Hi Terri, I too haven't been posting for a long time. So sorry to hear about Dewayne. These things seem to start happening all the time when we get older. People you have known a long time dying, people facing real problems in retirement or approaching retirement. The problems in the economy are affecting everyone and many students can no longer continue their education. So sad. Have you considered on line courses? Cancer has a way putting life into focus. My own mother was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. We thought it was the end. We didn't even think she would survive the surgery because she is 94. She survived and she is going to be OK. I'm glad your roses are nice. They certainly help us get through times like these. Henry

INDIVIDUAL AZTEC CHOCOLATE CAKES 10 ounces Mexican bittersweet chocolate, chopped 4 tablespoons salted butter 4 tablespoons sugar, divided 4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon brandy or rum 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon chili powder (YES!) big pinch of ground cloves a few turns freshly ground black pepper (yes, again) Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Butter six heatproof coffee or custard cups. Dust the insides with sugar and tap out any excess. In a medium-sized bowl, melt the chocolate and butter over a pan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in half of the sugar, then the yolks. Then mix in the vanilla, brandy, and spices. In a clean, dry bowl, whip the egg whites until fairly stiff. Beat in the sugar, and whisk until the whites form soft, droopy peaks. Fold one-third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remainder, just until incorporated. Don't overfold. Divide the batter into the prepared cups. Bake the cakes for 10 to 12 minutes, just until the tops feel firm. Once done, remove the cakes from oven and cool for a minute before serving. If you wish, unmold the cakes onto plates for serving, or serve as is. Top with a tiny scoop of ice cream, sorbet, or a dollop of whipped cream. I like mine topped with "Naked Coconut" coconut-milk ice cream. You can make these little cakes in advance, leave them at room temperature for an hour or two, and then cook them at the last minute. You also can refrigerate them and let them come to room temperature before baking. Joe

Thanks everyone for your answers and ideas, and especially to those who are being so supportive with the encouraging words. I just got off the phone with my son. Let me see if I can answer some of your questions. I did tell him -- and I'm sure he knows -- that I've certainly made paint booboos before, and that everyone has. No biggie. I asked him a lot of questions. He owns the house. We are in the greater Seattle area, so 9 mos. of the year it's grey and rainy. He says when he saw the gold he just kept thinking of the green and that he LOVES that green and loved how good the "fake wood" hall doors look with it. He's not happy with the blue paint, and wasn't as soon as it was done. He keeps saying he can't afford to replace the ugly blue tile right now, and I know he doesn't want to do the work. Decorpas & Funkyart, I've read you can paint tiles, but that it's a bad idea in an area that sees a lot of water and use. I looked into that too. He says he knows the kitchen is going to look bad until the tiles are gone. Funkyart, have the tiles worn well for your friend who did it? Can you please find out more? Like products? Sealer? Did she paint her grout too? I think either black or some shade of tan/brown would look good on the counters. I ran the dishwasher panel by him but he says his is so old he's not putting a dime into it. He owns the brown loveseat, bought it himself a few years ago. He owns the chair -- it's a hand-me-down antique from his dad's side of the family. It's theadbare and then some -- a pale aqua color. But he won't part with it (sentimental). The red color on the chair (which he wants) and the pillows and the draperies were my addition with the mockup; they aren't there IRL. The little rocker to the right of that one pic was left behind by a renter and he thinks she's going to come get it one of these days. The lace curtains were left by the PO. I've asked him about them and he says he likes them and wants to keep them. Go figure. He likes antiques. He dislikes modern decor. Funny, he's always been a Navajo White kind of guy in the past, so this burst of color really surprised me. I think he surprised himself, too. His LR/DR and Kitch all flow together. Like, you come up stairs from the front door (split entry) and the LR is on your right, the hallway on your left, with the kitch straight ahead. The LR opens to the DR, and the DR opens to the kitch. The wall you see painted green is the wall that separates the kitch from the LR. What you see painted blue in the above first pic is the kitch's shared wall with the DR. So at this point he says he wants to keep the gold in the LR and the half of the DR as it is (LR and DR share a common wall). He really likes my mockup and still wants to do that, and wants the green down the hallway as he has it now, and intends to paint that green in the kitchen as well. He still wants to accent with red... leaning toward the rust tone, not toward burgandy. So do you have any comments, ideas as to how to pull that off without making it look like a Christmas explosion? That green really threw me for a loop.

Dear Susies, I am waaay behind with my blocks. I love doing them, but we have a crisis in our family (not health, but a legal problem) which will most probably require that my husband and I to go to Germany for probably a two-week stay. We're waiting for a trial date and have been waiting, but the government works very slowly usually. We could hear about going at any time and I have been in a bad depression. Anyway, I'm sure I can complete all the blocks eventually if no one minds waiting an undetermined amount of time, but if there is anyone who wants to take my place, that would be good too. I am not the type who doesn't fulfill responsibilities, but I have never had a family problem that wasn't related to health of this magnitude. Thank you, Mollie.