Ok, BIL, I'm inspired again. Thanks much for the encouragement. And one thing for sure - the view and the river access are not available in the city - not at that price. We'll talk more later. girlgroupgirl, I'm surprised that the vinegar/orange oil would not be considered organic. I know that the 20% vinegar is not something to handle lightly but I think our standards here might have more to do with how the product breaks down in the environment and from that standpoint, it should be considered organic. But 20% vinegar is topically toxic, that is true. And yes, termites are a problem here. In fact, you have to have a termite inspection done in order to sell a house. Carpenter ants are a problem. I have noticed that as the biodiversity in my yard has increased, the fire ants have decreased although I'm not sure if that's the reason. I used to get rid of them just by spraying the mounds with my water hose. Then they leave but they just go to my neighbors. But nobody around here complains much about them. I think they went to the 'burbs' of Austin where people use more chemicals. When there is a lot of rain and flooding, I do hear people complain that they all mound up together on floating wood, etc. and you'll see these floating fire ant mounds in the lakes and shores and you have to steer clear of them. Pretty funny, huh? Do y'all have organic pest control companies in Atlanta? That is really interesting about your friend's workmen not being as sensitive to poison ivy. We used to have a bunch around here but we've managed to get it under control in our yards. But our neighborhood park and creek are full. I was never allergic until I was in the landscape business and cleaned out a long row of Azaleas not realizing that I was pulling out poison ivy. Yikes! I was covered and have been allergic since. TECNU is the product to use. Very effective.

who ladygreensleeves???? awww she's just the sweetest!!! i think....notice i "did" say "think" and ohhhhh with me that is a big and scary word they'd say, LOL but this is a gab fest!!! HE EHE EHEHE ***big grinn** and our person who was inroduced has "just" disapeared, as if ummmmm she doesnt want to be with us, ***boo hoo*** ****boo hoo**** or maybe it was ya'll talking toooo darned much again!! i knew it would happen again!!! go and scare someone away!!! hmmmmmm....then again it coulda been me!! my absent minded ways!!! LOL i say.....cut a line straight through that ol maze and it'll look perfect!!! LOL yeppers!!! and pixie!! you have it just right!! LOL gotta go fix waffles now. ugh cooking like a regular wife, **just kidding* LOL many hugs ~~Medo

The oval tile is on both the Ann Sacks site and the Heath Ceramics site. On the Ann Sacks site, it's listed under "Heath". so I guess Ann Sacks sells it for them, as they do other designers. With that being said, maybe it would be "slightly cheaper" to go to the source itself, although that's not going to make much of a difference as these are much more $$ than I ever expected to spend. If it winds up being THE tile, it might be worth it. basianov - the pantry cabs are actually a light grey and that tile on the right does pick up some of that color. I'm just not sure I want to do marble. I did also see the other day a 1/2"X2" calcutta marble mosaic that was stunning, so that's an option as well, but I just wonder if marble will take the kitchen in a different direction than I was planning. Here is a link that might be useful: Ann Sacks

If you'd like another kirkii v. pulchra Mentha, I can send a small one of mine or get a larger one from my brother given some time, he lives 250 miles south of me. Yes, those small plants in the foreground are the scourge aroid, Gonatopus boivinii. I can get it from him for you if you want to try it. I had it here at one time but lost it, perhaps that was a stroke of luck considering Roger's problems with it. If a leaf falls to the ground, a tuber will form at the petiole end and produce a plant. Pull it up and remaining underground tubers will produce more plants. I've forgotten it's habit but I think it wants to be a low shrub, obviously very hardy but would obviously need to be indoors in your winters. Some of the many scourges here in Florida are several varieties of Kalanchoe. Thousands of K. tubiflora plants grow across the street from my parent's home in Cocoa Beach, at the beach access ramp. There's also thousands of Sansevieria hyacinthoides there, another scourge but less so. My parents ended up with tubiflora plants growing around their pond, how they got there I don't know but it's been impossible to get rid of them. Russ