Make sure to wrap your GC in lots of bubble wrap before putting him in the mail, Vickie. We wouldn’t want him damaged in shipment. I’ll entertain the baby. I’ll put your GC to work in the galley and swabbing the decks. It builds character! Pink with lace. I like that idea! I’ll style myself as Pinky, the Pirate Princess. Okay..okay, so I’m too old to pull off princess anymore. How about, Pinky, the Pirate Potentate.
I slept late today and Jim served me breakfast in bed. I could grow accustom to this! He built a planter on the porch rail as a place for the fragrant stock flowers without my asking. It will be especially nice to have that fragrance right beside the front door. I wonder what he did, is doing or is planning to do that I won’t like. LOL. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt for now and believe the approach of Valentine’s Day brought this on.
Another one of the children had a crisis today. (You know you’re getting old when you think of a 34-year-old as “one of the children”.) There really does seem to be something malignant in the atmosphere lately. So much trouble coming to such a high percentage of people. Someone told me years ago the Japanese kanji symbol for hardship is identical to the symbol for opportunity. Praying it will work out that way. Crystal is re-establishing her relationship with her bio-grandmother. And, the crisis for the other “child” is bringing about changes that should have been made long ago. I’m praying the difficulties will turn out to be catalyst for good change in the long run.
Harvested some broccoli today. ‘Bright Lights’ Swiss Chard and spinach are sprouting. I will have to learn what one actually does with Swiss chard. I’ve never grown it before. But, I’m told ‘Bright Lights’ is pretty to look at. Jim is teasing me about my pet tomato. I don’t know what possessed me to plant a tomato seed this early. But, since I did and it is growing, I am determined to keep it healthy. I take its pot outside in the morning and take it in at night. Perhaps, I should give it a name. Hope spring comes before it gets too big to move around. *Kay*
Practical Matters for Physically Phallanged Gardeners #2
Kay, You do hold on to that tomato. Anyone who gives you a hard time, just eat your first tomato in front of them,smacking your lips all the way.
GS is a good worker as long as (1) He's not in love. (2)falling out of love. (3)Deciding which girl he loves.(4) wondering if he aught to get married. Yep! I did say he's 30.
No one is going to beleive it has snowed again.Where was all this snow before Christmas? Even my cat won't go outside.I saw on weather channel, central Alabama may get a few flurries on Friday.
Maybe i'd feel better if i planted a tomato. I will plant some herb seeds.
Have a great day all,
Vickie
GS sounds like my DD except she is 19, Vickie, that's a riot!
My family is a riot!!!!
Carrie, when does the growing season start for you there? Vickie, I’ll name my pet tomato “Romeo” in honor of your GS.
Had another ophthalmologist appointment today. There was not much change in the optic pressure or dilation of my eyes, but they tell me I look a lot better and the doctor took me off one of the meds. I got that “A woman
your age can’t expect to heal very quickly.” lecture from the doctor. (Don’t you just hate those?) BTW, is the wrist healing? Don’t you go in for cataract surgery soon?
The ophthalmologist insists I get glasses even though they won’t help my vision. Because I am so active, he thinks my eyes need the protection glasses offer. That may be true. (I got poked in the eye by a rose cane a few years ago.) Although, I think it will be confusing for other people to see me wearing glasses, but using a white cane. (Within reason, the more light I have the more useful my tiny amount of residual vision is so sunglasses don’t work for me.)
I found something that was initially puzzling when I came home from the ophthalmologist today. The kitchen was a disaster area. Chairs knocked over, bottom drawers opened and the contents scattered. Even, the refrigerator pushed away from the wall. It looked like a hurricane had struck. It took me a few minutes to realize it had been Hurricanes Fenny and Taterdog. It was so cold I left the dogs in the house when I went out. A field mouse came inside to escape the cold snap and the dogs reeked havoc trying to catch it. They were so proud of themselves for cornering the tiny thing I couldn't stay mad at them. (It was about the size of one of Fenny’s paws.) From the state of the kitchen, it must have been quite a chase. With an open meadow behind the house, field mice are just a reality of life here. I really NEED to get a new cat to keep them from moving in for the winter. Always before a stray cat would just show up when there was no other cat claiming the territory. Or, one of the kids came home with one they found. I’ve never actually had to seek out a cat before. The time has come though. I don’t think this place can stand up to another episode of canine mousing. . :-)Kay*
Kay,I think i was about your age when i realized those doctor lectures were coming regularly, So when i needed to go i had my own lecture for him. That with my ageing process i needed more TLC to keep me going, more understanding and encouragement. It did'nt work of course but it made me feel better.Doctors simply don't impress me usually.
