That is so cool that you were able to meet a fellow wintersower, and score some plants! I haven't met anyone from this forum, it seems that the majority are on the eastern half of the country. I did get to visit with someone from the Rocky Mountain forum last fall, and this year (in May) I am going to drive over 200 miles to attend the RMG Spring Plant Swap. I hope to meet Irisgirl, who also hangs out here sometimes. Obviously, I'm not going for the FREE plants, since I'll spend more than what they would have cost me, in gas getting there and back. To be able to meet people that I feel like I already know, and put faces with names will be so fun. Plus, planting something from a friend's garden gives the plant special meaning. You'll never think of the the plants without thinking of the person that gave them to you! Bonnie

Awwww, welcome home Boo!! He's a cutie! Sounds like Ginger is coming around slowly but surely. There have been some similarities in our house with the "last one in the pack" trying to readjust to a new buddy. Sam has desperately tried to get Tasha to play (he likes the run and chase game) and Tasha is just not into all that, but she is definitely coming around. LOL, she has never been a kennel dog and twice now I have caught her laying down in Sam's kennel when he is out hanging somewhere else. I think that's great that your Dad has bonded with Boo as well and that ya'll are willing to share him. Congrats on your new pack member!!!

LOL Kframe! Glenda, my Aunt Dott would probably make your Savannah tour guide as well as Paula sound like they're from the northeast! Aunt Dott was married to our uncle and he has a Brooklyn accent - they moved back south many many years ago - he still talked Brooklyn and she always spoke "Southern" - and is a great cook. In fact I had sent her Paula's Not Yo Mamma's Banana Pudding recipe a few years ago after I made it - Aunt Dott made it too :)

Wow - resurrected older thread! To answer questions: Luvnola: I believe the tile is called Cicero, and made by American Olean. I haven't seen it in Lowes again since I bought it - I can only assume it sold out quickly. We're very happy with it - it came on 12" mesh sheets, installed very easily (we used a sand-coloured grout which looks lovely and coordinates with our floor tile nicely), and it warms the space up just the way I wanted, as well as looking "like it's always been there" (kind of my mission statement for the look of the project, if you like) saa203: I posted some "not finished, but getting there" pix in the thread linked below. Countertop is 2nd-hand Cambria quartz, and I believe the colour is "Becon Brown" - it's not a current colour (the quartz was originally installed with its previous owner about 4 years ago). My GC isn't a stone fabricator but quite enjoys doing minor stone work - there were only a couple of straight cuts to make so he did that. The seaming isn't perfect because we were working with pre-existing pieces and thus had to work within the limitations of the already-cut pieces, but it's absolutely fine (will be better once he adjusts the colour of the seams, which is on our punchlist). The cabinets are also secondhand (I think they're about 10 years old in fact) but are in GREAT condition. They're Kraftmaid shaker/mission style (Lexington at HD, Amherst at Just Cabinets, not sure what it's called at Lowes) in natural maple. We added two new cabinets (over the mw and the 9" one to the right of the mw, and the door for the pullout base has been ordered and will also be new) and there is a slight difference in colour, but I think as the new ones age in and "golden", they'll match pretty well (the wrong side of the old cabinets matches the new ones 100% - it's clearly the light-aging that's making the difference) And thanks Sweeby - of course, in our situation EVERYTHING had to be a bargain but it was nice to find that tile without having to look too hard or too long for something! Here is a link that might be useful: Not-finished-but-in-the-home-stretch pictures