Previously, orchids were deemed as the exclusive plants and only the very wealthy that can grow these plants. Yet, this idea is no longer suitable today. This time, each person can grow these lovely plants because they are more affordable and acknowledge on how to care for them is obtainable readily. For people who have grown orchids for years, these plants are the queens of horticulture world.

Can I Really Grow Orchids?

Generality, those who are not familiar with orchids, may have heard that they are absolutely difficult to grow well. A mystery seems to be encircling them. Some would be plant fanatics may consider orchids to be the job of experts, and are not meant to the learner or hobbyist.

Actually, all of those ideas are completely incorrect. Growing orchids is the oldest and perhaps the most highly organized of plant hobbies and people in all walks of life can enjoy them. If you can grow pot plants, you can fruitfully grow orchids. Nevertheless, before adding up these plants to your home, consider some fundamental facts first.

Fast Facts

One that you have to put in mind chiefly in growing orchids is choose the suitable category of indoor environment that you will be offering. There is a myth that these plants are “exotic”. Therefore, they won’t grow properly in the general home.

As the largest group of plants in the world, they are not a rare and delicate species. While they do entail specific treatment, many species are tough and you may even discover a variety growing wild in one of your local parks.

Orchids have developed over the years, with the type you buy in a local garden center being particularly bred and cultivated for your particular area. On account to careful breeding and hybridization, the plants you purchase will do quite well in your home if you meet their essential needs.

A greenhouse isn’t compulsory to grow these pretty plants. Growing them indoors will be as easy as nurture to other houseplants. However, opt a species of orchids that has been cultivated for your area.

There are many species of this plant, and some may include careful care just because they are not able to last out the conditions that are in your home. Then again, there are lots of varieties that will blossom in your house, with normal and frequent care, because they have been acclimatized for your special area.

You won’t be regret of growing orchids at your home as they can provide you a lifetime of enjoyment. It calls for a persistence to grow these plants but give the considerable satisfaction. Happy growing orchids!

Want to know more about orchids? Learn about the types of orchids here.

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My grandfather and I discussed writing. I told him how many novels I had to read for just one literature class in Oxford and he told me, “baby, it takes me so long to get through one page, stumbling through all those words. The only way I’ll ever read a long book is if someone finds a good, long western and buys it for me.”

He would read it just because someone had given it to him, if nothing else. He’d struggle through the small print and tedious scenic descriptions because he wouldn’t want to waste someone’s kind intentions. There was a pleasant pause in our conversation, and he sat rocking in his chair while I flipped through a magazine that was sitting on their crystal dining room table. That table always seemed so impractical to me, but it made my grandmother happy because it sparkled and made my grandfather happy because it made my aunt happy who had bought it for them. My grandfather’s arm shot up (in slow motion) and he shook his finger in the air a few times. “I have something for you baby…” he said. “I thought maybe you’d like to read it. I found my great grandmother’s journal. We were hiding it until her daughter died—she wrote some things about how they didn’t get along…Let me go get it.” I smiled. I smiled because I was genuinely too excited not to smile. “Oh really?” I said as he made his way out of the room. I was excited. I was thrilled, really—to read someone’s deepest thoughts. To find treasures inside written memories or poems or even an old “To-do List.”

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Those were the words I was greeted with yesterday at Riley’s annual Early Intervention evaluation. Riley no longer has any delays, in any area. That simple sentence literally took my breath away, as I realized that I have never been in a meeting about either of my twin boys and heard that they were developing completely “normally.”   Usually, these meetings are difficult for me, as I am forced to focus on the areas in which the boys are not progressing as they should be. Of course, we always talk about the gains they have made. However, the bulk of our discussions naturally center on their deficits and on the fact that, since their premature birth, both of my boys have required intervention and therapy in order to learn what comes naturally for so many children.   Both of my boys have been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (CP), and they have had physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and developmental therapy since they were two months old.  These meetings can be grueling, and sad, and often leave me drained. Last night, though, I was absolutely elated and joyful! For the first time, Riley is meeting all of his developmental milestones exactly as he should be.

At his annual meeting last year, Riley was still commando crawling on his belly, and was not even able to crawl on all fours. I remember having a conversation with all of his therapists about whether or not he would ever be able to walk independently, and when they thought that might be. I burst into tears because I was so afraid that he was going to start to become aware that he was missing out on things when he saw his twin brother, Ross, begin to walk.  I asked if he could try out using a walker and in January of this year, he started to use a walker for the first time.  Then,  there was a huge miracle in May, when he took his first steps all on his own. Now, in October, Riley walks completely indpendently, although he does have a slightly altered gait due to his CP. He still wears braces on his legs and probably will for some time. His balance is still not great and he falls often. He has a ways to go with managing steps on his own, running, jumping, etc., but, he is a million miles away from the little boy who made me wonder if he would ever walk on his own.

