Brother and Dad are right the cover wont keep the pond from freezing unless winter is very mild. I've used various deicers over the years and in Toronto Canada I have been fine with 300 watt versions and I really think that they are the best option. If a 1500 watt de-icer didn't make a hole in Zone 5a it was defective..(was it the green 1250 Watt stock tank heater by any chance? I had nothing but trouble with them getting warranty on 3 in 4 years until I got wise and stopped trying) There are other do it yourself options some use light bulbs (if you can still find 100 Watt bulbs) and others use air stones though I have found the airstone systems to be a problem in really cold conditions..

Me, me, me!!!! I made 3 batches of cookies today, wrapped all the presents that I have bought so far, mailed my Christmas cards, and finished the laundry. So I am gonna settle in for the whole 3 hours and not feel one bit guilty. I didn't clean my house at all this weekend. But in my opinion, something's gotta give at the holidays, and I vote for housework. If someone comes and complains, I'll just shove a cookie in their mouth and distract them! LOL I volunteered for a very difficult and dangerous job this weekend...............I had to bring home 2 bags of Holiday M&Ms and wrap them in individual sevings for a class project. (Parents were supposed to send in individually wrapped candy, like Hershey's Kisses or Mini Reeses PB Cups.) I took it upon myself to do the job, since someone had to do it. Now, I have to tell you that there were defective M&Ms in both bags; and I, as quality control inspector, couldn't let them pass. I had to eat them in order to spare the poor unsuspecting souls who are supposed to receive the candy. It wasn't pleasant, but it had to be done!!! That is my story and I am sticking to it! (I still haven't eaten the M&Ms that I brought home and hid. And I only ate one cookie from each batch today - a record for me! LOL) Now I have to finish cleaning the kitchen and pack my lunch for tomorrow, then I can finally sit down and relax. Hope everyone had a nice weekend. Marci

Hi - don't know if the question is still open or not, but here's my .02: We are in an area that sounds similar to yours. It's basically a commuter suburb with most everyone working in NYC. Extremely competitive, particularly with regard to schools. My older son is in a Montessori preschool that we had to apply to well over a year in advance. The private school he'll be starting in 2004 (he's spending his K year in Montessori), we needed to apply to in Jan. of this year. Because the Montessori doesn't start until the kids are 3 (they must be 3 by Dec. 31), I had my older son go to a 2's program at a local temple. It was 3 days a week, 3 hours a day. My younger son will start that same 2s program this fall, but I was definitely vascillating and will probably only send him 2 days instead of 3. It's a nice program, but like most 2's programs, is basically enriched day care. We could have done without it, but there were a few reasons that I liked it. He DID learn quite a bit, especially religious stuff, which is where I tend to be a bit lax. He got used to being around, and listening to adults other than me, it reinforced many things taught at home but not often practiced like sharing, turns, being kind to others, proper manners, etc. And most importantly - it gave me a 3 hour break three days a week. Besides my work, I was able to read, shop, visit with friends and work out entirely unencumbered by my kid. I found that after a few hours without him, not only did I miss him, but I really wanted to spend time talking to him about his day and what he learned. I think the time off made me a better mommy. Whatever you decide, you'll be fine. AM

Thank you happyladi, cliff and joann, and lukkiirish for your input! I may be able to fit a 46 or 47 inch TV in the spot so now I need to look at TV stands again to see if it is doable since the stand I liked was only for a 42 inch TV. I don't want to block the windows on one of the walls since that is the only wall with windows and the only place I feel comfortable putting the TV now that I rearranged the room. If I put the TV facing the big wall, I could go bigger but then the room will be made too look smaller and when I am in the kitchen I will be looking at the back of the sofa. But it is good to know that I can go bigger and not have a problem if the TV will fit. I will measure my space and bring a tape measure also when I shop now that I have done a lot of research and read so many reviews of TVs and have an idea what feature does what and what is important. It looks like I should get 120 HZ and 1080P.