What size pots, and how large are the trees? Did the trees suffer die-back? Are the trees root bound? High nitrogen fertilizers will grow leaves and not too many figs. Try pinching back new growth to encourage figs to set. By the way, trees are set back this season by about a good month, and main crop figs are just starting to sprout from leaf nodes. We also had a very cool spring which didn't help. Many fig growers in the cooler climates are experiencing the same problems. Try pinching to control new growth...this may work. Good luck. Frank

Our home remodel in the NYC suburbs is costing approx $215 K which is "normal" for this area. We are expanding 2 floors - 1st floor will include a new entryway and a larger LR. 2nd floor will have a new BR, new BA, 2 WIC's and a hall closet. We are adding about 500 sq ft. We are also residing, reroofing and adding central air. To answer your question, I think I'll quote someone from the buying and selling homes forum "Don't make every home decision based on "possible" resale value..Do it because you want it for enjoyment or the benefit it may provide you while you live in the home." Yes, they were talking about a much smaller amount but your home is a place where you will live, raise kids and make memories. If this project will make you happy, has what you want, and you can afford it, go for it. We did, and although we will be paying off our loan for awhile, we will have the home we want in the neighborhood we want. The way I see it, we are spending approx $200K to make the home we want instead of spending $800K (going rate for a 4 BR 2000 sq ft house in my area) to move into one and then have to fix it up anyway.

What we want to do is is just get the license and go to the Justice of the Peace to be married and THEN have a ceramony when we're settled on the east coast. Please don't do this. This suggestion--which I am seeing more and more of--really bothers me. To have a reception later is fine. To have two ceremonies is not. You can only, technically, get married once. That is the REAL wedding. Any other *ceremony* is simply theater. I think it's really disrespectful to the marriage ceremony to repeat it "just for show." If you have a DIFFERENT ceremony later (the way many Europeans do--a civil ceremony first, a religious one later--that makes sense. Or if you have a small civil ceremony, and then later have a ceremony you call "the blessing by the families" and you make up stuff for your families to promise to support and bless your marriage--that could work. But if you do it too much later, don't expect other people to get all that terribly excited about it. I know of people who got married by proxy (husband was in Iraq, she was stateside), and were going to repeat the ceremony in person--that made sense. I like Gellchom's points, as always. I think you need to talk to your dad. What can he do to you, if he's unhappy? Yell at you? Hang up the phone. Ask you some pointed questions about how well you know this guy you're marrying, but that he's never heard of? Be able to answer them--even if the answer is, "I don't speak to you that often, and I don't tell you everything, Dad." Why is it they haven't heard you mention your boyfriend in the intervening 2 years? Why is it you didn't tell your dad you were planning to get married, back when you decided to, 2 years ago? That's probably the most sensitive thing--but just get past it. Tell them now, and get it over with. Call them up and say, "remember that guy I mentioned briefly? Well, I wasn't that clear I have a friend whose dad was SO upset at the idea that his grown-and-living-on-her-own daughter (her sister) would MARRY!!! her long-time, stable, loving boyfriend, whom they had met many times before and apparently liked, that the dad was nasty, refused to go, refused to let my friend go, refused to let the mom go, and refused to speak to the sister for YEARS. I hope your dad isn't like that. But if he is, then I think you should tell him now, and then ignore him until he decides to be sane again. Because if he's going to be mad SIMPLY because you're getting married, then he's insane. But in general, I really think it's a very bad idea to surprise families with this sort of news. Tell them ahead of time, as soon as you can, now that you realize there's a problem. And if I were your parent, and you did not offer me the oportunity to be there when you married, I would be VERY hurt.

fairytalebaby, I'm so excited for you. I remember your beautiful setting when you posted over on Building a Home. When we picked out paint colors before we had furniture we also stuck to neutral. It's hard enough to choose paint when you have actual materials you are trying to match but without the furniture, neutrals are your friend. As for the ceiling. There is no rule, only personal preference. I was formally a white ceiling kinda gal but the more I looked at new homes and some beautiful shots here on Garden Web, the more I really wanted to try some color. I love it now and can't even imagine going back to white ceilings. I'm a total convert. Some like a 50% cut of their wall color. Some like light gray (like Ellen Kennon's Gustavian Gray) Some like cream. It's totally up to you! Good Luck and can't wait to see what you're picking out for your interior! Beautiful Home! Lindy