Saintpfla-As Marcia said, you can walk on it. In fact, I kind like the way it feels under bare feet. Kinda like a foot massage! She is also right about Felix breaking some bottles when he forgot to raise the blade of his mower but that was the only time. I don't think I would want to drop something heavy and hard on it [think brick!] but it should stand up to foot traffic or something like a rubber wheeled wagon. I love your idea of the blue bottles but beware it does take ALOT of bottles! In the picture there are over 300 bottles and it is not done yet. The path is about 2.5 feet wide and 8 feet long so far. This is why I collect bottles from the local drinking establihments and it does seem Budwieser is the drink of choice! But if you can find a wine bar maybe a blue path would be doable! nova

kudzu9 Thanks, nice web site, and free, or do I get a bill later :>? I got detailed help from the mozillazine web, and among the recommendations was to "compact folder", which I hadn't done in a few weeks...and my email is active. I did a compact and bingo, speed very fast, well given I have the low-end DSL. The problem seemed to be more background/overhead stuff, as the progress dialog showed long times for "connecting" and "sending log on information". It also turns out the latest Thunderbird is 2.0.0.21, which is what I had updated to. I'll keep a copy of the speedeasy test.

Thanks, I really depend on the excellent help I get here, it is appreciated. That said, I hope someone else using AT&T for an ISP and is happy pitches in. I am keeping for now to retain my email address, one I've used for at least 15+ years. Unfortunately, it appears AT&T is working on getting out of the ISP business (what, just wireless now?). They shut down the brand Worldnet, yet my 2.0 versions of Thunderbird address the "postoffice" and "mailhost" with "worldnet" as part of the address. But, it isn't working on my Thunderbird 3.0 version. I will try to figure something out tonight. My quick look last night at the AT&T help on the web said "pop and smtp with att.jahoo.com" was the magic. But that may be only if you use their DSL... not sure, seems strange. I have DSL form my local phone company, and it offers all the services Worldnet used to offer, I just am reluctant to change may address and lose contact with many I don't communicate with often... but AT&T is pushing me that way. I have all my personal email on Thunderbird, I use Outlook for business email. I suppose I can move the business email on to Thunderbird too (not as versatile as Outlook) but have not checked on how that is done. It appears one can't have two instances of Thunderbird on one computer. Maybe one can have one Thunderbird with multiple "accounts". I know Outlook provides for multiple accounts in one instance of Outlook, but I don't recall ever seeing anything like that in Thunderbird. Outlook is clearly the "industrial strength" email client... maybe Outlook Express has some of the same capabilities... I have never used it.

It occurs to me that I haven't been NEARLY effusive enough with my thanks and praise --- Squirrelheaven, thank you SOOOO much for all the time you've taken with this!!!! You have serious talent and I shudder to think what I would have come up with on my own if I hadn't gotten such great input here (I did come up with the idea of painting the brick and adding the portico but I don't think I would have executed nearly as well without the eyes and comments from GW). Leah (and Squirrel) -- wow! Love the front entrance. Right now I have to try to create as much impact as possible for as few dollars as possible -- but I am definitely saving that picture for when the finances permit. Anele -- I spent 13 years in Chicago (a variety of different northside neighborhoods) and you're right, I don't think anything like this exists there :) We moved about a year ago to the suburbs of a smaller city. Imagine what this house would be worth in Chicago (if such a thing even existed)!! As far as where I am right now, I still like the look of the 2/3 steps (Fri 21:08) and am also really liking the most recent pics with the brick (Sun 9:17) - I wasn't seriously considering the brick until I saw it photoshopped; I think I like it because it ties in to the chimney. I'm also still scouring the neighborhood and the web trying to find a way to do full-length steps without having to have an enormous landing (which just didn't look right to me). I'm definitely going to change the moldings to be more like Squirrel's and less like the architect's, and I'm going lantern shopping this week. I already have the paint for the front door but haven't wanted to take the door down while DH is out of town, so that will be happening soon too. And speaking of DH, I haven't showed him any of this, so I suppose I should give him a little input too. MM