Mice are a way of life here too. My dogs leave a welcome mat out for them, than ignores them. My Kitty kills them after playing with them awhile.Thank heavens i have her now. I hated setting traps and emptying them.Would have loved to see the great mouse hunt.LOL
I'm nearsighted and always wear glasses. I had'nt thought about it but they are good protection.Did the doctors give you a time line for you healing?
I'm due for the eye surgery next month. My wrist is finally starting to heal. I've started squeezing a rubber ball to get the strength back in my hand and wrist.
Romeo is bound to be a good natured tomato plant.
Hope a good cat finds you,nomatter where you look.
Vickie
Oh yes I would absolutely love a new Aloe pland and have always adored Oxalis, though never had any.
I had to have a french drain instaled along the front of my house and lost many many bulbs (some were expensive ones too that I had just gotten last year in trades or as gifts) I asked the workers to please watch out for any bulbs and provided a large pot for them to toss them in...they retrieved 4...yes four...there had been probably at least 40+ alont the 15 ft area where they dug. grrr!!
Oh well, if that is my biggest problem to worry about then I figure life is pretty good! ^_^
Hi Birdie!
Vickie, we have an awful mouse problem. We used to be fine when we had a cat but then my DD turned out to be terribly allergic so we had to get rid of the cat (gave it to my mom!) and the mice moved in. It's terrible and my DH is horribly embarrassed ...
Sheri,I've learned the hard way to be right there when workers get close to my plants. They don't like it but you are paying them and it's your flowers.
Are there small dogs that make good mousers? I would'nt want to have Kays experience.LOL
DD,s cat,Mokey came to visit today.I went into the bedroom and there she was on my bed. She comes about once a week for a couple of hours.My Kitty is her sister and they like to play together.
We can get to the main road again,Thank Goodness. I've got an appointment to get my hair cut and permed tomorrow.
The propane man came today. For the first time ever, I needed propane refilled in winter. It usually lasts all winter.
Vickie
Vickie, for now I'm just going to the ophthalmologist every two weeks to have the optic pressure checked. I hate the traps and poisons too.
Carrie, no doubt Jim would try to sell you on the idea of a ferret. He would prefer another ferret, instead of a cat. He is trying to convince me they are more effective for pest control. (I think he just likes ferrets more than cats.) But, you can’t get a ferret for free and kittens you can. I guess Fenny will make the final decision. I think she would accept another cat fairly easily. The old cat we had terrorized her as a puppy. Fenny has a healthy respect for cats. Given the way she digs up burrowing creatures in the woods, I have my doubts that she could accept a ferret as part of the household.
Sheri, we will get your oxalis and aloes in the mail as soon as this last cold snap ends. The nights are still below freezing here. If we don’t wait, I’m afraid the aloe would be damaged by exposure to the cold during shipping. I know what you mean about the damage workman can do to a landscape. We lost quite a few plants to heavy equipment when work was done on the septic system. They were careful not to damage the cannas that I have way too many of, but completely destroyed a hard-to-come- by kava-kava plant. LOL.
Jim is a little under the weather. I’m not sure if it was all those slobbery baby kisses that have been bestowed on him recently or something he was exposed to in the hospital waiting room. He is taking some immunity boosters and just taking it easy for a few days. We may have another person living here in a few weeks so I’ve been cleaning and re-organizing today. Not much interesting to do until it warms back up. I wanted to paint the inside of the new planter with a plastic coating to keep the wood from rotting, but the coating just would not go on well in the cold. *Kay*
No disrespect to Jim but Ferrets don't sound very loving. Are they? And tell Jim ,I hope he gets better quickly. Hospitals are dangerous places. LOL
Are those plastic coatings clear or colors? If i find a planter purse i really like i might treat it to make it last longer.
