hi Mrs.H......just wanted to let you know that I spent 2 days in hospital (had 2 days of heart pounding out of my chest,...everything turned out fine,..and I think being on heart monitor and knowing that when I was feeling that way nothing was going on with my heart was a good thing,...plus 2 days not on xanax made me feel so much better!!....doc said that xanax was making me more depressed!.....I now started a very low dose beta blocker and prilosec for my belly ( had this nervous stomach thing going on).....I came home last night from hospital and felt like I havent felt in a month.....slept great after cleaning up my house and cooking for my family (which I havent done in wks.....I know now that xanax wasnt the answer for me and that if you find the right doc in makes the world of difference!.......I had all women docs in their 40s!! so they all knew what I was going through..have a great day all!

Dottie, yes I must admit that I have been watching the "saga" of the "nutty family". But these latest episodes have really got my dander up!! I think this girl (not a mature woman) doesn't deserve to have any of her kids until she starts putting them FIRST, instead of the men (I should say boys) in her life. I couldn't believe that she would not say "Tony will move out until the court case is done." She still doesn't get that those innocent children that she bore should always come first. And she is making Dr. Phil look like a buffoon for trying to help her. I am tired of shouting at my TV when they're on...so I guess I should just watch "Ellen" or continue to create in my quilt room! LOL Susan

Dianalo, I beg to differ. I did not judge a doctor to be "less competent" because of his office decor. We were ~then~ talking about how office decor can have a psychological effect on people. I said that with this opthamologist, the decor was so depressing and uncomfortable to myself and my daughter that I decided to look elsewhere. Our long-time family eye doc had passed away suddenly and unexpectedly and I was looking for a new one to take my family to. There are many equally good eye docs in our city; my goal was to find one that was not only a good physician, but that I thought we would enjoy for the long-term. I don't need or seek out high-end or fancy offices, but I do appreciate comfortable ones. This can be achieved with a little or a lot of money as long as they put some thought into it and make their patients' comfort a priority. You have to also keep in mind that physicians and dentists are like everyone else, some really enjoy creating a great atmosphere for their patients,their staff and themselves just as we here enjoy creating a great atmosphere in our homes and our workplaces for our family, our friends and ourselves. Some don't and that's ok, too, as long as it's clean and comfortable. But . . . you give me the choice between a few equally good, well-qualified physicians with a pleasant, caring bedside manners and who all have good staffs and I'll pick the doc whose office I feel is the most welcoming and comfortable. But, an office that is thoroughly depressing and uncomfortable to me, as this eye doc's was, with the wood everywhere that actually gave me a sliver touching the wall; with dim, gloomy (seriously) lighting; with a lack of enough light to read by; with uncomfortable no-armed plastic chairs, lined up one next to the other so that I was bumping elbows with the person sitting next to me; with too few end tables to give you space between the people and to hold reading lamps; with hardly any magazines and the ones there were old and looked ratty; with a patient bathroom separated from the waiting room only by a thin door that was right between two of the chairs . . . and let's just say that sound carried very well out there, I couldn't help but think that this guy was not very concerned about his patient's comfort! Was this guy a good doc? Yes, but as I have already stated, there are many other equally good docs in town. And his prices were no lower than the rest. BTW, he dressed very well and was a pleasant person. I didn't judge him by his clothes, his shoes, or that he didn't spend a lot of money with his decor. That is not the issue; lack of patient comfort and apparent unconcern for his patients' comfort was the issue. It was my call to make and that was my (very detailed) criteria for making it (LOL!). Now, let us get back to how different interior decor in medical/dental offices can have a psychological effect on people.I find it a very interesting topic! Lynn

Yes, the KD did put the banquette where we had put it on the 'east" wall. At the top was buffet surrounded by cabinetry. I'll post some of the ideas although my drawings stink and don't look the way she had it. Lavender, I don't understand your last sentence of your first paragraph. Here are pics of my existing LR/DR... excuse any clutter : ) We may move the sofa loveseat to basement b/c with removing the wall we don't know where to put the loveseat. We thought we'd buy a curved sofa or sectional for the living room against the picture window. The armoire to the right of the TV is also going in the basement. I know it's cramped in that corner, but we came from a larger house and didn't want to get rid of it. SO, there won't be much other brown wood once we get rid of DR hutch which is why we are now thinking of getting rid of DR table not only for color but b/c it has the 4 legs if we end up doing the banquette! We also have a secretary/desk that is brown with aqua (similar to the buffet by front door) but again do not have a wall for it. (Unless we extend the kitchen/LR wall by a foot or two-- then it could go past the basement door and still have room to open. I really like that the island is black and thought I'd carry that into DR, but it IS messing up my woods! I thought they still might be able to be mixed to a certain degree. I planned to bring the black into the DR, but would it be too much to use brown in DR and only black in the kitchen? Probably so. (SIGH!)