I like that newsletter, too. I particularly like the gardening topic since I'm not knowledgeable about plants.

Thanks to you all for replying, cpartist, salex and suzanne_sl. As hokey as this sounds, it really helps to not have a feeling of being alone through all of this. I showed DH the latest development this evening, and he silently just shook his head. We can't even get on with such a simple (yet gratifying) step as hooking up our UCL LEDs. cpartist: It'd be interesting to know what led your neighbors to choose Showplace, which is sold at a 'value' price point while allowing semi-custom choices. This is my first and last kitchen reno: I don't have anything else to compare with regarding price, value, etc. In the expansive world that is cabinets, I'm trying to figure out what the minimum benchmarks/expectations are for a value line. This is not to say I'm complaining about what we paid: if I balked at the price, I would have expressed this at the outset. It's night time now, but I'll also post tomorrow a few pics of the current cabinet interiors. salex: Thanks so much for reinforcing all the research I've done about screws, threads, etc. Regarding pre-drilled holes, I had to laugh (in a maniacal way, at this point): DH is the only person in three years (of folks who've held a drill in this kitchen) who as EVER pre-drilled a hole. I completely understand folks are working by the hour, time is money, etc., and they're willing to roll the dice when NOT pre-drilling; but the cracks and chips in the wood tell the tale. suzanne: Thanks for taking the time to post your pics. Not knowing exactly how cabinets are constructed, I don't want to automatically conclude that gaps are inherently bad (except for the one I posted Feb. 23/9:26 a.m. - above fridge).

Also, you might want to take a drive to visit Florida Southern College in Lakeland. Their professor of horticulture is a keen rosarian, and he has set up gorgeous rose gardens on campus. You could wander around and learn a lot, just from that. He posts on this website from time to time. As for fortuniana, that is a rootstock that protects hybrid teas, floribundas, and other modern roses from succumbing to root nematodes. It doesn't do anything at all to help with fungal diseases such as blackspot, powdery mildew, rust, or downy mildew. If you don't want to spray and you don't want to use grafted roses, you will want to make your selections from Teas, (true Teas, not Hybrid Teas), Chinas, and Noisettes, and select the most disease resistant cultivars. There may be other resistant varieties as well. I don't garden in Florida so I don't know the details. By all means check with Rose Petal Nursery. There is also another old rose nursery in your state, Angel Gardens. And somewhere I believe there is an old rose society, but I don't have the information on it. They might help you decide which roses you could grow in your area without spraying.

Were it my house I would pick a trim color that brought out the beautiful pattern of your brickwork much more to the eye. I'm not sure how to achieve that, but I'm pretty sure stark white, and even the color you now have on the front, is making the window trim too prominent at the expense of the brick pattern. Has the brick been cleaned? If not, you might want to do that VERY CAREFULLY and professionally done, before deciding on a trim color (and definitely remove the shutters). I think it is of course sensible to remove the ivy from your garage but I have to say I love its winter-mop head look. It's like having a giant pet or troll guarding the pool. I wouldn't touch it myself.