Vickie
Jim has only ever had one ferret, Marnie. I don’t think he fully realizes how unusual she was. She was a sweetie, but every other ferret I met has been mean. The only problems I had with Marnie were I don’t like the scent of ferrets and she was a little thief. Every week or two I had to send the children on “Marnie’s treasure” hunts to find all the things she stole and stashed away in one or another of her little hidey holes. I think cats rule because they don’t steal your earrings. LOL. A lot of people do seem to be allergic to them though. If you are allergic to cats and want natural pest control, I guess ferrets would do the work. There is hardly a place that mice can go a ferret can’t follow. Jim believes if you have only females and raise them from the time they are tiny, they are sweet natured. But, I still think they are too expensive to acquire and shorter lived than cats.
We try to use what we already have around on projects. We’ve decided to keep the not-so-mobile home as Amargia’s office, a place to process the veggies and extra living space so the plastic coating I’m using is the same stuff we use to preserve metal roofs. We almost always have that around. It is MUCH easier than that silver tar-based stuff everyone once used. (More expensive, though.) As far as I know, it only comes in white. Now, that you’ve put the idea in my head, Vickie, I think I will experiment to see if it can be tinted. Over the years, to preserve things outside, I’ve tried everything from that one dollar a can clear spray to “Future” floor wax. You can use that inexpensive clear spray paint on fabric (or normal paint) if you don’t mind it having the texture of stiff canvas.
Still snowing. Since this is an event that only occurs every decade or two in this area, everything is closed down. Jim is laughing at that because there is only an inch or so on the ground. Those here with vast snow experience are trying to explain “dry” vs. “wet” snow to me and not doing a very good job. Snow is frozen water crystals so how can there be “dry” snow? LOL. The only thing I’ve gotten so far is OK tends to have dry snow and we are currently having wet snow here. Kay*
Wet snow is heavy, Kay, and breaks branches and is harder to shovel. Dry snow is less dense and lighter and easier to shovel.
My DD is also allergic to dogs, horses, rhinos, mice, other people, anything warm-blooded as far as I can tell. I can't imagine she could tolerate a ferret either. Thanks for the idea.
Dry snow blows up in the air when the wind blows a little.
Wet snow just lays there and sticks together.
Carrie, We need to indroduce your DD to my GS. Than neither family would have another peaceful moment.LOL
We could send both of them to Jim and Kays for a few months.
I'm still laughing about her allergies. Rhinos and people huh?
I'll probably stick to cats. I tend to go the route of least resistance anymore.And Kitty is a loving little thing.
When we camped in the wild. I kept a good relationship with wild critters. I respected them and their space and they mine.
Trying to catch up. I left on Monday night for a few days in Nassau. Just barely got out of the airport before they had to close it because of the snow. Just got in tonight, and reading a bit before I crash. Very tired, but had a wonderful time.
Jim, and Kay, I came home to find a box from you, and wanted you to know that as soon as I rest a bit, I will be looking at the beautiful books that you sent, and they will be cherished. Thanks so much. Jim, sure hope that you are feeling better, and Kay, guess I missed what your mishap was, but glad to know that you seem to be faring well.
My dog, Mr. B ( a Jack Russell Terrier) has stuck to me like glue since I got home. He had to love and kiss me for at least a half hour, to make sure that it was really me, and that I was home to stay!! He is a hoot. DH stayed behind while me and a friend went, and you would have thought he would have been satisfied being at home, and with him, but he is MINE, and DH said that he grieved something terrible, so I will be spending quite a bit of time with him in the next few days, until he decideds that I am not going anywhere again.
Thanks, Carrie and Vickie, for the snow education. It makes sense when you put it that way.
We will be very careful of DD's allergies to warm blooded things. We'll put her in charge of the snakes. Someone in town had a pet boa constrictor that got to large so they set it free on the banks of Spirit Creek, the creek that makes the northern boundry of Amargia. Maybe, she can find it for us. :-) I'm almost certain there are no rhinos in the woods. Kay*
Bonnie. we cross-posted. The books aren't large print. I hope they still work for you. Hope it was a fun trip. Kay*
I received some Basil seeds from a place called Amargia today. They were very welcome. Thanks Kay and Jim.Especially after another snow prediction.Those seeds will keep me afloat another few days till hopefully the sunshines.I know spring is around somewhere. I still have snow on the ground.I know you are geting tired of hearing me say that.
Hope you had fun too Bonnie.
Dogs love us with all their being.huh? My Cricket will eat almost nothing when i'm gone but after i get back she'll go pig out till she almost pops.
LOL DD in charge of the snakes. My allergies would disappear in a heart beat.
