Polly, enjoyed your story about your adorable 7 year old. That will be a memory you can cherish forever! I must admit I too thought the "she" who went to the show was your daughter, but it didn't diminish my enjoyment of your story. And when posters questioned the lack of a permission slip to go on a trip, I didn't pay too much attention. But then...OMG, the attacks. Totally out of line. Asking for clarification is okay, attacking the OP is not. I will admit I'm more of a general idea person, and as someone pointed out, decorators are more detail oriented. I got the general idea: this was a cherished moment with your daughter and you were amazed at her intellect, which you should be. (BTW, I think you have a creative, high level thinker on your hands, so make sure you are stashing the cash for her college education!) I just don't get the need to attack you because of the way you constructed the sentence containing the pronoun "she". Yes, detailed oriented folks find that irritating, but I just wish posters would have responded in the spirit in which the thread was begun. When you wrote it, you knew what you meant, and were not spending hours editing it for perfection. Most of us would have written it the same way you did. Polly, give your daughter a hug for me, and tell her that someone out there in cyberworld thinks she is a great kid now and has a fantastic future ahead of her. You must be so proud of her!

Well, I just looked back at the email I was sent, and she didn't send it to everyone, just five of us. So I guess the director doesn't know she sent it. I must be in the group she considers as not needing a girdle, or maybe just the ones who might be willing to do the crunches. Now that I know she didn't send it to the entire chorus, I'm a little perplexed. I am already just about the thinnest one in the group, so even if I didn't wear a girdle, I'd be way less bumpy than most of them. I agree with y'all though, I'm sure she meant no harm and was just trying to motivate. Thank you all for responding. To answer some of your questions: Yes, this is just for fun, although we all take it pretty seriously. We know we won't win the regional competition, but we're trying to get more points than we did last year. We're wearing the same costumes as last year (although last year's outfit included a long duster/jacket over the top, which hid a lot of bulges; we're not wearing the duster this year). This chorus likes to keep costume costs low, so they try to reuse costumes or get them at a low cost from other choruses. The pants/tunic style does look OK on most of the chorus members; I don't think a costume exists that would flatter everyone. Choir robes aren't an option, as this isn't a choir, it's a snazzy barbershop harmony chorus. These gals like to sparkle! For our regular performances, we usually wear black pants and white tops (of our own choosing, style, and fabric). The costumes are hot, and there are stage lights, but apparently polyester is the way to go. It washes easily, doesn't wrinkle in transit or while waiting to go onstage, and is inexpensive. Yes, the diretor is overweight. I think she already owns an all-in-one; she's been in Sweet Adelines for 40 years. patti--funny you mentioned about the snap crotch---our director just told us a story about her having to get another singer to snap hers for her. :-) Here is a link that might be useful: some of Sweet Adelines' costumes

It looks like the OP may have gotten fed up and left, but if you're still reading.... If you have reasons to believe this house will be a money pit and a burden, then it's better to pass on it. But if this is a good house that will suit you and your family, I would feel like the love and good energy you bring to it will be enough to make it a happy place. I would also feel like that house "needed" me in a way, and like it deserves to have your loving attention. My house was new but vandalized by local teens before we ever viewed it. It was fixed by the bank that owned it, but once in a while, in a certain light, I can see where the wall or cabinet was scraped with something, etc. I feel bad for this nice house that anyone mistreated it and that my house is so much better off with me caring for it. I convince myself that the house knows this and returns the favor. It takes care of me and my family. I know giving the house the power of emotion might not sound logical to some people, but it comes down to your attitude and how you want to feel about your new home. I chose to look at it this way, and that helped me adjust to a big move and a whole new environment. And I would try to keep in mind that this difficult seller who may have lied will not be there any more. She'll be gone and out of your house and out of your lives. You don't really need to hear any more from her or deal with her again. Home inspections will be more reliable than anything she says. I can see a widow not wanting to deal with repairs, but is it too late to knock off some money from the purchase price in order to do them? That's what I would have tried and then fixed things on my own. I don't know about a natural death being a factor. Only you can decide that for yourself. But I was thinking things like people going through a divorce or bankruptcy and losing a home could be seen as negatives, too. But that doesn't have anything to do with your situation and what positive energy you'll bring to the house. I don't really believe in ghosts, but I have relatives who swear they've come in contact with them. And all of them live in PA. What is it about PA and ghosts? I hope this has worked out for you and that you'll come back and let people know what happened.

I've lived in 8 kitchens in the past 13 years. We're currently remodeling now, so when it's done, that'll be 9. So this info is from what I've expereinced overall, not my current kitchen. Ceramic floor tile grout. The tile itself doesn't show dirt, but the grout is another story. In my current house, the previous owners installed the tile to sell the house. I was pretty certain the grout hadn't been sealed, but I didn't do it when we moved in. It also has a couple of gouges from dropped cans or pots in a few tiles even though it's not quite 3 years old. Ceramic glass/radiant heat electric cooktop. UGH. Everything boiled over, then proceeded to cook to a hard gunk on the top. To clean, you have to get a razor blade to scrape up the mess. NEVER AGAIN! I second the person who said, if you have to go electric, go induction. My single induction unit has the same type top, but since the surface itself doesn't heat, it stays relatively clean. Anything on it just wipes away easily. For those trying to acheive that streak free shine on ceramic/glass, you can forget windex or anything of that ilk. Use Weiman's cooktop cleaner and the red scrubbies they sell at Walmart. Apply the cream with the red scrubby, allow to dry to a film, and wipe off with either a microfiber or plain ol' paper towel. The cream turns an icky greige color, but once it's been wiped off, the cook top really shines, at least until the next mealtime. Another stainless fridge hater here. Ooh, that's a strong word, I know. Well, I've got 4 kids, um, I mean, 3 kids and DH and between the lot of them they can't seem to wipe their drips from the in door water dispenser. Or use the handles even though they're huge and conveniently mounted right on the front of the doors. If I had the money, I'd definitely go paneled. Downdraft. It just doesn't capture as much as an overdraft, if that's the right term. So, it causes more grease to settle on cabinet doors, backsplashes and walls. Cabinets that don't reach the ceiling. They're huge dust collectors. I don't really like the display idea, and really can't abide the fake ivy. It's just a personal thing, please don't flame me if you like that look. I'm a bit worried about what others have said about polished granite. I got a bunch of it when I bought my kitchen display cabinets. I'd just assumed we'd use it. It's a dark-ish, spotty stone called Baltic Brown. It's not my favorite color but, I've never had granite before, so it was kind of an upgrade from the tile, laminate and BB I've had in the past. I'm wondering if I should just sell it on CL and get butcher block. I've had it once before and loved it. I'm defintely not a great housekeeper. I want something that can take a quick swipe and look half way decent.