Need Help From Orchid Wives

[Cassia]

Gwen, those are great display benches! You must be so proud of the way they turned out.

I just noticed you live in Coral Gables--that's where I first fell in love with orchids!

[natasha]

bob, i'd say just do it - buy more chids. anyway, you'll have to support whatever hobby she has to get her to support your hobby. don't forget some presents for her after your big shopping spree. no chids~

gwen, the shelves are awesome! you're so luckly your guy is so handy. i have tried your trick too... i tried to bang a potholder into its metal hole with a hammer, but its so stubborn. after not being able to bear with the noise (read : i just bang it hard to protest of no help) he came and bring a drill to enlarge the nut. sometimes a little manipulation does help...

back to bob, if your wife resign to your orchid addiction its not all bad. its means your wife loves you so much she want you to be around longer. my husband loves playing games: ps3 - we share and buy a new LCD tv, but he use it most of the time for pc games, we go to pc fair together. when i go to nurseries and exhibitions, he still go, but he'll wait for me in the car, playing his psp. a little give and take make couples happy, but each individual must allow the other to indulge in their beloved hobbies as well

[kiki-do]

Originally Posted by Gwenchanter

First I designed the 5 part bench set using a 3D modeling program and did a 3D to-scale mock up of my front porch with the finished bench set in place.

I wanted it to fit exactly onto my porch, making the best use of space and also easily movable in case of a hurricane so they can be brought inside.

We built the frames out of pressure treated 2x4s. We used anti-rust deck screws coated with wood glue to make it last. Then I painted the frames with two coats of high gloss white paint.

Next I stained the 1x2 slats, sanded them down and sealed them with several coats of spar urethane (which makes them water proof and very shiny! It's often used to paint wooden boats). This by far took the most time.

The slats were then attached with more deck screws.
Then we put them in place and there ya go!

Wow! Benches and Blooms!!! Doesn't get much better than that! Those are so awesome!

[Beverly]

Bob, sorry to hear your wife was upset with you. I agree with everyone who said to get her something nice. After reading your post, I couldn't help but to buy more orchids myself on ebay.
Gwen, I love your bench's, I need something like that for in front of my windows.
My husband just made a platform for a klimagrow indoor greenhouse I just purchased. I didn't even ask him to.
Beverly

[cb977]

Find an orchid with your lovely wife's name in it...how could she get angry at that?

[natasha]

Originally Posted by cb977

Find an orchid with your lovely wife's name in it...how could she get angry at that?

or if you're into or planning to hybridize your chids, name after her - she'll be proud. in one book i own - the writer hybridize his chids and named a lot of the result after his wife

[cloudswinger]

Originally Posted by cb977

Find an orchid with your lovely wife's name in it...how could she get angry at that?

Umm, I'll be the voice of the disgruntled wife. "What that man just bought that stupid flower for himself?!" I hate it when my husband gives gifts that he ends up using himself. It's so self serving. He gave his son a race car game that he wanted to play himself, and for the longest time his kid didn't play it, since it wasn't his interest.

Once, my cousin and I were planning a trip to the Dominican Republic. He says it's too expensive, blah blah blah. Not a year later, his surf buddy wants to do a batchelor party in guess where? Now, the whole time I've been talking about wanting to go to DR, and he still ditched me for his buddies party, without a second thought. He asked if he could go after already committing to go. So then he feels all guilty and brings me a skimpy dress from DR telling me how he was thinking about me. Yea, right. I can't begin to start about what that really makes me feel.

So what I'm going to tell you is to give her something she wants, not what you want to give her. I wanted a trip to DR, not a skimpy dress with DR on it. I'm still PO about it, and it's got to be at least 5 years now. I still want a trip to DR, so more than likely I'll go there myself. Without him, since he also always has this annoying been there done that kind of attitude when he travels somewhere he's already been. I'll tell you now, an orchid would not be a good makeup gift. Far from it.

[kiki-do]

I agree with cloudswinger. Our "box" is orchids, and he has to think outside the box to whatever her loves are, be it jewelry, an article of clothes, etc.

[phearamedusa]

cloudswinger,

I whole heartedly agree. I'd be pretty PO about that trip, he'd be lucky if I only went there by myself, I might be tempted to go on some trip he'd been dreaming of...(only a little vengeful).

Bob,
My suggestion is very simple, apologize. Admit that you misunderstood her, and offer to do something she would like. The next time you are unsure about her meaning... ask her what she meant. If she has an obsession of her own ( eg. she likes to xstitch, or shoes, or whatever it is), get her something for that. But no orchids, if she's really mad, and like myself, you might be ducking for cover...
hope you patch things up.

[Gwenchanter]

I agree you should get her a gift which is something she really likes or is interested in. Perhaps you can say something like, now see how happy this makes you, orchids make me that kind of happy.

Personally the happiness to cost ratio of a new orchid for myself is a very good ratio. A $35 dollar orchid will make me just as happy as some of my friends are when they buy a $200 Coach purse. You really have to put things in perspective.