I heard about your boa problems along the gulf coast. Is thought they'll migrate nortwards but will be stopped by the Appleacians(SP) and ouachitas and ozarks.
I really truelly don't want any here.
Spirit Creek......One could write a whole book around that name. Do you know the story about the name.Maybe Native American,Slave or Anglo?
The name of our mountain is Devils knob. No one around has a clue as to why. On the East side are some steep cliffs. Could be why. We are the starting point for three small rivers. The Mulberry,which runs west, The Piney creek which runs east, and the Kings which runs north. Now i know none of you will ever get lost up here.You just find water and go with the flow.
Man, I could use a few days in Nassau!!!
I read my DD (who turned 16 yesterday) the part about her being in charge of Armagia's snakes, and she cracked up laughing. She wants to know how old Vickie's GS is, and adds that she's probably allergic to bird cage litter and reptile cage litter as well as any airborne particles of snake chow or bird chow, and to mold/algae associated with aquariums. (I don't know how much of that is my propaganda - I could NOT take care of a pet AND 2 kids with asthma. But she believes it so don't anybody tell her otherwise!)
Still holding Katie in my heart.
Man, I can’t get warm today. High was only 38. Stop laughing at me, Carrie. Cold is a relative thing. We nesting snowbirds whimp out quickly. LOL.
Went to the doctor for myself today. My face looks and feels like I have a bad sunburn, but I have hardly been outside. I was beginning to wonder if my new flat screen monitor was throwing off some unhealthy electrical charge. Doc said to check my vitamins for niacin. He said too much niacin will do that. Kay offered to pay him extra to tell me I was allergic to World of Warcraft and had to stop playing computer games. LOL.
No rhinoceroses (rhinosceri?) in the woods, but there is a hippopotamus so I guess we can't hire DD. Especially since last time I saw the hippo, she was cover in moss and mold. One Christmas Nadine harassed me by going around singing that silly Christmas song, “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas. So I gave her one. A pink hippo about a foot tall. Well, green now. Kay relegated the hippo and the pink plastic flamingoes that one of the GC’s gave her to her “special hidden garden” deep in the woods. I think that is where the little gargoyle I gave her ended up, as well. (I thought the gargoyle was sort of cool.) :- Imagine what an archaeologist 1000 years in the future would conclude about the garden art of our period, if he dug up the “special” garden.
Vickie, the little spring is actually called White Spirit Creek. Not entirely certain how it came by the name. As far back as local records go, people have reported seeing albino animals, especially deer, drinking from the little creek. I, personally, have never seen an albino deer in the wild here. The park ranger at nearby Chattahoochee State Park once had an injured albino doe he was rehabilitating so I do know albino white-tail deer can be found locally. My pet theory is it got its name from the little, eyeless, white fish (cave fish) that can be seen in the creek occasionally. I assume there is a cave behind where the spring emerges and the excessive rain flushes some of the smaller cave fish out. I imagine someone seeing cave fish under the open sky and maybe spotting a white deer probably gave it the name. No one really knows, but that is what I think. I always thought the Maine coast had some of the strangest place names in the country. But, it sounds like your mountains could give them some competition.
Nassau that does sound wonderful. I wanted to propose to Kay by moonlight on a beach in the Bahamas. I received my orders to ship out while we were still in Key West and had to report for duty a.s.a.p. Kay laughs that I still managed to propose to her by moonlight on the sands of the Bahamas. Key West is coral. The small stretch of sandy beach you can find there is man-made to keep tourist happy. They imported the sand used to create it from the Bahamas. LOL. (Jim)
Jim, Nassau was great, however I was expecting warmer temperatures. It was in the high 60's and low 70's but with a wind all the time which made it feel much cooler than the temperatures indicated.
Kay, I took a look at the bird books today, and yes, I can read them with the help of my magnifier. They are truly works of art, and again,I humbly thank you.
We ran out of bird seed, so DH had to make a run in the snow today to replinish the store, and when he refilled the feeders, we were seeing all kinds of birds there. We currently have 10-12 inches of new snow, so finding something to eat is surely hard for our dear little friends. We have one bird who has been coming and sitting on the back of a swing where he can look into the dining room and seeing us drinking our coffee. I just imagine this morning he was trying to tell us there was no food out there for him.
Ugh today it was snowing AGAIN. Sleet and slush and hail. This feels like the longest winter ever.
