In early spring, I tend to let the following weeds, uh, wildflowers, grow: Blue Toadflax (linaria canadensis) Blue Curls (trichostema dichotomum) Venus's Looking Glass (specularia perfoliata)[bluebell family] Bluets (houstonia caerulea) Blue-eyed Grass (sisyrinchium augustifolium) [Iris family] All except the Blue-eyed Grass are reseeding annuals and easily kept in bounds. I cultivate the Blue-eyed Grass, which is perennial. Here is a link that might be useful: Sisyrinchium

If it's not I don't want to socialize with you thing, then it's just general laziness and lack of social graces. I have a similar thing with my family. I have a couple of cousins that I was close with growing up and that now live 2 hours away. I send them Christmas cards every year, graduation announcements, party invites and I never hear boo from them. 6 months ago, I get an invite to a baby shower for the daughter of my cousin. Didn't even know she was pregnant, hoped she hadn't gotten married and I didn't get an invite! Turns out she wasn't married but was having a baby. So, I decided to drive up the two hours that Sunday and attend - mostly just to see everyone and hear what's new. They were all thrilled to see me and we had a great visit. I took a number of pictures of the mother to be and my cousin and other family members at the shower. Plus some of her opening gifts etc. I sent copies of all the photos to my cousin. Never got a thank you for my gift, an acknowledgement of sending the photos. No baby announcement. Nada. I know they like me, they like me coming to their events on the rare occasions they have them, but have no interest in making the drive to attend any of my events or interact with my kids or hubby. So it is what it is. I accept them, as they are, but definitely don't invite them to events anymore other than those that I consider life milestones like graduation parties or weddings my kids will have in the future. They probably won't come, but at least I invited them!

Some thoughts. Layout, not paint colors and materials, should be the focus of your first changes. --Get rid of the sofa entirely since you're going to do so anyway. But don't get another one just yet. --If the oak pieces are moveable, take out the central, computer section and put it against the wall where the lamps are. Group your chairs in a conversational circle around a nice brown leather or colorful ottoman. This idea: --Move your lamps behind one of the big chairs flanking the fireplace. This will light up that end of the room and 'invite" people to take a seat, bring a book, put down a drink. --Anchor your space with a large light patterned rug that picks up some of the golden oak and other colors in the room. --Put some pillows in golds and whatever accent color you have in a rug. --Fill the bookcase with books! --Take down the dark "Home" sign. If the room is homey--and it will be with rug, coffee table, and comfy chairs, and reading lamp arranged in a homey way, you don't need a sign to tell you. Replace it with a large light-colored skyscape or woodlands landscape on the mantel that suggests the sky or the outdoors and opens up the room. --If you don't want to use the office chair as part of your group, just get another comfortable chair so you have four of them. Put small accent tables next to them so people can put down a mug, plate or book. You need to give your room airiness, comfort, and usefulness to make it a great family room. I frankly think a room with the chairs you love arranged conversationally doesn't need a brown leather sofa. I hope you don't get one, but if you eventually do, get one in gold/cambel tones or the whole room with brown floor, dark stones, and wood will be a sea of darkness. Get camel instead. The cozy layout where everyone has a big comfortable chair, centered on a colorful rug with a coffee table/ottoman within reach, a painting, some books to look at and read, and a colorful warm looking rug will create an inviting family room for not a whole lot of $$.

Thanks mad. Ive done the jar test and it was really helpful in combination with a ph test. One can use pool strips for the latter or the red cabbage Straw often posts, but we usedany blueberries cuz that what I had at the moment. Anything with anthocyanins should work. Agree ub geberak about the clay, but her in parts of Ohio it really is clay and Im sure in PA as both were/are huge pottery clay areas.