Hi everyone Thought I'd tuck this in at the end of a thread as I just need to vent. I'm trying to figure out why my kind, funny and supportive spouse who appreciates everything I do becomes insufferable when it comes to DIY projects. Here was our exchange when I showed him the bathroom. Me: So what do you think? DH: (Examines surfaces carefully). Did you sand the walls before painting them? Me: Of course do you like the color? DH: Mmmm. How will you attach the wainscoting to the walls? (Weve had this conversation 3 times by phone) Me: Adhesive on the walls then nails. Dont you think the cabinet turned out nicely? (Ive sanded and repainted a hideous brown wall cabinet white and added handles). DH : You might have trouble with these walls. Me: (Sigh) I know. I took the toilet out all by myself. DH: Will you get everything done before Mum arrives? Me. Im trying. DH. What will you do with the electrical outlet? What about the wire from the old light fixture? Arent you going to fill the holes from the old towel rail? Me: (Walking away) I just wanted to know if you liked it so far, especially the floor. DH: Of course I do. I just have questions. Me: Id be feeling better if youd said something like "Wow it looks great in here, youve been working really hard, what a transformation." DH: Youre over reacting, its much better than before. But are you sure you know how to grout? Perhaps he should get a job at Home Depot. Mary

Hi Again All, Phone call that long? Nope, it was my neighbor, I bought candy from her daughter (school thing) & she called to see if she could buy back 1 of the thing's, as her dog ate the one that belonged to someone else...LOL..LOL, after cracking up laughing & told her you know dog's should not have chocolate, I told her sure she could have mine back, so she came to get it & we got talking & I remember about the Guano she had promised me last year so we went back to her house to get it. Now does anyone now how much Guano I should use to make tea? I put maybe 1/2 cup in a gallon of water & in 5 minutes the water was black, I think I used to much??? HELP IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT!!!!!!! I think I better pull the stoking out & find out the right amount. Angie, Again thank you soooo much!!!!! Little D is going to LOOOOVE you:) Oh & you are real funny about him needing more toy's!!! I knew I was getting that yesterday didn't you? Angie sent my bulb's, but she also sent me the coolest train with block's, that David is going to love:) Now that's an eBay seller, buy some bulb's get a toy:) Cindy, I did not get an E-mail from you? Shirley, Thank you sooooooooooooooooooooo much, I will let you know when I get them, Wow UPS really was a saving's, Maryann, I copied this for you from the last thread, It is ANYTHING goes, but we have to send at least the amount of items our number is, if we have plants ready, we can use plants or anything, I am to send Angie 13 things of my choice:) As for the May Vacation Swap, YOU decide where your partner is going, Trying to use names of Daylilies & send them the Daylilie's as destination's, no I cant tell you anything about my partners vacation or it will no longer be a secret, all I can say is whom ever I get better HOLD ON!!!!!! I will get that part of the thread for you later, PART I COPIED Yes, the April swap sure is filling up fast. Think we're all anxious to finally send and receive some boxes with REAL LIVE PLANTS!!!! I wanted to recap who has what for numbers since there was some confusion: #1 - Jo (now who's going to get mad if you send more??) #2 - Canna #3 - MaryS #4 - Dianne #5 - Lisa #6 - CindyO #7 - Marea #8 - Carol #9 - Dawn #10 - MaryB (Sorry Shirley, I get to be the perfect 10) #11 - Debbie #12 - Shirley (even better than a 10!) #13 -Anita #14 -Angie Thank you all, I love him soooo much:0) Yes, Jo he does look like me:) Have to go check my Bat Guano, I sure could use some help with it, I also need help to keep my hads back, I am sooo wanting to go buy it now on GRANDPA MUNSTER, it's only $45.00 DF, Oh Lord Help ME!!!!!:)Anita