By the time the snow quit here, we have about 10-12 inches, plus the wind rearranged it, and we have drifts 3-4 feet high. DH got the tractor and blade out this morning and cleaned the driveway, but by morning it will probably be drifted in again.
Oh how I love this thread. We are absolutely all over the place as far as subjects. I had a pair of breeding SC Corn Snakes for many years, also 2 dearly beloved ferretts. (lg cage and plenty of play tubes and crinkly plast bgs for them to stash in their secret hiding places. Yes, they are sassy little critters, but oh so funy and entertaining!!
My love to all. I am soon gonna be puter lost again as I must switch over to a new 'dell studio XPS. With that and the new. Daves site to learn to navigate. I immagine I will be incognito again for a few weeks.
I am hoping to have my partial knww replacement within the next fr=ew weeks, so that I am ready for spring gardening!!
Hugs to all!!
Sheri/ BirdieBlue
Sorry, Sheri. That is such a hassle! It sounds like you are going to be an expert at setting up computer systems by the time you have everything straighten out. You're getting so much practice. (grin + groan) Even Nadine is grumbling about the New England cold this year. Normally, cold doesn’t faze her. She has started walking to work because she says it is easier than doing all the stuff you have to do to your car before you can drive anywhere. De-icing the windshield and that sort of stuff. It is like a temperature roller coaster here with as much as 40 degree plunges and upswings in record time. I was comfortably wearing shorts while I pressure sprayed the deck. My neighbor was laughing at the sight because in the background he could still see a few drifts of snow that hadn’t melted in shady spots. The poor spring bulbs are so confused. It felt so odd to be playing in snow and catch the scent of jonquils. I would have expected it to be warmer in Nassau too.
Vickie, do you just put small pots in the purses to turn them into planters? I think that is a project the young woman who will be living here in a few days could get into. I found some fun looking old shoulder bags and canvas shopping bags when I was cleaning out a closet. She suffers from depression and has just started medication. I think it is important to keep her oriented out into the world and have interesting, but not too challenging projects for her to work on until the doctors find the perfect med and dosage. (Whatever they have her on now is causing her hands to tremble slightly, but I think they try to rush things in a hospital setting. I suspect they try to get the ideal two week build-up in the blood stream in a matter of days.) The purse planters sound like they would qualify. Someone else can actually plant the seeds for her, if necessary. Coming up with a planting design and nurturing it is the real work. Kay*
P.S.: Romeo hasn’t been able to go outside for sun the last few days so he doesn’t look happy, but he is hanging in there.
Oh .... Kay ... there is an old article on how to do stuff like that. Let me see if I can find it. BRB!
http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/987/
will this help?
Wow, thanks for posting that link, I had seen it and really inteded to make it, but like most things, I promptly forgot. This time, I printed the instructions, and will make one to hang by my mail box, should get a few odd looks!!
Thanks for the link, Carrie. They are talking about stringing a faux clothes line across the front of the porch and hanging jeans planters on it. A wash tub and scrub board setting beneath. I’ll find myself a “Jed” hat and sit on the steps whittling to add some authenticity. (I will have to learn how to whittle.) Our new resident is a package deal. She comes with a dog included. A hound named Stella. So, we will even have the faithful old hound sleeping on the porch to complete the look. We pick them up tomorrow night.
The new room is a blank canvas for her to paint and decorate as she pleases. It will be interesting to see what she comes up with. She is only recently convinced that one can have a real life outside of New York City. The New York Museum of Modern Art meets down home, south Alabama. The results should be unique.
Kay once again made it clear she is not entirely joking when she talks about the poor light dependent (sighted) and how amazing it is we deal so well with our limitations. We were scraping down the rough plaster ceilings (“cottage cheese” plaster) and complaining about how messy and dangerous to health the job was. Plaster dust gets behind your safety glasses and beneath your mask and in your ears and hair. Kay put an old pillowcase over her head and did the job easily and without any of the troubles the rest of us were having with our expensive safety equipment. Duh. She didn’t need to see to do the job and couldn’t understand why the rest of us thought we did. After all, it was just making a rough surface smooth. A very tactile job. I’m going to teach myself how to do things without using sight. It can be a useful skill to have. Nadine mastered it despite 20/20 vision just because she liked being outdoors at night so I know we L.D.’s can overcome our physical limitations. LOL.
