Hey mclarke, I too am tall and thin and never had a problem with keeping my stomach small. If I started to gain weight (it always went to my stomach) I would just cut down on what I ate and my stomach would go down. Well that all fell along the wayside once I turned 50 last year. I look like I'm 3 to 4 months pregnant now and no matter how much I diet I just can't loose it. I have read a lot about menapause and the puffy tummy is normal. I think the only way I'm going to loose the tummy now is to break down and exercise. What hurt the most though, was when my daughter told me I now had the box stomach like a lot of women get later in life. It really brought home the fact that I am really in my 50's and it makes me feel so old...... Cindy57

Okay, off topic, Sally, please, please do a new post, for your reveal. I do enjoy all the white kitchens but for many reasons did not do one myself; we non-Somethin's Gotta Give remodelers need more inspiration photos! Was that Costa by the way? It's gorgeous! On topic: When one measurement changed, I did not think through how that impacted the rest of the plan. Despite research on the web and the store, when I received my microwave trim kit, the cabinet needed to get deeper than planned. I figured out pretty last minute that we now had a tiny unacceptable walkway and we moved the fridge over. We were so busy congratulating ourselves on our narrow escape, but the ride wasn't over. I didn't think about the 3 upper spacious cupboards that would now be microscopic when installed. The cabinet maker cut me a pretty good deal to redo that set with fewer but bigger doors. He definitely went above and beyond, and given what everyone else has posted about contractors, I am so very grateful that it got corrected as it did. Another one I did not think about soon enough was making a Ceiling and Texturing Plan. This is not the same as a Lighting plan, although lighting obviously figures into the equation. We did parts (not all) of this project DIY. We hadn't realized some areas that we needed to mud better because they would not be covered by tile or cabinet (ie above the window) and he had to add some hot mud last minute. Given the contractor we got (a personal rec), that was only a small upcharge. Also, be aware that once your texturing is underway, the room is sealed off. You can't supervise unless you are sealed in too. I would send in a big map or go over it with blue tape that you remind him to pull off before he starts that area. Like another poster, I also did not figure out that I wanted my ceiling light hung from a different position. I will not retexture, my husband is adamant that I find a table fixture that can be hung to correct position by a chain and a hook. It is what it is. The height and exact placement of the hood was not ideal. I was adamant that it be within the manufacturer's specs so that it worked properly. However, there were several inches of leeway within those guidelines. Have everyone pretend to be cooking and see what they think. It should have been higher to avoid my husband bumping his head. He is learning. But that was definitely a mistake.

When I transplant from pot to garden (theoretically I guess this could work for a large pot), I make a small pond berm to attempt to confine the water to the root zone. This seems to be a common practice. When you water after transplant you can trap the water to a small area and direct it at the root zone as opposed to it just dispersing on the surface. While a plan is good for the garden, you have to be ready to make adjustments on the fly(agility) and after setbacks. And you need to be a good observer. Except for those like Hudson, we are taking on everything Mother Nature will spring on us, plus consequences of our own bad judgement (aka learning experiences). I also have some engineering background, and my sisters genealogical research shows family roots across Western Europe, featuring Calvinists and Huguenots. It helps me to understand the hard work, self reliance, and efficiency as values on my great grand fathers farm. I think gardening appeals because it is challenging, and rewards self sufficiency and hard work. I have more cages to build. And I think I just saw my nemesis in the garden, the stink bug. I understand there are beneficial that look similar, so I will be confirming and then taking appropriate action.

I did consider bullfrogs . But in seven years of obsevering my yard and eight months with a swampy gold fish pond i have never seen or herd bull frogs . The tree frog i mentioned was bitten bye the turle the night i posted lol and has not returned. Prior to lebrons intoductiom to tje pond i had always wished for bullfrogs niw i am happy it never happened