I did lots of thinking on this and came up with this non-constructive thought. If you were to want to sell you home, you would probably ask some real estate agents for proposals (price, their way of marketing, commission, etc.). Once you determined which one you want to represent you and home, the agent will take some pictures as part of the marketing (mostly online anymore). The agent is looking out for you, but also seeking the sale. If the agent believes that something is not right with the photo taken, then you would have a tendency to listen. A real estate agent is not an artist, nor a landscape person, but a good one will have seen lots of homes and knows what works and what doesn't. Stand at the curb. Take a picture, walk to the left and right several paces and take more pictures. Walk up the drive a bit and take pictures, not just of the house, but the view from the house. What would you want to do if you were thinking about buying your home? Now for some other comments: You have many horizontal lines on the actual house. The windows and doors are rectangle. All of that is very typical. Your yard counters that look a bit, but it also moves the eye in an awkward manner. You need to negate that. In your first photo, it appears that the house is leaning because of all that. I concur on getting rid of all that grows between the current walkway and the house. I concur that you ought to not have a straight line walk to replace it. My suggestion to balance the overall look would be to create a small berm on the left side, about 20' out from the house. Nothing large, but something that would break up that falling away appearance. In the first photo, there is lots of shade coming from the left side, I'll assume that there are some tall trees there. I'm a big promoter of color in the front yard; something that complements the colors of the house. Some might think it trite, but a burning bush on the berm would look good as the leaves are changing color this time of year. Those can be pruned to shape or let it go. I would also include blooming perennials that show different colors throughout the year. Poppies might work, as might some Veronica. There are many, many options for that kind of thing. Jim

Hope all the boys with their injuries are getting better. Yes they will always call and sometimes if the child acts funny they will really make your life miserable. You would think that boys never have accidents they way some of them can act. I was always at the school for some bruise or another with my two and they usually did it to each other, lol. They fought all the time and still don't get along. John says his oldest boy was always good. He said when they went to someones house they could have a box of toys right in front of them and they wouldn't move from where he told them to sit unless he told them it was ok even if the other person told them it was ok to play. I told him thats because he trains us all like the dogs, lol. He makes you want to mind him, lol. I often wonder if my boys would have been different if I had met him sooner. It has surely helped with my daughter. She acts very different around him than she does with her father and he will do anything in the world to please him. I thought he was going to faint when he heard her back talk her father on the phone once, lol. He just expects you to behave and thats it they do it, lol. Even my boys don't act up in front of him. His younger son got arrested once and sat in jail 3 days and wouldn't call and tell him until his brother found out and called us, lol. He would have stayed there forever rather than tell his father he got in trouble. He gets this look on his face and it makes you stand up straighter, lol.

Well,there are only 732,000 hits for "Rag Bag Totes" from Google! LOL Think it would be easier to just ask the person who actually made the one I saw on this thread.If they don't care to divulge what it is that is OK.

Dances-When I was 19 I was married and had my first baby!LOL I can't remember being as irresponsible as the younger generation is now.But,it's a whole different generation with different values.I was taught from an early age to take responsibility for things.My mom worked and I cooked and cleaned at an early age.Plus we didn't have "things" handed to us on a silver platter!LOL If we didn't work for it we didn't get it. Summer-I would have let them stay until he is deployed,mainly because he was going to find a job this week.I'm sure he wasn't thinking that far ahead but I do think he would find a home for the snake if she can't take care of it while he is deployed. I have really felt guilty about letting them both stay here and share a room all along because it is a moral issue with me.But,I figured they have been living together anyway and would be wherever they are.My justification I guess but it still bothered me. Anyway,I didn't know exactly what their plans were for her after he is deployed but they have been talking for the last few days like she might be planning to stay here.I wasn't going to agree to that but because of the snake incident I didn't have a chance to say anything to them.So I guess this is for the best in the long run.LOL Either way someone was going to be upset with me because I was going to tell them "It ain't happening"!LOL WE have had someone living with us for the last 2 years and are just getting rid of a DS and DGD. DH and I are looking forward to having our home to ourselves again. Lunchlady-The reason he isn't living with his mom is because she doesn't have room. He did text her and they are still in town but he didn't say where.He has a lot of friends here that they can probably impose on for a while.LOL Thanks again everyone.I'm still really bothered by his comment.