I didn't used to Facebook, but now I do. I got sucked into FB this Fall by relatives. Certain of my close relatives stopped keeping in touch with me and said that if I wanted to know what they were up to i needed to just join FB. So, I reluctantly joined. Just like Nikki, I sometimes 'lurk' without posting on GW, for months on end... Mainly this happens when I get hit by one or more life crises. Crises that will put my GardenWebbing on hold include: *Family getting military orders to move overseas, which caused me to lose garden space...We were all packed & had sold our home and were in the airport when the orders got cancelled at the last minute and we had to suddenly find another place to live in the same city we thought we were exiting. None of the affordable places to live had any garden space! :P *Looking for a job in a state 2000 miles from where I was raised, to increase family income so we could afford a place with a garden-- This search was hampered by culture shock and racial discrimination. Racism isnt supposed to happen here, but it happens anyway. * Finding job after 5 months then losing said very hard to find job 2 months later, due to global recession. * My husband's surgery to repair an injury * My own severe illnesses and surgeries--I had more than one health emergency last year, possibly due to all the stress. *Grieving loss of family member (includes loss of pregnancy). * Going back to college, then having to drop back out due to economic and health factors. Last year (2009) was insanely stressful for me because I had all of the above crises occur within one year! They say God never gives us more than we can handle. And I handled it alright. But sometimes I wish God didn't trust me to get through so very much, LOL ;) These are the sorts of situations that can easily throw my life out of wack and require me to take a break from GW. It just happened this past year that I needed a really LONG break because my life had just gotten too harsh for me to even keep a garden. Well, I'm glad to finally be back and to have a garden again. :)

A completely covered recess should be easy to build and waterproof regardless of where the foundation was built or how air tight the upper walls need to be. Don't let the contractor's mistakes redesign your house. I've waterproofed a passage for cars through a building over a basement; this is a minor design issue. If the architect and contractor have not offered you a design option that retains the original design they are in breach of their contracts. This is their problem not yours. In answer to your question about who pays for the correction that's for the architect and contractor to figure out. Unless you caused the mistake you don't have to pay for correcting it. This post was edited by Renovator8 on Wed, Feb 20, 13 at 13:56

The Bluestar was my absolute first choice. I just LOVE those burners! However, I was scared away by the many posts that described the *tinkering* factor. I'm not a tinkerer...I don't DIY, am not interested in playing with gas levels and replacing ignitors and all the other little things that many Bluestar lovers don't mind at all. It's certainly worth it for some...it is an awesome cooking machine, but I knew it wouldn't work for me. Also, I've read over and over again that the doors get quite hot! I dont' have little ones anymore, but it could be an issue for you. I really wanted induction, but after my double ovens didn't fit, decided I needed a range and wasn't willing to spurge on the mysterious Diva induction range (that no one seems to have) and DH thinks it's hideous (but boy is it powerful...it's really my dream range). DH really wanted fire so after I gave up on induction and couldn't have the Bluestar it was all about form. That's how we ended up with the Lacanche. We've had a DCS for the past 12 yrs, all 4 burners are 15K btu's. I found this to be enough power for what I do (though they can't heat a pan as quickly or evenly as induction). I don't think 12K would be enough. Have you looked at the Five Star range, comes in black, can get brass trim, highest burner is 18.5K btus. It looks pretty nice but has 6 burners, not 5.

I save all plastic bags and give them to my sister to crochet mats for the homeless. She can use any that's he can cut loops out of including toilet paper ones if you open the ends instead of tearing down the side. I takes 5 or 600 bags to make one mat. she can also use dry cleaning bags, .like I said it would be any cylindrical bags. The mats are 6 ft long and 2 1/2 feet wide and have a carrying handle and loops to hold them together when they carry them. I save bread bags. I use those for all kinds of things. I guess o got that from my DM. I have just started using worn out socks for rags. My DH goes through socks fast. I use single slippers for on my Swiffer. I saved the bottom part of my old litter box and cleaned it up really good and use that for soaking clothes in OXy CLean. I also save twisty ties. I have some of those nut jars too. Mine had fruit in them at the restaurants I cooked at. Here is the big one. I save almost all of the glass jars that I get. I use them for canning. If they have the rubber inside of the lid they work. I like the small ones, so if I want to give something to somebody They don't have to return the jar. I always make pickled beets and give some away. I boil the lids just like I would Kerr or Ball lids and fill the jars and screw them on tight. I had one jar that wouldn't work once because the lid wouldn't tighten. It just kept turning. I just made sure I used that one first. then I threw it away. I also put other things in them