Riley’s language skills are right on target for his age. He says about 100 different words and he is now starting to use 2 and 3 words together once in a while. He is having a little bit of trouble pronouncing certain sounds and his speech therapist and I both believe that his CP is making it harder for him to move his mouth in certain ways, so he will still have speech therapy to address that. His fine motor skills are coming along beautifully, although he still has needs related to his CP that he will continue to address in OT.

This past year has truly been incredible for Riley, and while he does still have some challenges to face as a result of his CP, for today, I am basking in the glow of hearing “he no longer has any delays.”

Melissa Ringold

Winning entry for October! Thanks, Melissa for submitting your parenting experience to From My Experience.

Living in hilly snow country 35 miles south of Buffalo, New York is a colorful experience all year long.  One of the best experiences was a particular winter morning. We had several feet of snow on the ground and an ice storm had covered everything.

As I waited for the bus to go to work, I admired the moon over the western hills as the sun crept over the eastern hills.  I was sorry when the bus came because the scene was enchanting, however, the bus
driver closed the door and sat there watching the sky begin to lighten with shades of yellow, red, violet and light blue.  Soon the ice on all the trees was sparkling as though they had been covered with diamond dust.  There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that God was at work as we silently communed with nature at her best.  We carried that scene in our hearts and minds for a long time; for me it has been more than 40 years.  No artist ever produced a more inspiring panorama.

I am sure we all went to work that day with a renewed outlook.

Marilyn Shie

In the past couple of years, new sensations have been sweeping the nation in the forms of Guitar Hero and Rock Band. In the unlikely case that you have never heard of or played either of these video games, they require you to play plastic model instruments in time with a song track hitting as many notes as possible on varying difficulties to suit your skill level (both have Easy, Medium, Hard, and Expert for the brave).

Guitar Hero Review

The Guitar Hero franchise has been growing in popularity in the past few years so that most everyone has played it at least once, and for good reason. The latest in the series, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, is one of the most played games today and chances are that anyone with either an Xbox 360 or a Playstation will have it. In my experience, it is so far the easiest to pick up and play. I say this because notes are easier to hit than any of the other Guitar Hero games because there is a larger area around each note for that note to be hit. The “grace period” is longer and you can hit a note, even after it’s past or before you’re supposed to, to a certain point.

The actual difficulty of the note charts of the songs, however, is much harder than Rock Band and any other Guitar Hero game and is meant more for the hardcore “rockers” rather than the casual players being the most difficult songs to play so far. So, notes easiest to hit, but also a lot more of them and faster. The song selection is excellent, as usual. There is a nice mix of classic rock, metal, punk and hard rock. Rather than list numerous examples, you can find the song list easily on Wikipedia or even guitarhero.com.

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From my experience traveling to New York City is never complete without dining in one of the more unique restaurants within Manhattan, the 21 Club, 21 West 52nd Street, New York, New York 10019.

Once a glamorous speakeasy, today ’21′ is one of the most celebrated restaurants in New York City. In addition to its two restaurants, the Bar Room and ‘Upstairs’, this four-story townhouse features ten private party rooms ideal for celebrations, meetings and banquets, including the legendary Prohibition-era Wine Cellar.

My wife and I dined Upstairs at 21 and had one of the finest dining experiences you can have. Our waiter, Christopher, was by far the best waiter, and I hesitate to call him that, I have ever seen. Calling Christopher simply a waiter is like calling the Mona Lisa a paint by numbers painting. He exceeded every expectation we had.

He seemed to read our minds because he was right there whenever we needed his services and provided the right wine with hardly a description from us of what we wanted. He escorted my wife down the steep stairs when she went to the restroom. He took our picture before dinner and took another after dinner, only after clearing the table and putting down a clean table cloth.

The food was excellent, I had the salmon and thought it was cooked to perfection. The upstairs area is small but not cramped. You get special service, as provided by Christopher, while in the upstairs area. The cost of each meal was $40 which include appetizer, main course and dessert.

There are many places to have a delicious meal in New York City but few give the level of service provided by the 21 Club. Thank you, Christopher. We hope to stop by on our next trip to New York this summer!

If you make your reservation online you get free champagne, which we did.
Oh, and we saw Spamalot after dinner and were entertained. Clay Aiken did a good job as Sir Robin.

It was in 1996 when I first experienced the excruciating pain. I was almot 5 months pregnant to my third baby (the second was a miscarriage). I was brought to the hospital, ultra sound performed, but they found nothing, they said, and maybe it was just some gas pain because I just ate 4 eggs (balot, Philippine delicacy from duck eggs). The pain subsided anyway and we teased that each egg was worth P200 when it was really P3. The price hike was due to the hospital bill our pockets were damaged with.

