No Anneliese, the Gut Arcugowo was taken over by the Polish Government and made into a recreational Center. The Owner, Wenzel (Count Rzewuski) had been arrested by the Russians and sent to a Gulag. He made an escape after war's end. My father had been sent to Graz and later surrendered to the Americans, he and Wenzel did establish contact, I have a picture of them together. Whatever was going on died with them. My sister had some contacts and tried to find out, but nothing ever was documented.

Yankees!!!!!!!!......Yankees here?......Oh my Gawd I didn't know they was Yankees here!!!!!!........:) Oh, relax, Paul! I can't speak for the others (you'll just have to watch those people! LOL), but all my people are Southern and I was born in the South, and though by circumstances was transplanted North, I was raised on Southern home training and sweet tea (didn't even know there was any other kind until college, when I started dating a real Yankee). Jim, about the Austins' prevalence: As Jeri and others have so astutely pointed out, that's just marketing. People seem to be obsessed with the Brits and their lifestyles, their names (look at the baby name trends, especially for girls), their TV shows, their movie stars, their accents... somehow, people seem to think, all things British are somehow better and of a higher, more refined and educated stature. So of course they eat up the Austin propaganda. Maybe the Germans need better press. And also, sorry to say, but some folks are just ignorant. Watching QVC the other night (oh the shame!), I saw this female host on a gardening show with this guy peddling an Austin collection. "Oh, I've never SEEN blooms like this; this is a truly EXTRAORDINARY rose." And she meant every single word. Now, we who are acquainted with the antique world know this is nothing rare or super-special, but for those who have only ever seen a hybrid tea... That's why it's up to us to educate. So maybe disdain isn't the answer, just education...

Saw you other thread and just came here to read your OP. I haven't read all the replies, but the best options for a DIY jumpstart in my book area 1) get some help -- friends, family or paid help, to get you over a hurdle and feeling like progress is being made. I'm sure it's been pointed out that you can hire demo help cheap or might find a taker for the old cabinets who will take them out as the cost of getting them or even pay something to get the cabinets, just less for having to remove them. Maybe you can make a little money and some progress at the same time -- or at least get someone else to remove the cabinets while you finish your wiring (which would cost a lot more to hire out). Clearing the slate and getting started on progress you can see should really help with motivation. 2) Take a break. Get out of the house and go do something else. At a minimum, get out in the yard. Go to a park, visit some friends, Do something you enjoy and haven't done while you've been spending those hours doing things that aren't showing yet. I would not move in new appliances -- the chances for things getting damaged and making you feel worse are too great - at least in my world. Try not to log hours if it is making you more tired or frustrated. It is a huge job, especially if you have a day job, family and other commitments. Remind yourself it isn't a race, but you are saving money and adding value with everything you do. You are doing things that most of us who pay others to do the work don't do -- like that audio wiring. You are going to have more than average when you are done, but t is going to take more than average to get there. Realize there will be baby steps and some that seem non-existent -- like your wiring, but others will be huge leaps. Most of those come later. BIG improvement already with removing the dropped ceiling and lighting already. Look up and see how good the rest will look. You're doing great things. In the meantime, you can borrow my mantra -- Patience and Perseverance And if a bet will help -- I have a house full of my own stuff that has gotten out of kilter from lack of time, stuff from my mom's memory care apartment, stuff from my dad's apartment and stuff from their house together before health issues separated them as well as the last details of my kitchen undone, a master bath with bare walls (no paper, no paint), a tub that leaks, cabinets I hate and a shower I can't wait to replace but all put off while I dealt with my parents the last couple of years. We just had the memorial service Tuesday and I'm catching my breath and dealing with a graduating high school senior. I have to finish clearing my dad's apartment this weekend and then i can START to work on sorting and getting my house back this summer. I bet you will finish your kitchen before I finish these projectsr. Winner buys the other dinner. (Maybe I should just send you a gift card now -- LOL). It only looks easy on TV. Hang in there.

Thank you all so very much for your kind words and the heartfelt, moving stories you have shared about the animals you have loved and lost. It's SO very hard, but I wouldn't trade one minute of time I've spent with Pip or the others I've had to say goodbye to, in order not to feel the pain of their departure. Loving them is worth it all. Of course, we continue to grieve our Pip. I find myself tearing up at rather inopportune times, and DH - big, burly fellow that he is - has worn his emotions on his sleeve as well. It's good to share this together, though. We understand how this has affected us, and we've drawn close with support and kindness for one another. You really have to start finding the positive aspects of a loss, because they ARE there. We would never in a million years be able to replace Pip. He was truly one of a kind; a unique little man in a fur suit. I did find, however, that it helped my heart a little bit to peruse the adoptable animals on Petfinder. Somehow, just knowing that there are still so many out there who need loving care has done my heart good. Well ... you can probably guess where I'm heading with this. DH and I have talked and talked about the loss of Pip, about how our house just doesn't feel like "us" without four cats in residence, and the other day, DH turned to me and said, "Do you want to go ahead and bring home another little tabby cat?" Of course I do. We are scheduled to pick up from her foster family a precious little 8-month old tabby girl that we will call Posy. I'm rather terrified at the thought of having such a young one in the house again, but also there's a joy bubbling up inside of me that is helping to wash away the tears. I know we've got our job cut out for us in introducing Posy to her new home and her new companions, but we are both quite eager to get on with it. I like to think that this honors our sweet, sweet Pip. He was such a loving little soul, and if a cat could want such a thing, I do believe he would want us to open our arms and our hearts to another.