Thank you all for your heartwarming words about Ruffin and the enormous milestone he reached today. My two angels are in bed (I also have a 3.5 year-old) and as I think about today, a date I'll remember forever (or until my brain gives out!), I just feel incredible warm fuzzies about his standing unaided and that step. The marble slabs / house remodel? Don't care. Doesn't matter. My sweet little button standing? I'm on top of the world!!! And you all totally understand. Thank you!!! Thank you, louisianapurchase, for telling me about your children and the work you did with your older son to help him overcome his fine motor issues. I just love hearing stories like yours -- I love hearing that children can and do get better. And thank you for writing that St. John (my older son) reminds you of your younger son! That's a nice compliment. mnhockeymom, holy cow that is remarkable about your son! Honestly, these medical professionals can scare the living daylights out of you (at least they have me with their earlier [mis]diagnoses of Ruffin) and to have heard the word "fatal" about one of your babies must have been incredibly frightening. I am so grateful your son is fine, healthy and "normal" for his age. When it comes to the health and welfare of our children, the world is a small place for people who care about children. I feel like holding hands with all the involved parents and singing "Kumbaya." I know it sounds goofy, but I just feel so connected to the other loving, concerned caregivers out there. I'm excited your countertops still give you a thrill -- since I am following your lead that'll hopefully be me later this year! katmandu -- I just have to tell you how much I like you! I'm so glad you joined GW. You wrote exactly what I'm feeling -- that Ruffin's steps are really all which matter to me. The countertops will be nice and the way this all happened (the rude lady, the "switched" slabs) was wrong, but keeping it in perspective, doesn't matter! Thank you, too, for telling me about when your children started walking. It is really helpful to my psyche to know that "normal" children (without delays / special needs) can and do start walking throughout their second year of life. Now about the marble: do keep it in mind when it's your turn. If it hadn't been for GWers who'd written out what to do for slab countertops (taking photos of your slabs as you pick them, being there when the templates are made, insisting on being there for the templates to be applied to the slabs and taking more pictures) I wouldn't have had the "proof" to both show others I was right as well as assuage myself! If I had to do it again you can bet I'd say to the first guy (with whom Ruffin and I selected our slabs): "Are you absolutely sure THESE are the slabs I'm going to get? Because THESE are the only slabs I want!" and then I'd check the claim tickets and make sure the numbers there matched up with the slabs I want. vwhippiechick -- reading your note brought (more) tears to my eyes! Bless you for all the incredible good you've given people. You truly are a miracle worker. I love (and I really mean "love" with my heart, not just a throw-away euphemism) all of Ruffin's therapists (physical, occupational and speech): these women, on a weekly basis, are vastly improving the quality of all of our lives (Ruffin's, mine, my older son's and my husband). You really are a miracle worker! You are 100% right -- marble? My little boy is improving!!! Your families are lucky to have you. Mindi -- you are so sweet. Thank you for your supportive words and advice. I loved reading your note, and a fine man like your son is exactly what this world needs! Yours is a kitchen I am going to be closely following -- you have such a fabulous aesthetic and with that marble -- that marble! -- it is going to be stunning. From an earlier note of yours, I want to say I can totally relate to your wardrobe: I pretty much live in black (don't feel comfortable in white -- I am incredibly fair and feel white washes me out, like a walking block of tofu!) and love "architectural" clothes (my mainstays are BabetteSF and Yohji, although since living covered by snot and cracker crumbs I wear more Eileen Fisher because I can wash it at home!). I think I'd love poking through your closet .... Ah Robin -- my virtual hand-holder. You give so much to so many of us here on GW. How are you? I worry that you don't receive as much as you give, and I don't want you feeling depleted. You are too valuable. You're too important to me! You have seen me go through it all -- beating myself up for yelling at my children, losing our beloved kitten (since, gratefully, found), getting a puppy (she's great!), these silly slabs, and now something wonderful: Ruffin! I'm so happy I could share something positive with you, friend. And thank you for the encouraging words about our kitchen. Listen, if my kitchen looks 1/88th as good as your kitchen then we'll be one lucky family! Maybe by virtual osmosis your good taste will rub off on me .... Hopefully the next time I post about our kitchen it will be to share pictures of things falling into place (doors / drawer fronts on, countertop installed, backsplash installed, appliances in / panels applied, and maybe one day, the whole kitchen done!). To a one, Thank You. -Brooke

We finally got started planting behind the raised bond beam! Talk about a lot of work! We had to build a retaining wall behind the curved portion of the wall with Castlerock, and those things are heavy! I haven't planted anything along the new sundeck, but hope to start that today. We also still have four Pygmy Date Palms for behind the raised bond beam, that we have to plant. Two will flank either side of the CI Date Palm for some added privacy. Here is a close up of the area we planted: I'm super pleased with the look of the ferns. We're lucky in that we only get about 1 hour of direct sun there a day, and it's from about 5:30PM - 6:30PM. Hopefully these Kimberly Queens will thrive there. I looked forever, before finding these bowls for the lower portions of the bond beam. There is a really good nursery, showcased in Southern Living, in a nearby town. They're my go-to place for hard-to-find Texas plants, and they have awesome decorative items. The bowls look amazingly like Oklahoma Wister flagstone! I've planted this combo before. It'll be white in the back (Angelonia), Liriopi in the middle as a perennial, and eventually the purple Scaevola and New Gold Lantana should spill over the front. With the Blue Plumbago in the back, the color combo should look nice. In about a month, it should be totally full. All I'll have to do is change out the annuals each season for color. The fence is in. Now all we have left is the flagstone inlay and the flagstone on the steps and we're done!