Jleroi - you GO! Heck, I'm just excited I've got some blooms...so I won't be far behind you guys that live over there in that area of the Almeda Royalty! LOL! If I still lived in a suburban area as I did for almost 50 years, I too would be working the square foot planting method. I have friends in Tuttle that still use this method, although they live on 1 and 1/2 acre. I can see DEFINITE benefits, but I'm in a different spot in life. I delight in my nightly strolls between the garden areas! I didn't live rural until 4 years ago, and I absolutely LOVE having the space. They'll have to drag my old, feeble, crazy mind in my body back to the city some day...but I won't care because I won't know! Until then, I'm lovin' my space. But if life had dealt me different cards, I'd still garden..in whatever space I had. It's good for the soul..and the body.

I have several Sony 400-CD jukeboxes that are daisy chained together...that are now gathering dust. This winter I changed over to Rhapsody/Pandora, accessible via a Sonos system. For me it really was a matter of taking a long hard look at what I have, where I want to be, and how to best get there. Sonos fit the bill in terms of whole-house sound control. Out of the house too, as I have a zone out by the pool. From a different source being played in each room, to whole-house music perfectly synched with the same song playing in each room. The hand-held remotes are terrific. Intuitive and easy. Alternate control can be via a PC/Mac or an iTouch/iPhone app. iTunes libraries are easily accessed too. Rhapsody and Pandora are just plain fun. Rhapsody can get me the song or artist or genre I want. Pandora can play a genre. Good for music discussions with friends when "what was that song..." discussions come up, or for being exposed to artists similar to artists that you already know and enjoy. I hate to sound like a schill for this product, but Sonos has really renewed my relationship with music. It makes listening easy.

Hi Barlowmom, how great to connect with someone who has a similar floor plan! You gave me lots of interesting ideas to consider. If you are able to take a photo of your floor plan, I would love to see how you were able to somewhat open the kitchen and family room space while leaving the half bath as it is. I agree that this would be a big cost saver! :-) As for your idea for upstairs, our architect is heading in that direction. However, we won't have enough space for a master bath and closets without using the space above the screened in porch as well. (Part of the issue is that I have back problems and need a laundry closet on the second floor...) Are you going to have a mudroom in your plan? If so, where will that go? Very helpful to hear that the finished basement makes a big difference. Ours will be super basic, but I think it will give us breathing room just to have it. Thanks again for writing! Sara

Jeana we get the snows here too. I love the snow and like you they do not cripple us for the most part. Some times slow us down as far as plans go. But then what hurry are we in any more? We can always go to town the next day or week if the weather is that bad. 25 years ago we moved away from family. I know how that can be. Since we do not have kids it does make decisions on where to live easier. That family we moved away from are gone now. We moved into this house three years ago. My husband is 71 now. 9 years older than I am. So for us it was getting pretty close to being a must to get settled. Our last move here ,as all of them, we did all by ourselves just the two of us. I do not think I could do that kind of heavy lifting even just three years later. I had a large tumor on my back then and it was hard for me to get all the packing and cleaning and move done. NOW I have psoriasis and am even less well then I was when I had the cancer. So you never know when some thing like this will strike. I am a little better but could not face a move. We were not panicked to get moved in a hurry but after the winter we had in the house before this one we knew we could not stay up there on that hill. Way too many nights worrying what if some thing happened to my husband and he needed medical help and the ambulance would not be able to get into the 1/4 mile long snowed in by say 3 foot deep driveway. We actually have been semi retired for 25 years. Both of us have worked on and off as we chose to. There really are no jobs here in our little town.The phone company is the largest employer. Then the school. One big reason we like it here as not many people can live here.We found it actually cost a person quite a bit to work. We live very simply. Chris