You are seriously sane. I overwintered both the mandevilla & moonflower mentioned in another post. Basically, if you are lucky enough to have a southern window for them, you cut it back to about a foot long and park by the window. Otherwise, I think some folks have had luck putting them in basements. There were lots and lots of threads about this last fall. Do a search and you will be ready to go. Good luck with it!

i have to disagree on the no concrete recommendation, at least for my area. our ground water table is so high at times that the clay soil is fully saturated for months on end. no matter what the post is made from it will rot out quicker without concrete around it. teh concrete will still allow moisture to get to the posts, but it slows it enough that they don't rot every couple years. after only 4 years, my parents replaced some posts on their fence that were not in concrete, they were rotted completely away below ground. the posts next to them, that HAD concrete were still as good as new. that was 10 years ago and all posts are in concrete and stillrock solid. i would not waste teh money on staining a wood fence. the sun will cure it for you, and any stain would have to be redone every couple years anyway. unless you want to paint it, my choice is to leave it natural.

Ha! I'm still dealing with probate for my grandmother's estate and she passed away 2/1/2016. Yes 2016. We've been to probate court twice, so far. I am so ready for it to be over with! In our case we did not have to probate the house, but the funds. Anyhoo, I had a POA for my grandmother that was several pages long, very detailed. I could make any financial/business, etc. decisions, even selling of property. I never had to get anything different for anyone I dealt with. It was drawn up by an attorney. My sister had her medical POA (she is in the medical field). We've done the same for my dad. Having your name on the bank accounts doesn't mean you get all the money - if you dad has designated other beneficiaries. In our case there is a trust set up for one party and there is also a foundation that is a beneficiary. Legally, I was told I could keep all the money because my name was on the account(s). BUT, the will stated otherwise and of course I want to do what my grandparents (grandfather died first) wanted! If I had kept the money, others could have taken me to court - siting the will (and rightly so). With the POA I had, I was able to sell stock (our financial advisor advised me to do this BEFORE her death) and then re-invest an annuity that cashed out due to her age (she was 98 when she passed). I agree with pinkmountain. Ease the burden now. I never knew how much time settling an estate could take.

I'd ask to , well not ask but tell the fabricator I'll need to OK the cut placement layout on the stone before the slabs get cut. And that way I can see what the counter will look like before anything happens to them. Including how the veining will blend at the seams, if any. No surprises. No regrets. There is 100% no way I would rely on the fabricator to make those choices without reviewing them. Or making them myself. I'm paying and living with them. Cellphone pics of agreed upon layout.