Nana, I got on last night with the intention of reading all the posts and commenting....of course when I saw the word "purple", that was the first one I read being me. When I went to comment I just started falling apart and realized I couldn't act 'normal' afterall. I'd finished writing my Dad's obituary and picking a photo for it a few hours earlier, so that's probably why I was a mess. tho I seem to be staying that most of the time. I'm clearing things from Dad's room, except things special to me, because I 'have' to. I need to see that room in a different way as soon oas I can. It hurts too much otherwise. The hospital bed has to go back to the VA, so I hope to find some different furniture for that room in the future. The gigantic old dresser needs to go, but Zorro can keep the easy chair. He claimed that years ago. ;o) Basically I'm just donating Dad's clothes and going thru loads of paperwork. He saved every scrap of paper and trying to sort the necessary from the useless has been a challenge. After Mom died 10 yrs ago, and he moved in with me, he really kept very little. "Stuff" was her thing, not his. He stopped driving when she died too, their car was totaled in the wreck and he didn't want another one. So Dad's belongings are very few, except his clothes and a lot of framed family photos. I'm so glad I don't have a lot to go thru again, like when we lost her. this is the photo I chose for his obituary, its how I'll always remember him with his wonderful smile, ready to tell someone a joke. hugs, Karen

Hey sissypoo (peaches)!!!!!! What an awesome surprise seeing you here :o) Does this mean that you've paid the subscription and I'll be seeing you over on the Kitchen Table? I hope so!! xstitcher- I have looked at stitch in the past but haven't been there lately. Thanks for the suggestion :o) I'll go take a look.

padola, I'm usually good at picking up on tongue in cheek humor but sometimes I can be pretty obtuse. So I looked back at it from that angle and I have to say, though I could hear the lightness in your tone now that you say it, I still don't see how most people would be expected to see the joke in it. However, I believe you when you say that's what you intended. There is still plenty of room for appropriate humor and opinion in many other places on the forum and I do trust, as you say, that it will be injected in the right places. I find people here to be refreshingly honest and even blunt (rarely in a rude way) when necessary, when asked for input on the planning process for someone's k;tchen. Sometimes those opinions are unsolicited, but usually they are sought. And I rarely see anyone who asks for input get defensive and outright refuse to consider a suggestion without good reason (e.g. walls are set, can't be moved). Sensitive, maybe; unreasonably so, generally not, especially during the process. I have seen plenty of FK posts where the person will list what s/he would have done differently and why. That's a different story. When I said "back down", I didn't mean you had to change your opinion, just asking you to consider your tone. What I am hearing in it is that you feel it is you against the forum, and I was trying to point out that that doesn't have to be the case, that others here will be glad to help you, but if you are coming in with a sense of "I know you all don't like me, but...", it will come out in your future posts.

The houses were mostly in NE and SE PDX, the Tudor was in NW. SWMBO's reactions: She wants a floor of small white hex tile with gray or black grout. Counters of black-edged tile with white field tile. Concealed refrigerator and dishwasher. My reactions: I like her floor idea, although I suspect we may find restorable wood under the slate that is there now, and Marmoleum is now in the running. Open to at least investigating tile counters, though still inclined to steel and wood. I've become more conscious of the overall look of my house (the most recent post in the ''let's see the rest of the house'' thread) but don't have any ambitions of being on a future year's Kitchen Revival Tour. More and more intrigued by an eclectic, unfitted look. I'm not terribly drawn to the vintage one-piece cast-iron sink/drainboard, although if a dishwasher could fit underneath, I'd be more interested. Definitely liking the wall-mount faucets. I'm feeling more tolerant of ''patina'' and less interested in glossy, seamless, and matchy-matchy looks. I don't share her interest in concealing appliances. I do like the vintage ranges more and more. Two of the houses had rolltop desks, one of my personal faves. Reinforced my personal disinclination toward pastel colors. I liked getting a peek into the style and non-kitchen interests of the owners. I talked with one guy for half an hour about old tube amps and vinyl.