Wendy,

Oh, I didn't say the terrible two's are bad. Yesterday was bad. Overall
though Robert is mostly a very good little boy. Unfortunately the reminder
part of the blooming orchid around birthday only works if the orchid
reblooms when it is supposed to. This year I have fewer orchids reblooming,
and I know why: I took down my grow lights because I was concerned about the
electrical cords when Robert entered the stage when dangling cords were an
accident waiting to happen. I suppose I should probably put the lights back
on since Robert is now a bit older and for the most part obeys the word "no"
when repeated enough times, so he could be taught to stay away from them. I
grow my orchids in two areas of the house: about 1/3 of them are in a
shade-free but northern window, and the remaining two-thirds are in an
eastern patio door that is heavily shaded. This year, the northern
shade-free window orchids are bustling with activity this time of year, as
they should. The shaded eastern window orchids are for the most part
refusing to spike though, with a few exceptions, one of which is quite a
neat exception: my paph malipoense is in tall spike and going strong there.

As I mentioned the last time when I briefly re-emerged to rgo, don't be
surprised if I fall off the rgo radar again. Too much going on. But it is
good to see many familiar names still posting here.

Best,
Joanna

"Wendy7" wrote in message
...
Helloooooooooooo Joanna,
Gosh it's been a long time, is it really 2 years? Your baby is two
years old already?
You know, I was going to start a thread, on "Where Are They now?"
You would have been up there on the list.
Do you remember a discussion on reasons to buy another orchid & I said
to buy
a blooming one close to the day your baby was born then it would be a
reminder each year.
Don't worry about the relapses, if you think the terrible two's are
bad, there are things called teenagers!
That will be the time you really enjoy your plants! *g*
Nice to hear from you so keep in touch.
Cheers Wendy (Who is addicted to both orchids & coffee)

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
news:MMUmj.17168$75.6581@trnddc05...
Kathy's comment in the WOC thread "If anyone who thinks growing orchids
*isn't* an addiction hasn't answered the Call of the Vendors." made me
think of my efforts to battle addictions.

I bought only one new orchid in 2007, which is huge progress considering
that there used to be a time when I would _need_ to buy orchids every
month, and I couldn't ever buy just one at a time (had to be two or three
or four). Alas, when visiting a relative the other weekend I started to
persuade her that next time we visit I will buy her an orchid, she seemed
reluctant, not wanting the additional burden of having to take care of
it, but I tried to press the case that an orchid wouldn't be any burden
at all (one orchid isn't, but whoever stops at one? I did not tell her
that.). And just this evening I was just thinking that if the
miltaniopsis reflowers again this year, I will have to buy more of those,
and how I have been neglecting to visit Al's Orchid Greenhouse, and after
all that is not very polite to Al who does not deserve that. So I fear I
may be heading for a relapse. :-(

I have just begun trying to get myself off of caffeine. So far, not very
successfully. I don't think I will be able to go a year with only one
coffee (shudder), so far I seem to be having trouble with one coffee per
day. I poured myself a second mug as soon as I got into the office
yesterday on autopilot, and as soon as the mug was full, I noticed, but
by then it was too late, couldn't waste a perfectly good mug of coffee by
pouring it out after all, could I? And then today, the major
tantrum/meltdown of my two-year old at the shopping mall made me drink a
second cup later in the day (just had to). When we got home the watering
of orchids soothed my nerves, and it did not seem like a burden after
all, and surely another one or two wouldn't make any noticeable
difference in the watering burden, right?

So I guess orchid addiction is easier to hold in check than caffeine
addiction, or maybe not? Is orchid addiction just a form of shopoholism?
Or maybe orchids give out some undetectable but irresistible addictive
substance that sinks in through our pores, and reprograms our DNA to
whisper "Buy more orchids. Buy more orchids. Buy more orchids."

Joanna