You certainly met the challenge, lilo. Very nice. Lol, first time I've heard of a poetry challenge.

This thread, which I didn't catch the first time around, made me think. In general, I cook to eat and feed my family. However, I do enjoy baking for special occasions. I think that if I didn't work outside the home I would cook more...and be more adventurous. But, I work and have a long commute so by the time I get home I have to make fast meals with little time for creativity or major prep work. So, we eat a lot of frozen veggies--as is out of the bag, pre-cooked meats warmed up, pasta, soup, occasionally waffles/pancakes/eggs, potatoes, etc. I.e., for the most part things that I can cook fast. One up side to this is that our meals haven't changed that much w/o a kitchen since we do have a MW, Toaster Oven, and hot plate to cook with! One very big downside to this, though, is that my children are not learning to cook like I did from my mom. Back on topic... After finding this site and reading about zones, I realized that one thing that I really wanted was a baking center. So when my kitchen was being designed I had it in the back of my head that whatever we ended up with had to have an area I could designate my "Baking Zone", preferably near the ovens--with room to roll out dough, spread out cookie sheets, and have cookie cutters spread out all at the same time! The other thing I got from this site was our window...having the window down to the counter (OK, not cooking-related, but a very important design element!) Our very first plan that our KD came up with had input from us...but a very naive/ignorant us! (Before GW...BGW!) Then....I found this site.....and the changes began. Actually, I posted that original plan and asked for help (and also asked my KD to start over w/no island) Many, many people here helped me come up with a plan over several weeks (months?). We finally came up with a plan that has changed little since then. Interestingly, when I took away the island "must have", my KD came up with a plan very similar to what we came up with here. The only 3 differences were (1) no mini peninsula, (2) a 36" pantry cabinet rather than a corner pantry, and (3) no separate Message Center cabinets. My KD wasn't completely happy w/our differences, but she, wisely I thought, told me to go home and mock up what I wanted to see how it would work (same advice I got here!) Well, the mock up was great! It proved that I did indeed want the mini peninsula (I liked it so much I left the mock up in place until demo and used it!) When I told her the results, she didn't argue, she accepted it telling me it's my kitchen, so ultimately it's up to me. So in the end, my design was/is based on what I wanted, not what the KD wanted. [If only someone else had measured my kitchen and she was given more authority, I think a lot of subsequent problems would have been avoided.] Our kitchen isn't done yet, but it's close...so I can't yet tell you how it is going to work for us...but we are so...

This was sent to me by a friend who she and her DH are Army retired. Her DH is not happy with being retired and is scheduled to go back to either Iraq OR Afghanistan. She will stay homeside, to raise their daughter. Gosh bless her and her family! They are in their late 20's.

Well, the book was still for sale on eBay, so I picked it up. Let's see if I can paste the story here: St. Bernard Sally, by Frances B. Watts St Bernard Sally from Orphan Dog Alley Was weary of being alone. Woof! She would wail, with a droop of her tail, “I wish I had folks of my own!” Each day she would hike to Traveler’s Pike And patiently wait in the bend. When people came by, she wished she could cry, “A dog is a person’s best friend!” But nobody took her. They’d all overlook her For the cuddly cats they might find. ‘Twas Sally’s bad luck to be big as a truck. She wasn’t the cuddly kind. Then one wintry day, young Tommy O’Shea Got lost in the neighboring hills. A posse went out to search all about The snow-covered ridges and rills. But they came home at night in a terrible plight. Young Tommy just couldn’t be found! “This job,” ventured Sally, “is right up my alley!” And off Sally went with a bound. “Well, well,” thought the dog, as she plowed through a bog, “I’m just like my Granddaddy Percy, Who made rescue like this in the land of the Swiss And was known as an angel of mercy!” Up, up and up climbed the oversized pup, Sniffing the ground for a clue. Then she’d patiently sit and yodel a bit, “A little-ole-lay-ah-de-who!” “I do hope he hears!” said the dog through her tears. (She was feeling sorry for Tommy.) Then, over the trees on the crest of a breeze, She heard a wee voice calling “Mommy!” She found the poor child in the deep wooded wild, Where he’d haplessly strayed from his course. “Hurrah!” Sally cried, “I’ll give him a ride! I’ll pretend I’m his little pet horse.” Then how the folks cheered, when Sally appeared In Tommy O’Shea’s crowded yard. ‘The dog found the boy!” they shouted with joy. “Hurrah, for that brave St. Bernard!” Nowadays Sally has left Orphan Dog Alley. She has a nice family instead. She spends all her days with the grateful O’Sheas, And sleeps at the foot of Tom’s bed. “I’m glad,” Sally sighs, as she closes her eyes, “I’m the kind on whom people depend. I can’t tell the folks so, but now they all know – A dog is a person’s best friend!”