Hi Tony, Welcome to the wonderful world of poa! This stuff seems to be everywhere this year! I too live in the tri-state area (long island) and my once-lush green lawn has a number of small-to-medium sized patched of poa, which it didn't have before. Well, actually, I remember having a bit of it last year, but definitely not as much as this year. I have come to the reluctant conclusion that this stuff, the p. annua, is a relentless enemy - based on everything Ive read on this forum (which is very good I might add) and from what Ive read elsewhere on the internet, poa annua is one of the most difficult 'weeds' to get rid of, mainly b/c it grows readily, spreads millions of seeds, and since it is a 'grassy weed' there are VERY few, if any, options for killing it once it has germinated, w/out harming your existing lawn. I have stressed out about this too - to the point of even arguing w/ my wife about it, only now to come to the realization that it seems a lot of people are dealing with this issue and there is little than can be done. What I plan is to sort of live with it for now, hopefully the hot weather that is around the corner will kill it off, over-seed the areas aggressively, and then in the fall and next spring put down pre-emergent herbicide. It seems this is my only route for now. Hang in there man, I feel your pain! Oh, and that point that was made about KBG seedlings, I think that is in fact true - my lawn is showing those seed heads now, which it wasn't last week. But the poa is still there and you cannot mistake it for KBG seeds. Post some pics if you can.

My kids used to spend lots and lots of time with my mother. She was, and still is, very active, has a pool in her back yard, etc. Like you, she spends way too much money on them. She still has lots of energy, she's the same person she was, but my kids don't spend nearly as much time with her now. As stargazzer says, they want to spend time with their friends. They rarely ever spend the night anymore, even though they used to practically live over there in the summers. I don't know what your budget is, how comfortable you are with technology, etc. One suggestion I have, if it fits your budget, is to get some kind of computer gaming station or something like that that your grandchildren will enjoy at your house (especially something they don't already have at their own house). You might look at something like a Wii(sp?), Dance Dance Revolution, etc. You might have enough energy to sit on the sofa and play those types of games with them - not dance dance revolution but some of the other games. Your 11 year old granddaughter should be able to set it up for you. The nice thing about gaming systems is that they don't make a mess, the kids love them, you don't have to always be running around after them. When my kids were as young as your grandchildren I limited their time on gaming systems, etc. But if you were my mom, I would surely make an exception so that you could still enjoy time with my kids. There are lots of things your son or daughter could do to help with this issue. Your son or daughter could once a month rent a really fun movie for them to watch, do something with them outdoors all day like swimming (so they are tired), and bring the kids and the movie to your house for a movie night. You could order takeout pizza, snuggle up and see a movie while your son/daughter has a night out with their spouse. The other thing you might do that makes things more manageable would be to have them over one at a time, not all at once. Here's my last suggestion, and again, you'd need your son/daughter's help. My mom lives in our subdivision, and I tried to teach my kids that it's their responsibility to help look after their grandmother. It's good for kids to be needed and contribute to the family. So if you were my mom, I would expect the older girls to come help you on a regular basis. The 10 and 11 year old could help you grocery shop, and their treat for helping might be to pick out some special food treat and have it at your house. My kids used to love to help me grocery shop, in fact they still do. They are old enough to "help" you by cooking simple meals for you. Sometimes when kids "help", it's way too much work for the adult. But if your son/daughter comes over at first and teaches them what to do, then your granddaughters will be terrific help. My mom always has something fun for my kids when they come help her - she bakes them brownies or something like that. Talk to your son/daughter and find some special treat you can get for your grandchildren that's unique to your house. If you are like my mom, you probably don't want to "put the kids out" by asking for help. But keep in mind that in the long run you are showing the kids how to be part of a close, loving family in good times and bad, and your grandkids will feel better about themselves in the long run. It's so much better for teenagers and young adults if they have a good relationship with loving grandparents. They need someone else to talk to when their mean old parents don't like their boyfriend, or is mad about their grades, or won't let them pierce their eyebrows or get a motorcycle. So don't feel that you are imposing by getting help from your granddaughters. My mother misses my kids terribly.

The experience I've had within my family indicates that grieving is the worst a short time after the loss. Do not expect it to go away with a snap of the finger. With time, it will diminish. Typically, the loss of a spouse or someone very close takes about 1 year before the loss is shoved into the background. Take heart in that the pain will dull with time. Extreme sorrow for a month or so is normal. Put off major decisions during this period. Begin to rebuild your life by engaging in small activities that are not demanding. Working for short periods on a hobby is heplful.

Hi Lucy! I'm so sorry your bathroom reno has been such a headache! It doesn't matter what I would prefer or live with nor what anyone else here would. And it doesn't matter whether an oval sink gives you more or less counter space. What matters is that you want a rectangular sink and that isn't what you got. The fact that your contractor immediately told you he would re-tile at his expense and they re-did the vapor barrier too tells me he's a decent human being. All the damage done to your home and the continual delays tell me he may not be hiring people who are as caring about their work (or aren't as skilled) as he is. Of course they should fix or pay to have fixed any and all damage inflicted upon your lovely home. And it should go without saying that if you signed off on a rectangular sink you should have a rectangular sink. You should not have to pay extra for these things. I'll give one piece of advice based on experiences various friends of mine have gone through in having to live in disarray for much longer than they thought. The ones who waited it out and went through hell for a few more weeks (or monrhs) than anticipated were ultimately glad they did. The ones who settled for less than they had wanted (and paid for) just to have it done already, were later unhappy with that decision. I agree with Sophie about the gap between vanity and walls. It's the first thing I noticed. It's not subtle. But the design (looks) element isn't the biggest problem. As someone who is currently renovating a house with extensive water damage, you don't want this. Water WILL inevitably get in there and no matter how careful you are and what a super house cleaner you are, you WILL eventually have water damage. The Grand Canyon was once a small river, after all. :-) (These gaps also make great homes for ants, roaches, and various other critters.) Believe me, you really want to address this now. And since you went over it with the contractor and signed off on it, any remediation on this one is on your dime. I hope you post final reveal pics! Of the closet too! :-) Sincerely, Debbie