The climate will be a problem. Macrophyllas like Nikko Blue do well up to Zone 6 and need winter protection in Zone 5. Zone 4 might just be too tough. If I were the nursery, I would have put them in the Annuals Section! As far as the sand goes, the plant will do fine if you mix compost with the sand, fertilize with organic compost in Spring and water 1.5 times more than normal. For example, a new hydrangea can gulp 1 gallon of water per watering but in sandy soil, I would give it 1.5 gallons instead. PS - Sorry for the late reply. I just saw your post.

Your husband must speak to his mother. She is being unreasonable and at this point sounds like she's helping to jeopardize her future grandchild! You should not be in the middle of this one at all and your husband needs to step up and do his job. Either that, or you have to tell him you can't live there under those circumstances and need to move. The business about the 'lawyer brother' is ridiculous too because you have at least as many rights as she does, never mind that the house is your m-in-l's! Why is everyone letting a tenant intimidate them? Don't you have access to lawyers too?

You are doing the right thing by asking your neighbor to unplug his opener temporarily. It is not common for one opener to interfere with another. I am including some additional information for you to consider. Limited range of your remote controls could be related to radio frequency interference that comes from something in your home or in the surrounding environment. Certain electrical devices can radiate interference; this could be almost anything that is plugged into an electrical outlet. Please keep in mind that the device can be brand new, or can be an item that has been in use for quite a while. Also, the item may continue to function properly as far as you are able to tell. The only problem with the item may be that it has started to broadcast the interference, with no other symptoms noted. Some devices are more likely to generate interference than others. This includes TV cable, cable amplifiers, surge protectors, fluorescent lights, battery charging devices (power tools, golf carts, etc.), anything that utilizes a timer (sprinkler systems, lights, alarm systems, etc.), and a myriad of others. If the problem seems sporadic, we can safely assume that the device responsible for the interference is only being operated during these times. Again, please keep in mind that the age of the device does not determine if it is capable of broadcasting unwanted interference. Any electrical device can be the source of the problem. Limited range of your remote controls could be related to radio frequency interference that comes from something in your home or in the surrounding environment. Certain electrical devices can radiate interference; this could be almost anything that is plugged into an electrical outlet. Please keep in mind that the device can be brand new, or can be an item that has been in use for quite a while. Also, the item may continue to function properly as far as you are able to tell. The only problem with the item may be that it has started to broadcast the interference, with no other symptoms noted. Some devices are more likely to generate interference than others. This includes TV cable, cable amplifiers, surge protectors, fluorescent lights, battery charging devices (power tools, golf carts, etc.), anything that utilizes a timer (sprinkler systems, lights, alarm systems, etc.), and a myriad of others. If the problem seems sporadic, we can safely assume that the device responsible for the interference is only being operated during these times. Again, please keep in mind that the age of the device does not determine if it is capable of broadcasting unwanted interference. Any electrical device can be the source of the problem.

Hey, thanks, everyone, for the advice and help on getting my pictures posted. In hindsight, I wish I would have done a complete update/remodel, but I just didn't have the money after the sudden spike in real estate prices last year out here in southern California. I like the idea of starting with painting the walls first. I think I will go to Home Depot and see if they can help me. Great suggestion. A friend suggested the very dark brown in the granite for the walls, but I'd rather not go bold in such a small space. Yellow would not be my first choice, but probably only because the first thing that popped into my head was yellow like the primary color yellow, lol! I know there are a gazillion shades of yellow, so I'll definitely look into that. I was kind of thinking a warmer tan or something, because what's there is kind of gray toned. But I've learned I have NO design sense at all. Any other suggestions on paint color? I'd like a couple of options. Thanks again for all the responses and advice!