Deanne...you are such a sweetheart...Thank you! I really do love spring *and* tulips...maybe I should move to Holland...LOL! You cracked me up about the goldfish...I didn't even notice that, but it really is rather clever...isn't it? LOL! Wish I could take credit for it. Maybe I should build on that idea though and add some other orange flowers to the bed! :-) I didn't see the hummingbird aviary...I'm going to have to ask Anita about that. We did see lots of hummingbirds though, both at the DBG and at Anita's house too. Was it you or was it Babs who had that great photo op of a hummingbird last year? I tried to take their pics, but in all my photos they were either too far away to notice, moved to fast, or the pics came out blurry. I am definitely *not* a photographer, but I really do enjoy having the camera, it has made gardening so much easier for me. Yes Michelle, I am fascinated with nature in Arizona it is *so* different than here. Still, while I think it is very beautiful, I don't think I could live there. I'm too fond of the four seasons (well, maybe not so crazy about winter) and what would I do without tulips!?! Paul has talked about moving there though, but the only thing that would even make me consider it is the fact that Anita is there. Thanks Marian...you are so sweet and so kind and encouraging. I wish you could meet Anita, I know you would like her right off. Ei

Cuties is the marketing term for seedless mandarins being sold out of California. In the past, they used to be Fremont, Murcott, and Clementine mandarins that used to be sprayed with gibberellic acid to make them seedless. I think the current group of Cuties consist of Gold Nugget and Tango (a mutant form of Murcott that is seedless). Tango is a commerical variety and not easily obtainable for home gardeners and Gold Nugget is a fairly new variety that hasn't been extensively tested for our growing conditions. If you want something similar to the store bought stuff and don't mind the seeds, consider the Fremont mandarin. You can also buy Gold Nugget, but the jury is still out as to whether or not it will thrive in our climate. Some mandarins, like Satsumas, for example, don't do very well in Arizona.

Wood floors in entry level homes is unusual, so take a look at your neighbors and see what they have. You'll probably see a lot of laminate, carpet, and vinyl. Those are entry level materials for most of the country. AR has many different communities though, and a 130K home in some rural communities would be more a middle of the road home than an entry level, so that's why I say look at what your neighbors have. You don't want to spend money to upgrade beyond what they've done, unless it is specifically for a health issue. You'd be doing that as an expense, not a recoupable "upgrade". No amount of upgrades will take an entry level home in an entry level neighborhood to a mid grade home. So, save your money on that front. With your requirements, porcelain tile would come the nearest to satisfying all of your requirements. Perhaps something that looks like natural slate or even wood would be better in appearance though than the generic beige tile that you currently have. Putting down washable throw rugs for some warmth in the winter months can soften the tile, but it will be really nice and cool in the longer cooling season of the summer. Tile is also something that a novice DIYer can develop some skills and do the install themselves and save some money. Labor is always the biggest component, so that's an important consideration when considering replacing all of your flooring.

Wow, so excited to see such good and varied inputs on my request! Thanks @Flo Mangan - I am now certainly going for a ladder shelf for the corner. I am not sure of moving the desk away from its existing place for precisely the reasons @functionthenlook mentioned - my desk job can sometimes result in 8-9 hours, and I do plenty of video calls throughout the day. So not only is it nice for me to have a view (which BTW Flo is right, it is limited since the windows are a bit above my eye level (photo of the view below)) but it is also pleasant to have light on my face. Further, the remaining space in the room comes in handy when the occasional extra guests stay over and the sofa beds need to be pulled out. Thanks everyone for all the rug options - this weekend is going to be (window) shopping weekend :)