Will your crustacean pot take being plunged in water for ten minutes or so? If it will, you could drop it into a bucket of water to soften the present mix and gently ease out both plants for repotting. You'll be pleased with how the Haworthia will clump up when it has more room to spread. Be quite gentle with the Kalanchoe. You need to be cautious about moving it into more sunlight. An east window could be useful. Once it is settled, you could use half-strength houseplant food to improve its leaf colour and possibly encourage flowering. The crustacean pot could always be used for 'baby plants' to enjoy them while small before potting them on.

I am also a bit hesitant to buy things or sell things to strangers, although I did sell a futon on CL, but it was a nice lady and she was by herself, so I figured I could take her if I had to!! But, I'm more hesitant to sell a car through the paper than furniture. It really makes me nervous to have someone come and drive my car around - I don't want to really go with them, and I'm afraid they'll drive off with it or wreck it. My husband is not at home regularly in the evenings or on weekends, so we just trade in the car when we need a new one. I feel bad in a way because I know we could get more for it by selling it ourselves.

Jean, Working with a trainer is excellent advice. My dog, Sawyer, now 2yrs old, is a doberman-coonhound mix. He is easily spooked by noises (not necessarily loud ones) and also by things that are unfamiliar to him. For example, this morning as we went for our walk, there was a hanging basket that had blown from someone's yard into the alley. From his reaction, you would have thought there was a demon hiding inside the basket. Took me nearly five minutes to get him to pass by it in a relaxed state, but we did it! This is just the way some dogs are. As others have said, it will be a constant work in progress. Working with a dog behaviorist when my dog was a puppy has helped me tremendously. A trainer will give you tips on what your dog needs from you to help deal with the spookiness. A trainer will also be able to hone in on your specific dog's needs. Reading and watching Dog Whisperer has also helped me. I like trying to emulate Cesar's calm, pack leader mentality. One of the theories my trainer told me is that spooky dogs are that way because they were taken away from their mothers too young. My dog was found wandering in the rural part of a nearby county, he was only 3 months old when he was found. So, this is likely true in Sawyer's case. But it really doesn't matter why. What matters is how you deal with it. Shepherds are very clever dogs, very fast learners, so I have no doubt you can work with this dog. I work every week on Sawyer's issues. My goal has been to introduce him to one new experience every week and get him to be "okay" with it. This week was the scary hanging basket. Next week, who knows? Work with a trainer. If you don't have access to a good trainer, ask the folks at the rescue. They almost always know someone who can help. Good luck and keep us posted.

Could you give us more measurements? E.g., Is it 30" + 4" b/w the "top" wall and the sliding door The sliding door is 60" wide, correct? (Based on your description in your first post) What's the distance b/w the window and the sliding door? What's the width of the window? What's the distance b/w the window and the "bottom" wall? How wide is the wall b/w the DR/LR door and the right wall? It looks like the DR & LR doorways are really just one big opening, is that correct? How wide is the DR (or LR/DR) doorway? How wide is the wall that you show the ovens on? (b/w the garage & the right wall) What's the width of the wall that is shared with the bath? How wide is the garage door? How wide is the Hallway (bottom left)? What are the various dimensions of the wall with a jog in it to the left of the garage door? Can the wall b/w the refrigerator and the peninsula be taken down? Can any doors be moved? Widened? Made narrower? How often is the slider used on a day-to-day basis? When you have parties/guests? Keep in mind the less flexible you are regarding moving/changing doorways, walls, etc., the fewer options you have. It's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just something to keep in mind. [I understand you used graph paper and that 1 block = 6", but the actual measurements are more helpful since often drawings can be inaccurate - even a few inches can make a big difference in what's possible.] If you are not comfortable & happy with the plan - I would wait until you are. At the very least, take the time to work out the various options. You may come back to this plan, but you may also come up with a very different plan that gives you an "Ah ah! That's it!" moment. That was my experience. We started in late-March/early April, thinking we would be done by late summer, but when I found this site, I decided to post here and ask for help. I ended up with a very different plan that I absolutely love! We ended up not ordering cabinets until November and started the following January - so it was summer of the following year that we finished - and it was worth every bit of the wait! Once you're done, the wait of a few months or even a year will seem like a no-brainer in retrospect - you'll have years and years to enjoy the right plan! (Rather than living with "what ifs" or what-might-have-beens for years & years - just b/c you were impatient to start!) Good luck!