Bonnie, there is a female cardinal who lets me know whenever the birds are out of seeds and the hummers buzz Kay when their feeders are dry. There seem to be more birds every year, but they bring such life and movement to a garden. The winter landscape would be dismal without them to liven things up. They are worth the effort. I never get tired of watching their antics.
Hope everyone is having a good day and staying warm. (Jim)
Have had a stomach bug and with taking pain meds for my wrist. Pulled the covers over my head in between bathroom trips and hibernated.
Thank you Jim and Kay for the basil seeds.They will be planted in purse. I'll just take a purse,punch a couple holes(if it wont drain) in the bottom for drainage and fill it almost full of dirt and plant my seeds. I love the blue jeans planter.Thanks for posting it Carrie. That will be my next project(with the purse hanging next to it.) I've got to take some pictures and find a way to post them.
GS is 30 going on 13.LOL
Kay, I want to thank you for taking in this person with depression. No one wants to anymore because it is so hard to and such a long time to see results,When i first had major depression in the late 70,s Insurance payed for 6 weeks stay.Every minute needed too. The government had good programs too. Than gov and insurance balked. And government greyhound therapy was born. Any one with major deprssion and not able to work was given a bus ticket to another state.Insurance would'nt pay for more than a couple days of emergency hospitalization.So now the depressed are in prison or roaming the country shooting groups of people.etc without a chance of being helped.Depressed people need help in taking their meds everyday too. Guess i need to get off my bandstand now.Thanks again Kay.
Know i've more to respond to but will stop for now. Hugs to everyone.
Vickie
Vickie, I agree that the depressed need supervised livng situations. But some refuse to accept help or deny the need for help. They haven't broken any laws by being depressed so they cannot be locked up anywhere. At one time many years ago I heard on TV(not a movie)that there was a community for people with severe depression and other mental issues. They lived there, often by court order because of a doctor's recommendation or a gardian's request. They could go out and work at jobs when they were doing ok. I haven't heard any more about such a place so I'm assuming they no longer exist.
Jim, I'm thankful you are giving this young woman a chance in life.
GOD bless and keep each of you.
Well, I have sort of had a tummy problem today too, and did absolutely nothing except lay on the couch and dive into the bird books you sent Kay. The larger book was easy to see and read, but I need my lighted magnifier, and have temporarily misplaced it. However, I did enjoy looking at the pictures. So there is a house wide search going on by DH to locate and capture the lighted magnifier!!
I don't know the circumstances of you taking in the lady, but I am sure that your heart is content doing such a good thing. I have seasonal depression, which I am sure is no where near the pain of chemical depression. Sure hope that works out for you all.
Back home and recovering after a whirlwind 9 hour round trip. Stella, it turns out is only about 4 months old so it will be a while before she will lay around languid on the porch. Stella and mistress are accustoming themselves well to life in the country. We are enjoying having them here. Fenny now has a play pal who can keep up with her. Old Taterdog will have to do for the lazy hound sleeping on the porch role. Hope everyone is recovered and having a good weekend. Received a plumeria cane from a DGer in Texas. Better go get that in some soil. (Jim)
Great Jim, Have you got pictures?
Am so glad you can get out and play in the dirt.Does working in the cold dirt cause your back to hurt worse?
Sometimes the cold seems to me to spread thru every aching part. It is so-o-o worth it tho.
BTW to wittle one just finds a stick and a pocket knife and wittle away till nothing is left Then you get a new stick to wittle and if married clean up your mess.
Carrie,Can you see any ground yet or is it still all snow?
Eva Mae, Are you out looking for poke salet yet? I've got poke started here but not enough for a mess yet. I guess it's too early for it to be up yet anyway.
Vickie
Stella's mom took photos of what we have blooming. Will post some pics on the continued thread, the ONE and ONLY Practical Matters #3.
Hope to see you all there. (Jim)
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1077214/
Has anyone here heard of the Quantum Touch? It is a healing touch and my sister and one of my daughters can do it. What I have read on line states that even a child can do it. There are classes for it. It is a form of meditation and I know I could do it if I just had a little more patience. I am lazy - I just ask my daughter to do it. My sister tried it on two flowers she brought in from her garden and put them into separate vase's. It worked. My sister has arthritus in her hands - osteo so they are getting malformed. She tried it with just one of her fingers. Doggone if the lumps on that particular finger didn't just go away!! Why is it that even though I know this would be good for me I keep putting off doing it.