing laughing, says not

@stormy I forgot to say, I';m not that healthy any more - chronic osteo arthritis, specially in the spine, hence the various medical specialists and the giving up of full time gardening

@stormy Please forgive me for not coming back after having @NiallC. summon you to the room! It was very kind of you to show up! Actually, I was trying to sneak in a private landscaping consult so I could advise a friend of mine using your knowledge! As it turns out, they've decided to put the whole thing off until the spring, which here in Massachusetts means around April of 2017. Thank you anyway!

@J.Musser Welcome back! I haven't been chatting - too lazy - but have missed you on the site and am happy to see you again. I assumed you were very busy workiing.

@Stephie Hi from me! Hope all is well there.

@Bamboo I don't think I've ever seen you in here, although it's been a long time since I've hung around in this awesome room. You're another one I thank for being such a great help on the site. Having all three of you ladies in here at one time is quite a blessing. I have a lot of opinions about food and things, and find your discussions interesting. Very sorry about your health, especially the gardening part.

My gardening is extremely limited due to injuries from a car accident, but for someone like you to go through this it's much more sad. Chronic back pain is exhausting, and I'm sorry this is happening to you. I pray that the docs where you are can figure something out to help you.

My final word, which I'll say with much love and admiration, is please quit smoking!!!! It worsens all those conditions, increases pain, shortens life, and is much worse than we read about. I've spent 20 years in tobacco control and just want people to feel better! I hope you're not mad at me for saying that - you're a tremendous help to me here and I don't want to insult you, or anyone else.

It's kind of like when you tell us to get rid of a plant we love. We wish you hadn't said it, but you know it's for our own good in the future :)))))

Okay - off the soapbox now................................

I'll try to be better about dropping in. I've always appreciated this room and the people in it!

@Bamboo, I read your post about addiction more closely, and need to confess my own terrible addiction to sugar and chocolate! I laughed when you said it's a good thing you don't like alcohol because I'm the same way. If I ever found even one drink I liked the taste of, I might just like it too much :))))))))))))))))))

@J.Musser You wouldn't say that if you'd had it!!! You getting skin cancer would make me too sad :((((((((((((((

@Sue Yea,I haven't been in here for ages, that's true. Look, osteo arthritis happens to people as they age, and if you've done physical work like me, it happens earlier and worse You'd think the body would be designed a bit better to cope with it, but apparently, its not. Anyway, I'm no spring chicken, let's just say that, I've been smoking for over 50 years so that should give you a clue (slthough I did start quite young!)

YOu should see the state of ballet dancers bodies, crippling arthritis is their lot, such that they have to exercise 3 hours a day just to keep moving - the human body has obsolescence factor built in!

As for alcohol, I do rather like pimms in the summer occasionally, and do like Dry Martini with lots of lemonade, but if you're on blood thinners, you can only have two drinks anyway or you risk haemorrhage, so I don't bother with it at all. I'd rather have a roll up and some chocolate!

Not sure I'll ever give up the ciggies, life becomes increasingly full of things you can't do and can't have with each passing year anyway. If I go dotty, I'll probably forget I ever smoked - my grandmother did, got to 99 and a half and never smoked again - she simply forgot she;d smoked all her llife.

I think its worse for someone like you who's been injured and isn't just subject to the insults of aging, frankly.

@Sue Hey Sue, no problemo!! People think landscaping is to be done in spring and that actually is the worst time. Takes time to 'learn' about landscaping, research, wade through vast files of landscape pictures and all hardscape and softscape is far more expensive. They should start now and get serious by fall. Contractors prices are down to get work lined up for winter, planting is better done in the fall and prices for nursery stock are WAY down.

@Bamboo I am right there with you. These young people have no idea what old age is like. We are so removed from our aging relatives and friends. My bones were never meant for 40 years of heavy physical exercise! The x-rays look like someone tried to duct tape everything together. I am still ambulatory, riding dangerous horses but soon I think I might be in a wheel chair.

@Bamboo R hip replaced a decade ago and a year later had to have the 'hardware' replaced. L hip is going so I try not to do too much running, walking but can't and won't stop dancing. No way. Like smoking, my dancing, horses, gardening WILL put me in a wheel chair. Gotta choose one's battles.

@Bamboo OH!! My c4-c5 was fused front and back 7 years ago, both shoulders have had double full surgeries, will never be able to lift left arm again, very serious carpal tunnel both hands...eeeuuuww! Strong muscles, wimpy bones. Grins...I've gotten to enjoy surgeries, especially 'Mr. Happy'!! Riding bicycles, swimming, walking are great to keep muscles toned to keep bones from disintegrating. Quite the bitch, huh! Aikido and Twae Kon Do...big time. Got guns and horses now!

@stormy no surgeries for me so far, just lots of disappearing and herniated, slipped discs (one's gone altogether at T12/L1, nothing there but oedema) and that's all the way up the spine, right up to my head. Explains where my waist went, and why I'm nearly 2 inches shorter...

I've got an exercise routine and an exercise bike to tryto keep the muscles strong and keep me upright, since my spine appears to be dissolving...

who said old age ain;'t for cissies, Paul Newman, wasn't it... but the alternative to avoid it all would have been worse;-)

@Bamboo I had c4-c5 fused, got 17 screws just in my neck and I am 2" shorter. My neck looks like my brothers!! eeeeuuuuww. And I used to be able to sing...I keep my mouth shut now... for singing anyhoo! Cissies we aint'!! To live a duller, comfortable, life even if it allowed us to walk longer or whatever just would have been a sad way to live. Sigh. It is what it is. I can still walk into a room and command attention...grins, no turning of heads anymore!! ha ha!