I am pretty stubborn. I am a gardener so I experience setbacks yearly. I think as a gardener i live in a dream world as to how exquisite my garden can be. It never gets there, but now and then I have some delightful surprises. I will continue banging my head against walls just to make the Iris society all that it can be. I know i will never achieve what i would like to see, but the closer I get to it the more I am cheered. I remember things I would have liked thirty plus years ago when I joined. They all seem possible now, yet probably impractable. Like my garden I am never satisfied with the status quo. By working on better communication I hope that more people will share the dreams and help to enact them. I keep reminding myself life is not a destination but a journey. I just bought more Lycoris thinking about a hybridizing program I had started about 14 years ago and then loosing everything when I moved to North Carolina. I had nine year old seedlings when I moved, the time it takes to first bloom. Starting over means I believe I will make it another ten years but I think I am realistic that I will never see that second generation. But maybe there is an outside chance. I hope if so I will be able to show them off to PBS. ----- Original Message ----- Robert, NEVER give up hope! There is always a way out. Sometimes one can feel bogged down by it all though. And as we know here and as I can see on facebook there is a following of enthusiatic and young gardeners out there!! Kind regards Mark > Message du 03/10/12 15:42 > Objet : Re: [pbs] The Future " I have to admit when I started this thread I was feeling a bit down. Although we have begun to put lots of things into place they do not seem to have generated as large an increase in membership as I had hoped. But I suppose It is too soon to judge and many parts of the plans are yet to be achieved, some not even yet attempted. > > The ideas on the PBS forum have cheered me and given me a sense that all the work will eventually lead to a better Iris society. I thank you all for this discussion. It is sort of like getting a second opinion from another doctor. > > Bob Pries"