We are on a tight budget and wondering about building in stages, for example: finishing off the main square footage with a general contractor and then finishing off the square footage where the other two smaller bedrooms and bath are later ourselves. We would designated this space as storage for the drawing plans. Pros's Con's ?? Are you financing this build yourself? If not, this may be difficult to do because the bank will consider it a one bedroom house and will appraise it as such. That will impact how much they will lend you for construction.

I remember Spike, also. Live in a rented farmhouse a couple of miles from the freeway between Detroit/Windsor and Toronto, about half way between. Have had a garden for several years - biggest ever, this year ... over 3/4 of a mile of rows ... and the weeds are succeeding in getting ahead of me. Pleased to be in quite good health at over 80: son 50 nearby and daughter closing in on it, who, having dual ciizenship, has lived in Phoenix a couple of times over the past 15 years or so and now lives mostly with her partner who operates a motorcyle rental franchise on Cozumel, off the Mexican coast. If you click on our username, or the "My page" at the top of our post, you can find quite a bit of information about many of us, the ones who provided our profile. ole joyful

Dear all, I did bring up the suggestion of babysitting so they could have time together. As expected, it was declined. I didn't actually think of paying for the date. Some time with our grandchild is well worth the price of some movie tickets. Great idea. Fred doesn't seem to be fully aware of her hold on him. He has to wash his own laundry, pay the full rent etc... while being on full parent duty every moment he's not at work. He seems to think that the better father he can be that things will improve and be cured. We've purchased a book called: Grandparent's Rights: Your Legal Guide to Protecting Your Relationship with Your Grandchildren by Traci Truly Sourcebooks Inc 2006 My husband feels that things are so precarious with Tracey's strong hold over Fred that he is terrified to broach the subject. In the meantime we have be keeping a written log of contacts and visits just in case. The bursting into tears was comletely involuntary. I would take it back if I could. (Fred had reported back to her that I had cried. She uses this as a reason to be upset with me, saying that I overreacted, and that that was really immature.) Fred had been thrown out for the umpteenth time and had actually spent that week with us. We thought he was finally free of her. When he announced the news I saw his life before me -tied to her forever, constantly fearfully of upsetting her, manipulated, his own child used for leverage and power. Am I really sure that Fred is the father? No. Only she can know that. When he was here with us we both advised him to continue making his plans to be on his own and to get a DNA test, while still walking away. He protested money and we said we would pay. He wouldn't get the test, though his name is on the birth certificate. It is sad times here in our house. We have so much love to give. Technical Questins for Dana: I'm brand-new to this whole online thing. DH = dear husband? Dnephews =? Thank you for your responses.

FYI...this thread is linked in the "Other Items of Interest" topic in the "New to Kitchens? Read Me First!" thread. So, there shouldn't be a need to bump this thread up to the top and knock someone else's request for help today off the first page.