Cool! I'll check those out as I'm on the computer so much and need breaks from the class/work monotony. I go to forums and silly Facebook stuff for school, but unfortunately they are only for students or alumni. I wish I could invite other folks who would enjoy them, and that s*cks the way it is. I wander around the web and find odd, great things often but haven't a clue whether folks here would be amused, too, lol.

I had an acre cleared for my veggie garden but made them keep a little island of natives about in the middle. They thought I was nuts- tree roots and all that interfering with veggie roots, sucking irrigation water, honeysuckle would take over, there might be more poison ivy lurking, etc. Well, that little island, with its two small maples and a tiny oak, some scrubby weedy things too, have, over 5 yrs., sprouted a lovely sassafras, a clump of maple leaf viburnum, and a hickory. The edges have been planted with hosta and ferns, those viburnums that prefer some shade, a place for a sweet autumn clematis to climb unabated, daylilies and glads that are protected from critters (because the veggie garden is fenced 8' high). I put my ancient metal A frame swing there and it is where I escape. In the winter, all bundled up with blankies, I watch the stars. In spring I watch the birds building nests above me and Blue Mason Bees running back and forth. In the summer I escape from the heat of the day, but not the humidity which is cured with a tall glass of sweet tea. In the fall I watch the leaves turn colors overhead and fall down on me willy-nilly. Now that I have inherited cat and resulting kittens, they join me there on the swing. My DH wanders out there too to rest, just to have some peace and utter quiet before he jumps back on the tractor to plow or disc. If I sit there too long I am looking for a piece of paper to write down what needs to be done in the garden. That's when I know I have tarried enough. Nancy the nancedar

Clare, I also got many of my jars from elderly friends who don't can any more. I take them bread and homemade jam and they are glad their jars found a happy home! I used to get them at Goodwill and 2nd hand shops but canning has become much more popular the past few yars and someone always beats me to it since I'm at work all day and can only make it to the stores on weekends or evenings. Walmart is the most expensive place here, I do find jars sometimes at Menard's and Big Lots, usually the Golden Harvest brand at Big Lots and they are always quite a lot cheaper than Walmart is. Since my local True Value hardware store is just a few blocks from the house and everything else is a minimum of 60 miles round trip, it's a lot cheaper to pay a couple of dollars extra and save the gas, plus the owner is my neighbor, 3 houses down. Annie

Thanks, all. I've started hanging out on wavyglass. I'd been looking at oldhouseweb, too. wavyglass seems more active. ambungalow seems to have surrendered to the spammers. I'm not a DIYer: I'll end up paying someone to make changes. But I want to understand and direct the process. I think I have someone that will do what I ask, even if he's not used to doing that kind of work: most people don't want it. We have a good relationship. As to stripping the kitchen down to the studs, this is a complete kitchen redo. I'm not looking at moving the water or gas much but all all new cabinets/new layout, new flooring, new lighting, pocket doors. So In this case, it may well be more economical to strip and replaster. In other rooms, I doubt it (with the possible exception of the bath). Thanks again.