When Rhapsody in Blue came out, we all rushed to get one - such a deep purple (not even the most deluded fan could claim it was blue). Lovely blooms, even relatively healthy, but oh, its habit of growth - perfectly hideous. Angular bare branches swoop out at bizarre unpredictable angles, more branches decide to die off almost overnight, stiffly awkward, like a sulky adolescent (and I have had my fair share of them). Banished, to the compost, especially after Peter James built on Cowlishaw's work to raise Blue for You (although the 2 roses are not related afaik). Still one of the nearest approximations of blue.....but sadly, its other defects preclude it from a place in my garden (although I do vicariously enjoy the wayward canes which flail about over my wall from next door).

"As for your seeds charged with subtle energy; you need to run double blind studies. Few in this hemisphere with a science degree are going to follow your work very closely unless you do double blind studies. " Albert thanks for the heads up but I'm really not all that concerned as to whether "science degreed" persons will follow my subtle energy activities. I am concerned with results .. to me, no matter how it works, if it works, it works. And to be honest nobody could do the same study, since they wouldn't be me! That's the true catch about subtle energy studies, double blind or otherwise - whomever is performing them IS a unique variable that can never be repeated by anyone else . About your cactus, yes, seems to me I've seen that on Opuntias...they are the most adaptable of the cacti, the most surprising ..they can even grow outdoors in zone 5, which I do not think any other cacti can do(?) I did see a small patch of wild opuntia in Canada once at a national park - it's easy to see them in arizona, but up north in Canada ? that was cool...

I would find out if they help with paint and lighting choices. Ours didn't and that came as a bit of surprise to me. I also would ask about during construction questions. We have days when we don't talk with our KD and then days where I am on the phone several times getting questions answered, setting up things and ordering replacement parts etc. I also would invest in the time to decide where **I** want things to go. They can advise but you are the one that will be cooking in the kitchen not them. I can't tell you how many times I have watched kitchen design programs and groaned at how the TV KD did layouts. Make sure it is someone that you are comfortable with as well because you will be spending a bit of time with this person discussing how you do things. Oh and ask for elevation drawings in addition to floor plan. It really helps you to understand how things will look. Good Luck!

Yeah, no, they don't allow any interior wall moves. If that were the case, we would have jumped *all over* removing those angles and making the rooms more usable!!! :-D And because the toilet has its own door, we're actually taking the bathroom's double doors completely off, to help light bounce around in there (we didn't have a door separating our master bed/bath -- just an arched opening -- in the old house, and we liked it). Oh, and I have to ask the GC/supervisor/whomever if I can flip the hall closet doorway, to swing out into the hall, rather than it hitting the Laundry room door. I had asked the sales person, as well as the design center chick, and they both said I'd have to talk to the super ("just in case it interferes with Code"). Seriously, something so minor as a *door swing* is apparently a big thing. "Code" my rear end. This has been a good experience for me, so far, though. Lots of compromises to humble me. Good character building. ;-) And yeah, PG, we totally jumped the gun and went out to visit an empty lot last weekend, hoping to be on top of progress. Well, we're so on top of it, that we noticed the place had been staked with lot line markers and little flags, lol. This will be our second tract build, so we know a few things. This time, though, I'm gonna get the window manufacturer/make/model info (again, only the Super knows this), so that I can make sure the windows are installed properly. I didn't have any problems in the first house, but we didn't live there long enough to find out, and I don't want to take any chances in rain-heavy central TX.