thanks for the link, stacy. Just passed it on..... I admit (I wonder if Arthur even checks these threads) that I've been re-reading Jeffrey Steingarten's two books on food (basically collections of his columns), and consequently a slew of cookbooks I have on my shelves..... (shelves that could be used for orchids, I might add) Also just finished another of Lynn Flewelling's fantasy books - not all that good :-( and about to read book 2 of Robin Hobb's new set (but I don't remember *anything* about book 1, which says something). Also just read the Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana by Umberto Eco. I think he has the best openings of anyone (and totally stunning this time too), but I didn't enjoy the rest of the book much. Thinking about reading the Anatomy of Facism or Pompeii next..... The Princes in the Tower is also on the list, but I haven't gotten to it yet.

Hey Gibby -- 6 x 10 bath here [finally demo'd last week!] and I know that my size isn't even that small. I've been on the lookout for 3 or so years and it's been surprisingly difficult to find ideas. Aside from "recess whenever possible," of course! There's the "monochromatic = more spacious" school of thought but IMO there are alternative ways to lead the eye around the room and create interest in a small space. Things to consider: * color / color contrast * the lines of an object (round vs square) * judicious use of oversized scale * having some consistency with eyelines/sightlines of your vertical elements Here are some of the apparently-smaller baths I've found that put at least one of the above into action: We're adapting this built-into-doorway cab for our bath -- ours will be built out from the wall, perpendicular to the sink, and serve as a med cabinet. I'd use a wall-hung if this were a full bath, but I do love this! [Note horizontal cladding] I was involved in this [5 x 8 with TWO doors!] bath: Grabbed space from kitchen to make this 15" cubby: IMO one of the biggest challenges with small baths is to create negative space that serves to set off what IS in the room. In our case, we splurged a bit on a demilune/semicircle vanity instead of a square or rectangular one -- given our bowling alley dimensions, it helps carve out some pleasing curves. However, having lived in a place where the tiny wall-hung sink, toilet, and clawfoot were all accessible from one spot I know negative space is sometimes non-existent! I've enjoyed the book below, which has a mix of sizes and lots of materials in it --"ideas for tiny half-baths, medium-size his-and-hers, and large, luxurious home spas. Specifics on ventilation, waterproofing, faucets, showers, tubs, and more." Here is a link that might be useful: New Bathroom Idea Book (Taunton Press)

Oooh, gazpacho! If ony I had fresh tomatoes on hand. And a mufuletta is definitely a meal in sandwich form. I've made the exact recipe that Lars links to as dinner for our family of 3. 1 sandwich. 14" in diameter. Heaven on a plate. When the weather starts to scorch my brain I turn to thoughts of Southeast Asian cuisine. Rice paper wrapped spring rolls & green papaya salad, things like that. But one of my favorite things to make quick & easy is larb. This recipe is from epicurious & is very tasty. I substitute ground turkey for the chicken and will use red leaf lettuce for wrapping. I also drain the meat after it's cooked, prior to adding the "marinade".: larb chicken salad Bon Appétit : September 1998 Fragrant lemongrass, chilies and a sweet and tangy sauce flavor this classic Thai appetizer. Serves 6. Restaurant; Typhoon, Portland OR 2/3 cup fresh lime juice 1/3 cup fish sauce (nam pla*) 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons Thai roasted chili paste* in oil or chili-garlic sauce* 3/4 cup canned low-salt chicken broth 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken 1 cup thinly sliced green onions 3/4 cup thinly sliced shallots 3 tablespoons minced fresh lemongrass* 1 tablespoon thinly sliced Thai chilies* or serrano chilies 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves 2 small heads Boston lettuce, separated into leaves *Available at Asian markets and some supermarkets nationwide. Whisk first 4 ingredients in medium bowl to blend; reserve sauce. Bring broth to simmer in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken. Simmer until cooked through, breaking up meat with spoon, about 8 minutes. Add green onions and next 3 ingredients. Stir until vegetables are tender and most of liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in sauce, cilantro and mint. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into lettuce leaves; serve. Stir until vegetables are tender and most of liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in sauce, cilantro and mint. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into lettuce leaves; serve. Epicurious.com © CondéNet, Inc. All rights reserved.

FWIW, here are my tips for working travertine, which should also work for marble: to prevent cracking when you cut your tile, stick masking tape on the tile where you propose to cut it, mark your cut line, and cut the tile with the tape in place. Pull the tape off afterward. Also helps prevent cracking if you need to drill a tile. It's trading a lot of time to save some money, but if you have the time and need to save the money, you can do bevelling yourself: start with a belt sander and a rough grit sanding belt. Rough in the shape of your bevel. Follow the rough sanding with a medium grit belt, then move to an orbital sander with fine grit (180 or 220) and then a super-fine grit: 440 if you can find it, 320 if you can't. Finish by buffing/polishing with stone enhancer/sealer. For DIY bevelling on 3x6" tiles, I'd suggest you use a vise to hold the sanders in place upside-down. That way you can hold the tile to the sanding surface (much lighter) rather than the other way around. You can make an assembly-line type of operation out of it by roughing all your 3x6's in one pass, then the medium grit sanding, then the fine and so on. Do NOT try this with a hard stone like granite, however: you'll be there for months! Good luck!