At one time, not too long ago either, the thought was that any fungi was a "bad" thing, but today we know that there are a large number of fungi and most all are beneficial and necessary for proper functioning of the earth. Generally, if your soil has a pleasant odor it is healthy while a foul odor may indicate the presence of disease pathogens, unhealthy stuff.

We've used Turbo Tax for years but things were more complicated this time with DH's "retirement", severance package, closing up our NY residence, etc. so we took everything to a local accountant. I've been worried for months about what the final numbers would look like. Very pleasant surprise. We're getting a refund from the Feds & NY but have to pay CT. I didn't think anybody ever got a refund from NY (thought they had a code prohibiting refunds! lol). It cost $375 but I feel better 'cause I'm not sure Turbo Tax could have handled the mess we had. Ours were mailed on Tuesday so we're all good for another year. (wipes sweat off forehead with back of hand) I hate, hate tax season. Once, when we were young & dumb, we didn't set aside enough of DH's commission checks & got hit with an unexpected $25K+ Fed tax bill. Gads, it makes my palms sweat even today just thinking about it! We've been ulta-conservative with our withholdings ever since. I'd rather they get the interest than have another surprise like that. /tricia

I feel your pain! I wanted a sectional last year, and was really sad about the size and quality at my $3000 budget point. I found a large sectional, 12' by 8' on craigslist. Stanford furniture, 8-way hand-tied springs, down cushions, hardwood frame, good construction, with matching ottoman. It was described as being in excellent condition. The loose back cushions were a little slouchy, the fabric was very red, and the arm style was a little dated. So i paid them $800, and planned to get my friend, a local upholsterer to redo it for me probably in blue in a year or so.. So i will probably put another $1500 to 2000 in fabric and labor, but i can have the arm style altered cushion density altered. But... When i arrived with moving truck, the seller happily told me that she had pulled it out from the wall and vacuumed it all over for me and she was going to give me all of her decorative pillows too. We went in the room to inspect it and the entire sofa had been pulled apart into 4 or 5 sections, and Seat cushions, back cushions and decorative pillows were stacked in piles everywhere. She proudly announced, "i've been putting them in bags for you, so they will stay clean for transport." I felt a little rude but i told her as politely as possible, that i would need to see the cushions before i bought them. (trying to be wary here, i was afraid of stains, etc....). The cushions were clearly invery nice condition. We paid and loaded and drove 2 hours home. We unloaded and discovered that Four of the seven back cushions were missing! At first i thought we had maybe left them there or dropped them in the snow, lol, but when you looked at her photo in the ad -- - i dont know how to describe it exactly - but she had plumped the decorative pillows forward, so they looked like they were resting on back cushions. And with the deep red sofa, and the kind of grainy photo... It just wasnt easy to see that there were back cushions missing, even when you knew! At her home, with all the sectional pieces apart and the pillows and cushions stacked in piles ---- i thought to examine the condition of them, but i never thought to count them! So i was furious, but to best salvage the situation for myself, i politely emailed her, told her that 4 cushions were missing, and that i assumed that they had gotten damaged or something. i was aware on CL it was caveat emptor, but if the cushions were damaged, i would still apprecite having the down bags that go inside the cushions. She apologized and offered to mail me back $200, and said she didnt have the cushions. Never heard from her again. Definitely didn't receive the $200. Anyway, since i was planning to reupholster it anyway, it is not a complete disaster, but now i have the additional cost of having 4 large down cushions made. And it looks goofy right now. But it is exceedingly comfortable and solid. So ultimately it will come out right. I hope. But as an aside, if you want revenge - ask high school students! They are all secretly creative evil geniuses with enough free time to hatch a plan. I tutor, and one of the vocb words was "dupe" During breaktime, we were laughing about my experience being Sofa-Duped and my students suggested that since i knew the seller's address, that i could use google earth to locate all the addresses of neighbors in her community. My students offered to write a letter describing my experience, paste in a copy of her ad showing the deceptive "staging" of the sectional, paste in a copy of the sofa as it actually is, and close by saying that "i cant fix my transaction but i can publicize her behavior" andmail the story to everyone in her neighborhood. I did NOT do that, and instead assigned an SAT style essay on whether revenge is ever justified ; ) (apologies for typos, i have a terrible time typing on ipad screen!) Here is a link that might be useful: This is exactly my ottoman, shows color of sectional.

Yes, I meant to communicate "stupid things" I've done in my old house. Otherwise, I would quickly reach the limit with postings. There is a reason I now always have a spray bottle of water next to me as I heat gun. Heat guns get hot. Former owners may have filled holes with rags. The combination is frightening. I think one of the stupidest things I've done is to explore new skills on the front of the house. I just wanted the house to look better from the street so I dove into the stripping and painting process. I don't think many people would notice the areas that bother me. I now know I should have learned on a less visible area of the house. Sharon, how long will it takes for these errors to become charming? Maybe I'll start calling these blunders future charm. That's a great barn and I love the "mistake". I also collect "stuff" that we, or others, may find useful. I have stacks of old windows with great glass in them. I do harvest the glass for windows I am working on, but there is far more than I will ever need. I have doors, maybe 20 deep, leaning against the wall in my barn. I couldn't have them go to the dump or get burned. I have probably salvaged enough doorknobs to furnish my street. As part of an old house group, my husband and I were given a chance to strip three old houses destined to be torn down. A new science building would replace them. It was as if an addicted person was placed at the source. These items will all be offered for donation to benefit the organization. I will make the appropriate donation for the things I need. Unfortunately, I am also making donations for things I might need. After you walk past all the doors and windows you won't even notice the other items. The junk men know my name and I have their phone numbers. Sometimes I just find things next to my gate. Instead of becoming the old lady with all of the cats, I will be the one with all of the house parts. Anyone remember the movie "Burnt Offerings"? My husband is sure I'll be moving up to the attic. He's wrong. I prefer the loft in the barn.