Welcome! Glad we've got another dirt digger to add to our gardening family. I wish you lived closer to N.Raleigh I've got some veggies which need homes. Check out your local Farmers Market. Greensboro has a great one. Shannon?Dirtrx

So glad to have you on here, Daniella. And I love your sense of humor. Your delightful mind can go so fast to the outrageous--mine too. Once when my mother-in-law had talked for 10 minutes without stopping at Christmas dinner and all my kids' eyes were glassed over, as well as their spouses, I asked my mother in law, "Loreen, how is your sex life going since John died six months ago?" No more glassy eyes. My mother-in-law, stunned, screamed "WHAT?" Middle daughter cautioned, "Da-a-d." I said, "I'm just trying to help your grandmother with her sex problem." Then back to my mother-in-law, innocently " Loreen, don't you remember telling me that after John died you were very horny and told me that you were going to dye your gray hair and get new glasses, and all you've done is change your glasses?" Another scream of "WHAT?" from my mother in law and then we all had a nice dinner. Just needed a little change of pace to throw her off her usual speech. Picking my nose at the table would have probably worked equally well, but I thought, "What the hell, all these people love me, and they'll get over it." I suspect that my mother-in-law, whom I loved deeply and vice versa, sometimes did things like that, just to see what I'd say. She was a very sophisticated lady who graduated first in her college class and could drink the whole family under the table. She was such a hoot. Jim

Maybe its the knowledge base. So much of the forum's posts concern very specific requests pertaining to historical time, area, style, urban vs rural. etc. In asking for such particularized information, posters are requiring the answers of experts (or more web trolling by us amateurs!). Some forums seem to have these experts/professionals who are willing to spend time almost daily answering posts(like Landscape Design, Trees, Tropicals,Name That Plant, Winter Sowing, etc) Others, like the Garden Writers forum, seem to languish for lack of TLC from well-schooled forum users. I myself have no expertise in historical garden restoration. Only interest. I had wanted this forum to be more concerned with the practical aspects of common, everyday garden restoration, renewal,revamping,take it apart and put it back together-type gardening. So here we are . . . Ginger

Your new rug looks awesome. I’ve recommended that rug to a few people here, glad to see how it actually looks in someone’s house! I think all of your rugs are fine together, and much more interesting and attractive than a bunch of plain ones. I agree with everything Mrs Ted said. We’re outliers — most on these boards get antsy at mixing colors and patterns. ;) If I was going to change any rug, it would only be the entry one. I think a plainer one there would be a nice bridge between the dining and living room rugs, and they’d stand out more that way. Your kitchen runner is so pretty … I’m another who will always have a rug in my kitchen. Your lights are not too small for your table, I don’t understand that comment at all. I think the oversized lights shown as examples look ridiculous. That’s a strange trend I hope is over soon.