So good to hear what each one of you have been doing. Although not so happy to hear about Karen's pain and Jaybird's flu, hope you both feel better soon. Kathleen, YOU keep us going. I love all the dishes you have. Sure wish I had room for more and a hubby who would actually like to sit at a pretty table to eat on them! DD, I keep trying to stash my "extras" in different places. Just can't decide where the best place would be--wish it could all be in one cabinet/cupboard so easy to find. Right now, my china cabinet looks terrible to me--all stuffed with dishes, pitchers, vases, etc. I've got to do some rearranging and make it look pretty again. How I'd love one of those walk in pantries with lots of shelves! News from Betty is good, just a miracle that her DH survived that accident. And it is not like Prosperity to not come by to chat. She must still be in pain otherwise I'm sure she would be on here. Jenn, I've gone to your blog a few times to check how/what you're doing. I'm not finding much worthwhile at our TS lately either--and their prices are getting ridiculous. I know it is going to be really hard for you to part with some of your treasures--but I also know what you mean about the clutter bothering you. Sometimes we just have to clear out some here and there. I have a box started for items to donate and am adding to it as I run across things I no longer like/use. I'm so bad about keeping things--either because someone gave it to me, it used to belong to a relative/friend, or I USED to like it! Sometimes have to just admit that I either need to box it up and put in storage--or bite the bullet and get rid of it! LOL I feel for Karen and Kathleen with those hot temps! I'm dreading those too. When it gets so hot, I tend to do like Jaybird did while sick and just veg out on the couch in front of the television and wait it out! LOL Off to read other posts. TTYL Luvs

I'll be honest, the DW placement would now be a royal pain for me and my family (and would be a reason to remodel!) In our home, the DW is often loaded/unloaded/opened for whatever reason while prepping is going on. With the DW in this location, it means every time the DW needs to be opened you will have to step aside. IF your family is very disciplined to always load & run the DW immediately after dinner (or other meals) and unload it immediately after it finishes running (or at least before any meal prep or cooking takes place), then it may work for you in this location. In our home, with two working parents plus two busy & active children, it just doesn't happen. Invariably, there's cleanup or unloading of the DW going on at the same time as meal prep so the DW is open (or opened/closed/opened/closed/etc.) quite a bit during prep & cooking. If I had to choose b/w the DW in the primary Prep Zone and around the corner, I'd pick around the corner. If you put it at the end of the run, it would not be in the way as much as you think while at the sink and it would be easy to load/unload as well as unload directly into the dish & glasses cabinet above. You also now have all three primary work zones (Prep, Cooking, Cleanup) crammed into one corner of your kitchen. One other concern...if the DW is open while someone is cooking, the cook must be very careful not to back into the open DW door. (The DW door extends approx 27" out from the cabinet when open.) This is a concern primarily b/c when cooking you're working with hot pots/pans. If you back into an open DW door while carrying a hot pot, even a slight loss of balance on your part could result in spilled/sloshed contents. I would try: DW + 9" + 33" corner susan (not recycle) ...round the corner 36" susan (36" on this side) + 9" + 33" sink base + 24" cabinet + 36" recycle susan ...round the corner 36" susan + 1/2" space + 30" range + 1/2" space + 25" cabinet (or whatever will fit) + 3/4" panel + 36" refrigerator + 3/4" panel This gives you 36" of prep space next to the sink as well as another 12" to the left of the range. You also have plenty of space for working & landing to the right of the range. I would use 2 of the recycle bins for recycling and the third for trash, especially as you don't have much trash. One other thing... Trash & recycling work much better inside the Prep Zone and next to the Cooking Zone than across the kitchen. I made the mistake of putting my trash & recycle bins next to my cleanup sink (in the Cleanup Zone) and across a 6' aisle from my Prep & Cooking Zones and it's the biggest regret I have in my kitchen. I find that I generate far more trash, recyclables, & composting, while prepping and cooking than I do while cleaning up and for far longer periods of time. Take what you will of the above comments, just think about how you and your family works & functions b/f finalizing your design. Here is a link that might be useful:

Hi...Finally down from the attic. Been there all day and got almost everything done. DH helped me today and we stopped to have supper about an hour ago(went out to Wendy's with my parents). Ugh, what a long day. DD watched the little one all day for us. I did cancel the flu shots and put off d-day for my baby for another few days. The guy who is doing the installation called this morning and said he wanted everything stacked down the middle of the attic instead of all at one end like he said before. Sooooo, we had to move and restack all the bins I had moved to the far end. Sorted thru lots of things that just got stuck up there when we moved from the downstairs MIL apartment to upstairs and hadn't been gone thru. About 4 big bins of craft wood pieces and projects that I want to paint. Just everything that we don't have room for, but don't want to part with...you know how it goes. Anyway, we pared down big time and have all our garbage cans full (garbage day on Friday so I don't know where we'll put our regular trash this week!) and our trailer is piled up with junk, a bunch of stuff going to the TS and I still have all the kids toys to go thru. They don't have enough room for all their favorite toys so we swap them out from the attic every 6 months or so and it's like they have new toys again. Youngest DD is very good at purging, the other kids like to hang on to everything, but to their credit they do play with it all. It's mostly action figures. I have a whole bin full of Rescue Heros that I think I'm going to donate to my church nursery or the shelter. Little kids love them, but my kids have outgrown them. So we'll end up with maybe 2 bins to put back in the attic. The good thing is that we got rid of all the cardboard boxes and bags and put everything neatly in plastic bins that stack up so nicely and take up way less space. So we got all our stuff sorted and stacked, but my parents still have a bunch of stuff up there to tackle. I told my DM I'd help her go thru her stuff. I think it's mostly books. They just got back from the deer hunt last night late. They were gone for 2 weeks so they are still unpacking their camper and washing, etc. You know I already have a bad back and I haven't done it any favors by doing this, but I'll take a Tylenol PM (they knock me out)ha and a heat pack and hopefully I'll get some rest tonight. It's only 8 something and I'm ready to go to bed. ha You have a good one and I'll see ya later. I'm gonna go soak in a hot tub and hit the hay! ~Anj

Good mornin' Sue. It's a sunny pretty morning here. I did a load of laundry and have it folded but for now it's on the dining room table until I go back to the bedroom to put it up. Not doing anymore laundry until tomorrow morning when maybe I'll get an earlier start. Garage gets too hot. Need to call and get an appointment for a haircut. It's finally grown out enough to cut. She really whacked it off when I got it cut March 17. (4 months!) Should've gone last week but she was on vacation in Indiana visiting her mother. I wanted to make banana-zucchini bread but we have to finish the stuff I made last week first and the Tres Leches cake I got from Publix. Very good but so sweet, even for me. Your dinner sounds wonderful--have fun! I wondered about the 2-crust pineapple pie. Mother used to make them but it was like a cream pie with meringue. Enjoy your day, everyone!