Thanks woodsfairy and dragonfly. I hope you do save the stone walls on your property. So many of them are being lost to develpment or just torn down and used for other things. 100 years from now I would be really sad if someone tore my walls up (since I will be dead by then I would have to come back and haunt them! :0 ) I think they're an art form, really, as well as being something practical. Just an update - the pergola came in and we're staining it ebony. Needs another coat, but I've included a few shots. The last of the rock is in as well, so Jesse will be working on the wall this week now that school is out. I found an awesome book on dry-laid stone walls called , "In the Company of Stone", by Dan Snow. Very creative and beautiful stuff. I got a lot of ideas for the Ruined wall from it. DV Pics of Pergola, and the pond area is now cleared out - just need to burn the brush pile. Making progress.... Pergola & Pond

I knew what I was getting but I Love it even more then a surprise! I got Nordic walking poles, and we actually got enough snow to make it look Christmassy outside! That has only happened on about 3 Christmases I remember in the Pacific Northwest! Perfect snow as it is not cold enough to freeze on the street. But I was able to go out for a walk in the blowing snow with my nordik poles and man, are they great! They take the pressure off of knees and hips and redistribute it through the upper arms. I walked about twice as far as I usually can and enjoyed every minutes of it! We have our youngest 3 kids home for Christmas. This is the first time in a year our autistic daughter has been able to come home, but she is doing well, compared with some of the past years. I think we will even be able to make it into an overnight stay so papa does not have to spend 3 hours driving her home and coming back in the dark! Little sister is so excited...she is signing on her first condo on New Years Eve day, and sorting out the things in her bedroom so that I will get it for a sewing room/guest room. Our youngest son is enjoying having the girls around but still being able to to what he likes, sleeping at the moment I think. Papa Bear is playing on his computer that we got a month ago when he needed it so he did not have to wait for it today...it is all set up and he can play with his programs. Our oldest son is spending the day with his fiance and step daughter to be, and their friends. And we will call our daughter in Maine soon. THis is about as low stress as a holiday gets around here...I like it! Today I am still enjoying and totally enchanted with Pink Surprise. What a lovely big frilly flower and ever day it just gets better! Soon the second stalk will be opening. I also have 2 Faro's and 2 Exoticas opening. And those prescious dark red varieties are shooting buds up tall, so I may have some of them by the end of the week. Most fun gift besides my Nordic poles was from my youngest daughter, who is an interior designer, bringing her color sample box and helping me choose new colors for my study. We ended up with nice desert sandstone colors called Emberglow and Peppery. Now if she just offered to paint it for me :-/...It will look terrifics with Apricot Sensation, or Faro or.....blooming!

I do see the resemblance. Something about her reminds me of KT Member Mandi's daughter too. It's the smile and the eyes. I love how her whole face radiates happiness. This post reminds me - has anyone every tried one of those sites where you upload your picture and they tell you which famous people you look like? OMG! I did it and it was hilarious! I can't remember which exact 'celebrities' it said that I looked like but it was quite an amusing mixture - I'd see a model or beautiful actress and feel pretty good about myself but then someone like Magic Johnson would be on the list too LOL. I wish I could remember where that was but it was a while back. Maybe someone here posted the link or it might have been on Facebook.

Sheila - I LOVE that recliner! The fabric is gorgeous, and it is priced well. Plus, it seems to have good reviews. I like the red or the black fabric print. We aren't big folks at all, but we do have a couple of people in our family who visit now and then who are. I completely agree about the expense of furniture issue. On the one hand, I don't want the furniture to wear out in five years, but on the other hand, I don't want to break the bank either. The hardest part for me right now is coordinating. The room is large, and I don't feel confident in my ability to mix and match pieces, etc. I know what I like, just not how to pull it all together. For example, does all of the furniture in the room need to be covered with the same fabric? I'm hoping not. I'd rather mix it up a bit. So it will be great to see what the designer comes up with. work in progress - Like you, the combination of many large windows and not necessarily liking everything out there caused me to wait over two years to buy drapery panels. The panels are Brookside Diamond by Country Curtains in the espresso color (also comes in cream and rose). The quality is excellent. They cost $129 per pair in the 96" length. For one thing, the fabric is heavy (73% rayon and 27% polyester). I didn't purchase them lined because it costs $60 per pair (and I have 15 panels!), plus I didn't want any white showing on the sides, etc. I hope I don't regret that, and I don't think I will, as the fabric is heavy as it is. I ordered a sample before purchasing. I pressed each panel before hanging with my steam iron, and they barely needed that. I hate wrinkles and was really concerned about it, but they ironed easily. I'm posting a link below to the Country Curtains site. Anyway, I can't tell you how much warmer the room feels. What a difference. I understand your feelings about "taking the plunge". My advice is to take your time making up your mind and finding something you really like before buying. Here is a link that might be useful: Country Curtains Brookside Diamond Draperies