"Also, out on the farm, a formal dining room seems a bit out of place, while an open country kitchen, with a big work table, woodstove and lots of light sounds just right...at least for me!" Many people expect a "farmhouse" to look like that thanks to images in magazines of remodeled modern kitchens. The reality was that after a long day toiling in the fields, being able to close off the hot kitchen from the dining room so you could eat in relative comfort was a blessing. In the country at least, it wasn't until the widespread use of electric fans, water coolers and air conditioners was the kitchen considered to be a room anyone wanted to hang out in; before then it was just a hot, steamy, and pretty much no nonsense work space for preparing meals and washing up afterward. There was a reason women of any means at all hired someone else to cook. ;^) I would never, ever open the wall between the kitchen and dining room here. Mainly that's because there's a whopping 15 to 20 degree difference in the temperature between the two rooms in the summer after I finish making dinner. That said, since we bought this farm, we have done some rearranging in the 100+year old house. The bathroom had been created by taking a corner of what used to be the screened sleeping porch at the back back and closing it in; MOL just crammed in a closet directly off the kitchen. We moved the bathroom to the other end of the porch, away from the kitchen. And we've been working to open up the wall between what had been the former porch and bathroom and the kitchen so when we're done there will not only be room for the washing machine, but also a tiny, walk in pantry, a place to sit and take off muddy boots, and a small table and chairs with a window looking out over the backyard toward the west. As further sacrilege, I'd like to one day move the bathroom off the back porch all together and put it in the middle bedroom, and turn that part of the porch into a laundry/utility room. You can't get to the second bedroom without going through the middle bedroom, and in otherwise similar sized homes the same age and with an otherwise similar floorplan, that space is actually a small, short hallway and a bathroom. I'm guessing that the family that built the house needed the room to sleep more than a bathroom, as they didn't even add one until almost 60 years later. So as far as eventually moving the bathroom into the house itself, you could say that I want to upgrade the floorplan to the high end version of what was available when the house was built.

Why not choose wines both you and your fiance like, that way you won't have to worry about buying too much. I don't think 1/2 bottle for prewedding, dinner and post dinner is nearly enough. At the bare minimum I would order at least 18 bottles, that's only 1 1/2 cases. Remember, most places give you a 10% case discount. A lot of your decision will also depend on how many non-drinkers you have. You may also want to have a few bottles of champagne available for wedding cake and toasts. If dinner is going to be something that goes with red wine than 67% of the wine should probably be red. If dinner is roasted chicken or lobster, I would do 100% white, plus champagne. If you run out of wine just after dinner, I suspect your guests will depart shortly after - which may or may not be a good thing! Good luck, jerri

If you are someone who takes cooking very seriously, then you should consider either a gas range and an electric wall oven, or a dual-fuel range which incorporates both gas and electric. However, for most people, a gas range and a quality microwave are more than enough to service their needs. Consider what you cook on a regular basis and whether you have noticed a material difference between using gas and electric. If it has not made a major impact in the past, you probably don't need it for the future. Be wary of feature creep! Chances are that if you don't really need it, you can think of a few other ways to spend the money. Here is a link that might be useful: www.BestKitchenGuide.com

Rather astounding at the flagrant dismissal some can give to documented evidence - not just babble back anecdotal reports - at the risks involved in indefinitely delaying dormancy of temperate zone plants! We are not talking about all the number of many species on the planet, only those that are native to temperate regions of the globe where a necessary period of dormancy is part of their genetic biological make up. And I could also suggest that rather than tossing about cheap (and unsubstantiated) statements such as "the other person is, quite bluntly, completely wrong and unable to change their minds and update their knowledge with some research" that the poster do their own research, as they appear to be grossly uninformed. Even any reputable bonsai site will state the same. Completely wrong?? So then I guess is the vast majority of the rest of the population!! Just a little arrogance happening here. Bonsai Learning Center: "the vast majority actually need the cold in order to put them into “sleep mode” for the winter. If they don’t get it, they are like marathon runners who never rest. They begin to slow down and gradually lose vigor. Eventually over time, they simply run out of energy and die. This is what happens to temperate bonsai which are brought inside the house during the winter months because their owners fear that exposure to cold weather will kill them" Bonsai4me: "Some bonsai beginners feel that their trees may perish if subject to the harsh conditions of the winter months and bring their trees indoors to 'protect' them. This continuation of heat and light through the winter prevents dormancy in temperate trees. The resulting continual growth throughout the year goes against the trees' internal clock which is requiring a dormant period, the clock can be tricked to an extent; the tree will continue to grow inside. It may even grow continuously for as long as two years after which, whatever the season or conditions, deciduous species will drop all leaves and evergreens will stop all growth. This out of season dormancy usually results in very sickly trees and even death." All things bonsai: "It is quite common for beginners in bonsai to want to over
protect trees by bringing them into the house or into a heated conservatory. This
may result in the trees not actually entering the dormancy period. If this
happens the trees may carry out growing throughout the winter. This distortion
of the natural cycle will harm and can eventually kill the tree. The dormancy
period is essential to the health of trees from a temperate climate. Trees from
tropical parts of the world do not need this dormancy period as they do not
experience it in their natural environments. They can therefore be kept indoors
all year round."