The weekend saw the first night that slithered to under 50*... in fact, the thermometer saw 50* on the 20th, first time since early May. A few beeches are showing bright gold, but the oaks are dropping their drought-shriveled, brown leaves. Mid-week, showers drenched us, nearly an inch of much-desired rainfall. Trees, shrubs, lawn, everything woke up their green, a glorious exurberance of color after 3 months without rain; if the hurricanes hadn't spattered us for a couple days just before the Labor Day weekend, that would have been 4 months. The stores are selling mums in all the autumnal colors, but my in-ground Purple Dome aster is just beginning to flaunt its color. The scarlet salvias are flaming, and an occasional errant monarch butterfly stops by for a visit. The winds blew the perillas sideways down, and I can't decide whether to re-plant or just take snips for over-wintering. I've already committed my best windows to the impatience, and perilla is such a *big* plant, even in stem-tip. I mowed, mostly to get up the oak leaves and windblown squirrel nesting. Prior mowing was a month ago, I sure can't depend on pushing the mower to get exercise. Weathermen are advising temps will be in the mid-eighties this week. It's difficult to think about wrapping the tomato plants to protect through coming frosts.

Did you use the right brush? A natural bristle brush? Yes, you can repaint over the alkyd Impervo. Wait 7 days and lightly sand with #220 sandpaper. Wipe away dust with tack cloth and repaint with Satin Impervo Waterborne. For the Impervo Waterborne, I recommend the Wooster Advantage brush. It's a mix of synthetic and natural bristles. Michael

I don't have a couch and chair set in an L position like you show, but I do have some observations to make based on furniture arrangements in other homes. It would be uncomfortable to have the chair and couch touching each other, I feel, because then if there was anyone sitting on the end of the couch and someone in the chair, their legs would be touching, or knee to knee. That is too close for comfort, IMO. I have always kept the two pieces of furniture well separated in this type of grouping, with either a square end table or round table between them. The table should be positioned so people sitting on either piece of furniture can reach it with comfort, to put down their beverage easily, without having to reach too far or twist around.

Ray - manufacturer of Beetle Bits? Uh, I sure hope it was ok to put the pics up of the Beetle Bits - copyrights & all - but hey - what an advertisement. Thanks for the heads up on the spraying. I called the stained glass shop nearby & asked about the mirror glass & sealing. He said I could use nail polish so I just used my clear acrylic spray for $.99 can at Walmart if you're not opposed to buying there. Your directions are very clear & explicit. Are you a teacher too? No need to apologize about the mirror. My stupidity. I should have tested on the silver mirror tile since it was so much cheaper but noooo, I had to go for the expensive one. But I did all the cuts on the glass side & they came out great. See the shoe WIP in link below. I have lots of cutting to do now that's not squares & grinding. Inside of shoe will be silver so I just had enough with just one mirror tile. So regular stained glass I cut on both sides? I'm glad to hear that to save the cutting wheel. I sure do love your system. I like just pressing down on the Beetle cutter. That is really slick. It's so easy! And when you are doing a bunch of scoring I like easy. Haven't tried making triangles or diamonds. What's next? Your own line of cutting tools like the lady at WC? Here is a link that might be useful: Shoe WIP