A month later I was back to the hospital with an even more painful stomach. It was soooo painful. I was throwing up my bile, green and bitter. I had another ultra sound. That time they saw 2 ovarian cycsts at my left. The doctor said it is possible that it can get smaller and that she can remove it at the time I deliver my baby. At times, others experienced having the cyst come out with the delivery. We were ready to check out.

While waiting for the last visit of the doctor in preparation for checking out, I had a more painful stomach. The interval between pains were getting short too…it was like I was in labor, getting ready to deliver…but I was just 5 1/2 months pregnant. The pain was soooooo terrible. more than the labor pain. The doctor said my baby was distressed.

I had to be operated on. We have been briefed. We have to choose. My life or the baby’s. Of course my life was the choice. We were ready. We have put everything in God’s will. There was nothing we can do.

I was given a general anesthesia. I still can imagine the prick of the needle at my back. Little by little I got sleepy and numb. Before I lost consciousness I even said a little prayer, “God bless you…” referring to the works of the doctor’s hands.

When I woke up I was in my room. I was greeted by my husband but said I still should not talk and that I have to rest. With weak body and arms, I felt my stomach and asked him, how’s the baby? He said, “it’s there.” That was the sweetest words I’ve heard that day. Tears welled my eyes as I mentally prayed for thanks.

Hours later when the doctor made her rounds and I was awake, she explained what happened. What they thought as 2 cysts was actually 1 big lump that twisted, which later ruptured. That night I was like in labor pains was the time the cyst ruptured. (While I was on the table and got all the cyst parts, it filled the small kidney basin which she brought out to show my husband.) She said, my case was rare. For most cases, the mother and baby died, or the baby died and mother survived. In my case, they were able to set aside the uterus with the fetus inside, remove the left ovary and the rest of the ruptured cyst, put back the ovary in place and stiched me back up. What’s more miraculous was, the ruptured cyst remained in one place when it could have scattered and poisoned my body. Since it stayed in one place, she was able to get everything out.

In February 18, 1997 I had a NORMAL delivery to a baby girl. Her name is Myrrh Raquel. We call her Raqy (rocky), a survivor, God’s reminder that miracles do happen. She had several major miracles in her life, all having something to do with her health but she always survived.

Lesson? Always trust God. Anything can happen but with Him, there’s always a chance that miracles can happen than without Him.

Cecile Cinco

It began with a call from my boss who worked 3 floors above me in the Chase Manhattan building on Pine Street in the heart of New York’s financial district. Thinking myself the athletic sort, I took to the fire stairs taking them two at a time up to the 41st floor. Inserting my security card into the slot I was surprised when the indicator flashed red rather than the lime green I was accustomed to. Retreating to a different floor and a different card key reader produced the same result and it came to me that something was up.

I had heard stories about people getting locked in the stairways and having to descend to the sub-basement to find an open door. When they got there they were met by a phalanx of security guards who would question them intensively and then not release them until they could get someone to vouch for them. I sought an alternative.

Knocking on the door persistently finally got me readmitted to the offices of Davis, Polk, and Wardwell the 13th largest law firm in the United States. I’d been working there more or less happily for two years as a computer programmer. I was one of about a dozen propeller heads in a sea of suits and ties. I made my way upstairs (using the elevator this time) to face what I now figured couldn’t be good. As I proceeded to my meeting all of my security privileges were canceled and my computer accounts were locked. I was, of course, fired but my boss could not really explain why. Just three months before I had received a stellar performance review but management had soured on me in the interim. Oddly, I was not immediately escorted from the building by armed security personnel but given three months at full salary to arrange my affairs. It was the best thing to ever happen to me.

When my wife Lenore and I first began dating we would often discuss things that we would do if we had the time. Back in the early seventies she had taken a trip through Europe and Israel doing the obligatory time as a kibbutz volunteer. She extolled the virtues to my often skeptical ears. Here was a chance, though, to see what she was talking about. Lenore was working as a special education teacher in an upper east side school and had her summers off and, having conveniently gotten laid off in May, she convinced me to postpone my job search until the Fall. Read the rest of this entry

Who knew that giving birth to twins could change a life so drastically. After being on bed rest for half my pregnancy and going into labor 6 weeks before my due date, life went from a turtles speed to a whirlwind. I had a beautiful boy and girl that are the light of my life.

All of a sudden all the fears of being responsible for another human being were multiplied by the 20 little fingers and toes in front of me. Fast forward a year and now there are two whirlwinds taking over my life heading in opposite directions. Walking and running are one in the same. Who knew those chunky little legs would carry those bodies at top speed. And the bumps and bruises that come with the speed. The tears and the giggles make my life complete.

I second guessed myself as I gave up my career, but look what I get in return. Two silly grins and lots of fun all day long; Much better than a dreary day in an office. No more suits, just the Mommy uniform of Yoga pants and a t-shirt make my life complete. I have responsibility not only for my own life, but for my family. Life changes with two, but now my life is complete.