Insist that he finish (including cleaning) before you close. Construction clean up can be expensive! If you still need another coat of paint after Wednesday, getting that done (without getting paint on stained woodwork) can also be pretty expensive. For the big jobs that can't be done until spring (landscaping, final A/C testing, etc.) maybe having title company hold 1.5 times the bid price will work. But, make SURE you ask what happens if the builder DOESN'T come back and finish in a reasonably timely manner and that "timely manner" is defined. Will the title company release the funds to you if you wind up having to hire someone else to do the job? Or does the language say that, once the big jobs are complete, Title company will release the funds to the builder? If so, builder just has to wait for you to finally get fed up and pay someone else to do the job then he can waltz into title company and say "job's finished, pay me." And you get stuck paying twice! Make sure that after a certain date, you have the option of hiring someone else to do the jobs and then the money will released to YOU to pay them - including an additional 20% to pay you for doing builder's job of hiring and overseeing the work! And, for the little jobs, is title company going to want to bother policing builder's performance? For smaller jobs, the only alternative I would agree to would be if builder was willing, in writing, to allow me (not bank or mortgage company) to hold back least 2 to 3 times as much money as I thought it would cost to hire other people to come in and do the jobs AND he agreed that after a limited period of time (say 6 weeks maximum) any jobs that were not competed, I had the right to hire anyone I wanted to finish them and, when all work was done, then builder got paid whatever was left over, if any, after I deducted all costs for finishing the work plus an additional 20% to pay for my trouble. And, all I had to provide to builder was a copy of receipts for materials and labor paid out to justify what I deducted. I don't think you're being at all picky expecting that your new house won't have cracked shingles or cracked tiles or gouges in the bench of your mudroom. The house should be as near to perfect when you move in as it will ever be. Maybe your builder needs to postpone his trip out of town???

There are lots of food charts for serving a crowd available on-line, and sometimes you can find this information in older cookbooks, especially those put together by a church group. Locate a few and use them as a guideline, plus your natural instinct. I'm surprised there isn't a chart or book as a guideline in your church kitchen for serving crowds. The link below is from a friend of mine. 1. I figure 2-3 (average-size, 2-inch) cookies per person, or approximately 3-4 dozen cookies for 25 people - but it depends on other things on the menu. I wouldn't make large cookies. 2. Five kinds of cookies is more than generous and your list sounds like it should appeal to everyone. It's not necessary, but I would suggest at least one gluten-free choice and one that would be appropriate for diabetics (which could easily be one and the same recipe). These additions seem to be well-received, and much appreciated these days, where food allergies and diabetes are rampant. I often make place cards with the name and an ingredient list, especially if it contains nuts, coconut, etc. - common ingredients people may dislike or have an allergy to, as a courtesy to guests. If making gluten-free items, be careful not to cross-contaminate it with gluten-containing foods (don't bake gluten-free cookies on cookie sheets after you baked gluten-containing cookies without thoroughly cleaning them first). You could also buy sugar-free or gluten-free cookies instead of making them, or find a friend who makes them on a regular basis to help you out. I regularly make these for church-related and family-related functions, since both have a number of people who need gluten-free and diabetic friendly dessert options. 3. A way to judge the amount of drinks is to figure 1-2 beverages per person per hour. -Don't serve large portions of liquid, even iced tea (unless it's going to be summertime hot). -Most (glass) punch cups hold 1/2-cup (4-oz.), but if you use plastic 6- or 8-oz. cups, do the math per gallon of punch to get how many servings to expect to get. -Use cups/glasses children (especially small children) can easily hold, if appropriate. Make sure your servers know which glasses/cups to use. -Iced tea (especially in the winter) - 8-oz. plus ice is a good size. -Coffee - figure 3/4-cup (6-oz. - or the size of the cup you are using). 4. I would serve the cider spiced and hot at the home reception, and the cranberry/cherry + fizzy something-er-other as the punch at the church reception (make a couple ice rings from the cranberry/cherry juice so when it melts, all you need is to add another ice ring and a little more fizzy). I would also make a test batch (using smaller amounts, but the same ratio of ingredients) if you aren't going to use a recipe. If the weather is going to be extremely cold, hot cider and coffee would probably be more popular than iced punch and iced tea - depending on the ratio of adults and children attending. If you need a "back-up" punch that can be made as needed is one frozen container (12-fl. oz.) of orange juice and one frozen container of lemonade. Make according to package directions and mix the two together. No fizzy anything necessary. It's almost too simple ;-). -Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: Shaboom's Kitchen

I have the whole alphabet in cassettes for my cassette punch. I like the alphabet punches for certain projects, but the punches don't work well for some projects. For one, I find it hard to punch the letters in a straight line no matter what i try. I did finally get it to look nice for the last layout i did. Also, it is hard to figure out how to space the letters. I paid $60 for the alphabet and numbers and 15 shapes. Although this was pretty cheap for the set i bought, i at times regret spending the money on this. Sorry this review is not directly for or against alphabet punches. I do like having mine for some projects, but they don't work on all the projects i imagined they would. HTH, Jenny

In the upper Midwest (southern Minn.) where I grew up 50 some years ago calling someone by a term of endearment like honey, etc. was unheard of. Unless, of course by a spouse. Fortunately I have cousins in Texas where anyone and everyone is addressed as honey, sugar, or at least Mam. Some of you may know that my wife is from Galveston. A few years ago, while visiting that fine city, I stopped at a Walmart early in the morning. It was uncrowded and as I approached the checkouts a 40ish, heavyset, African American woman was waiting by her cash register. I asked, "Are you waiting just for me?" She replied in a beautiful Texas drawl, "Sugar, I been waiting for you my whole life." It takes a lot to leave me speechless but she did a fine job. Years later it still brings a smile to my face. People need to lighten up. Ron