It could have been a battle of the bands, where the Arctic Monkeys bested a Japanese Beatles tribute band (think I'm kidding? -- see link below)! I haven't dialed a wrong number lately but I did receive a wierd call last night. Some young dude inviting me to "the jam" -- loud hip hop music blasting in the background. He eventually realized I was old enough to be his mom and hung up. Here is a link that might be useful: Japanese Beatles

Thank you to all who've helped guide me through this!!! Racin' I sure hope someone comes along that knows what causes that coloration on the rose stems. How many plants have you lost that displayed it? Hopefully it was only the one plant. Although even losing one plant is too many. (Especially if you cant identify what the cause is!) I will alwayz be grateful ! In the midst of a storm, there's always a silver lining, ;-) âÂÂ¥Lyna

This all sounds very familiar! We bought our first business when DH was 57 years old! We put everything on the line and then some! We had both run businesses before and actually were working in the business we bought, so there were no surprises. We too were appalled at how badly run were so many small businesses. DH has a talent and track record for turning around failing businesses that he immediately applied to our own. We have never looked back though there have been times of extreme stress and anxiety. Owning a business is very different from being employed, and it's like having a family, you can't leave it behind at 5pm every evening! On balance though it has been great for us, and still is. It sounds as though you have considered this move very carefully but here are a few of my own thoughts for what they are worth. I always caution prospective business purchasers to make sure the accountant they use for due diligence is independent in every way from the seller. In your case you and the seller both have a relationship with your accountant. If you have complete trust in him/her then you may not need to get an independent due diligence. Having the seller hold a note is absolutely the way to go and you should make this note a significant value. Your contract should detail under what circumstances payment of the note could be withheld. Right now it will all seem amicable but things can, and frequently do, change very quickly! Because of your ages, take great care not to over extend to develop the business. Your DH will reach the stage, sooner or later, when he wants to quit working. If you have over invested in your business it may be difficult to sell. I can't stress enough how important it is to have a clear exit strategy from day one!! All that said, this is both a scary and exciting time for you. Owning your own business can be fulfilling in ways that employment never can be. It can enrich both your lives. As long as you have always pulled together in difficult times rather than fought, you should be fine. You have to decide what life is about for you, playing it safe but possibly risking DH being frustrated and unfulfilled, or taking the leap with all its attendant upsides and downsides. We took the leap and don't regret it! I wish you both the greatest success.

ItÂs called Capolaboro or Capoa Laboro or Capola Lavoro or Capolavoro. If you do a google image search you will see some that are not any of the above and are not a match. Some, like the piece I bought for my peninsula have a few flecks of an orange-y color off to a side but some do not. My stone was mined in Italy while some similar stones were mined in Brazil. A few places sell it as granite and some online sites claim itÂs a quartzite. It is a stone that is very hard to learn about. All I know is that the slab face to face is beautiful but the dark lines can appear harsh while the rest of the stone has a muddily marbly mully-ness that is simply wonderful and you want to fall in. On the sample I have, while laying flat you do not notice the dark charcoal lines as standing out as much though because the white/warmcream and depth of colors seem prominent (on some slabs there is a hint of deep teal). This is a stone to see in person. Sorry for my weird wordage on description but there is really no other way. I should have an install within two weeks so I will post.