Hello Idylls! After being without the computer for a few days, I hardly know where to start! It was filled with dust and dirt (I am not surprised), and, in spite of our virus prtoectors, there were 400+ active viruses. No wonder the thing wouldn't work! While it was gone I cleaned and tidied up the office, and made an especially good area for TCS to do his work. We refer to it as his office, and as there are not t.v. or toys there to distract him, he is doing a little better at getting the homework done. Garden chores are finished here now, with yesterday emptying water barrels, turning off the taps and covering the air conditioner. Time to turn my attention to the inside of the house. The guest room will be completed today, finally, and DH will do necessary repairs to the antique furniture that is going back in there. Gee Chelone, our very own Biddy Suite! Next week he has agreed to help me do a real big clean up and decluttering of the storage. Finally. I too hate the idea of one kid causing trouble for all. I haven't run into this yet with TCS but I recall this with my own two in elementary school. I think the poor teachers often just give in to frustration - and I don't blame them either. A big first here this morning: Tucker and I had a leisurely stroll around the block with a neighbour and her pup. Tucker was not socialized in his original home, and so is very excitable with other dogs, and sometimes aggressive. He has come a long long way. It must be the beatings.... Mary I am glad the leaf sweeper worked so well. I remember all too well the huge Norway Maple and the extra-huge oak at our previous house...Working on the gardens is so much more enjoyable. And with your chickie friends. Sounds like a peaceful, pleasant experience. If I just say the word "squash" here everyone runs for cover. You are one busy lady, V. It's amazing how much you manage to fit in to your life! My Gingko doesn't turn at all = it just drops the leaves, all at once, still completely green. I kind of wanted the yellow in the fall, but I guess it just gets too cold too fast here. Cyn, retirement is certainly a less stressful way to live, but things aren't always the way you think they would be. I sent this to my ex-co-workers a month after retirement: When I retired I thought: I would sleep later. My house would be cleaner. My money would go farther. My DH would drive me nuts. I would have lots of free time. I would miss working. My gardens would be meticulous. I didn't think: That jeans wear out a lot faster when you wear them everyday. That everybody else in the neighbourhood would still be working. That the words "week-end" would lose all meaning. That staying home all day with a little kid would be fun (TCS was a baby then). That there are least 40 kids under the age of five in Merrickville (where we lived then). That COSTCO shopping would fill up a whole day That I would read a book a week just because I feel like it. I'll leave you all nw with those thoughts! Waving to the many that I have missed! Don't forget your Juliejobs! Gives one a sense of progress, no matter how small! Cheers, Julie

Wow you summed it up, there should be a 12 step program. Right now I am supposed to be working, which by the way has a deadline of 3 o'clock today, but no here I am checking things out on here. I am so addicted!! I wish so much I found this site sooner because I would have made some different decisions with my kitchen remodel, but am grateful I finally stumbled on it. When I think back, poor Buehl, I had no idea what I was doing and would email her directly with all my questions. She was always so kind and responded everytime. Finally figured out how to post( which was so easy), but I was in a mess with a leak that cuased the whole remodel and in a real hurry for answers and didn't take the time to figure it out. SORRY BUEHL AND THANK YOU!!!! Love-love-love this site......

Hi jaluca, welcome! The floors are just a shade over 5" wide, they are all one width. DH and I had decided on random widths and when I went into the reclaimed flooring place I changed my mind at the last moment and went with all 5". I think both would have looked great, but I'm very pleased with the 5". We have a water-based finish on the floor. We opted not to go with a more typical oil-based finished in part for environmental reasons (and to reduce odour) but also because oil finished tend to yellow the hardwood and I loved the blonde/light brown colours in the birch. Hope this helps, let me know if you need any other info.

Power down there Ken_Adrian, I didnâÂÂt ignore I already stated that one side is the entry and the other wall is all sliders to the pool. And, yes it doesnâÂÂt have to be leather. I do like that Dijon color though and I LOVE the shape of those chairs. I have always thought no furniture in front of sliders as well. In this case though it could work. I have very substantial walk ways on both side of the sofa group. After my tea IâÂÂll get on my little knee scooter and try to measure. Depending on the chair size I could still have maybe a 35âÂÂâ walkway or so. However, I think the chairs will have to be low and have to have open arms and or open back as suggested. This is an odd little house and we have already had to change a few windows sizes and sliders. I call this house the house of slider door. The master bath we are remodeling had a shower that was two sides of sliders leading to a since dilapidated little atrium. PO owners did an abomination with that area so the whole room had to be gutted including the studs. There were two sliders next to the toilet in the guest bathroom, now thatâÂÂs gone. The master bedroom has two sets of sliders that waste the whole corner of the room so one of those will be changed to a window so I can have some wall space. The dining room has two set of sliders, one on each corner. Originally the kitchen had a slider; POâÂÂs changed that to a badly done window that needs to be redone. In this living area though IâÂÂm keeping the wall of glass. Excluding the media wall all the furniture has to be floated as its all open plan to kitchen, dining, entry and pool. So, in a nut shell IâÂÂll have to break some rules somewhere to make this a comfortable livable living room. There is not really another configuration for the sofa group. IâÂÂm ok with that. My goal was for me to get my own sofa to stretch out on for movies. Voila, thank you so muchâ¦IâÂÂm off to have a look. IâÂÂm still thinking IâÂÂll have to buy used though and perhaps have something recovered. It would be nice if I didnâÂÂt have to though. Tomato, I am going to have plants but IâÂÂm thinking maybe some plants on the media cabinet with some doodads. I may call for your help when I get to that section. IâÂÂm going to use the same brand ceiling speakers I used in my last house. The hard part for me is going to be switching to an in wall subwoofer. That black thing is a very good subwoofer that I hate to part with. In my last house it was somewhat hidden by furniture. I was hoping to hide it behind a corner chair in this house. However, I donâÂÂt want the whole room to look stupid.