When I bought my house 24 years ago, my kids were babies and we had no money for landscaping. The house sat on an acre of dense woods all around, except for the leachfield which was purely sand and had an odd steep slope to it that my kids would use over the years as a sledding hill, toy truck ramp, ski slope, skateboard hill and anything else that prohibited the growing of grass. My then-husband didn't have any interest or ambition concerning gardening or landscaping (just other women) and I was busy raising my babies so the yard remained devoid of anything other than trees, rocks and sand. Fast forward ten years and I got rid of many of the trees, stumps, rocks, the sandpit, and.....the husband. While a single mom of 3, I had even less money than ever, but I had no one to tell me what I could or couldn't do anymore. I wasn't into roses yet at this point but I got to work getting a lawn going, planting perennials that were given to me as divisions from friends, composting, and learning how to operate lawnmovers, chainsaws, leafblowers, etc. I got really strong, both physically and mentally. I pushed a wheelbarrow chock full of rocks up that steep slope, over and over again, until I had enough to make a stone-lined bed for my lilies. When that bed looked wonderful it inspired me to build more, until I soon had many rock beds full of blooming beauties. This being the Granite State rocks are free and plentiful....all thats needed is a truck, a wheelbarrow and a strong back. Just this fall alone I have added yet another 5 rock beds for roses and lilies. I have to buy loam by the truckful because the soil here is too rocky and sandy by itself....but the wonderful thing is that my now-husband is very much a part of my gardening vision and passion. Even though he is a great help to me, he enjoys bragging about his 'Wonder Woman' (as he calls me) when folks stop to admire our little acre of Eden. He says I look my sexiest when I'm digging or hauling rocks, my hair all in my face and up to my neck in mud and mosquitoes. So I accomplish more than having a show-stopping yard and a place of peace and refuge....my husband is proud of me...my kids, now grown, brag about their mom and how strong and fearless and rose-crazy she is....my mom who has Alzheimers and lives with us can sit outside and enjoy the scent of roses and lilies....our neighbors and folks passing by get a little 'lift' to their day enjoying the garden beds by the roadside... and friends of ours can rid themselves of all those darn rocks in their yards! I know that its just a matter of time (and coming soon) before there is absolutely not one inch more of space for me to add anymore gardens. I have managed to cram more plant material into an acre (and still manage to have a few trees left, although the lawn keeps getting smaller...LOL) than anyone would ever have thought possible. I guess I never really planned anything out, it just evolved over time as a mad gardener's addiction to planting and building garden beds....in any available space that had a bit of sunlight. I never really had a vision in my mind, just a passion in my heart that couldn't be denied. And my heart led the way. One garden led to another, and one rose to another...and another. Sometimes even I am amazed when I look at old photos and see the yard as it was so long ago. A long time ago, an acre seemed like a lot of land but now that I have mostly filled it up, it is feeling crowded. But in a wonderful way! I am surrounded by hundreds of roses, lilies, 2 water gardens, shade gardens, berry bushes, statuary, arches and pergolas....and LOVE. I guess that was my vision after all. Celeste

Schoolhouse - lol. Yes, it is a challenge on one's own, and Kathy, I love that remark - I agree!!! And of course the cute younger men are scared of cougars!! Seriously, though - I understand about not wanting to wait for someone to come, take the mower, fix it on their schedule, and then return it on that same schedule. I tried repairing my own gas mower, but wasn't that good at it. ;-)) You could put an old blanket over the access to the trunk, then use the ramps to get it up there and in. That way you don't have to be too careful wedging it in.... With this recession, and people not having jobs, I am waiting for the return of the door-to-door repair guys. Remember the ones who came around ringing a bell, and would sharpen all of your knives and scissors?? In my Aunt and Uncle's snowbird park in Florida, a Cuban man came around in an old pickup with vegetables that he had grown, selling them. It's hard to even get kids today to cut grass or shovel snow for $20!!! That's just crazy. I talk to people every day, and many are unemployed. Some have just been laid off as I call!! I had one woman rip me a new one cause her hubby had been unemployed for 5 years!! I'm sorry, that's just lazy, not unemployed. People need to realize they're not in line for the corner office anymore - time to get out there and make some money. Sorry, what was the topic again?? Nancy.

I found out that one of the items I ordered from Big Dipper, a couple of Gaillardia 'Oranges and Lemons' will not be included in my shipment. Their policy is if anything is not ready when your order is scheduled for shipment, they delete it from your order and just don't charge you for that item. They won't ship it later, or hold the rest of the order. Of course, this was the main thing I placed the order for, so I was disappointed. I went to the local garden center to see if they were carrying it this year. They weren't, but of course I had to pick up a few things anyway, just to console myself, LOL! I've started planting out some of my winter sown things. They've been outside from the beginning, so I think they will be able to handle a frost or two. I also planted out the things from the local garden center, since those were already hardened off. I'll probably harden the mail order stuff off for a few days, then plant them. It's all perennials that are harder for this zone, so they should be fine.

Jessrae, What about moving the beverage refrig over where the 21 in drawers are next to the banquette. It could be a beverage center w wine bottles above and a small sink for the kids to hand wash before eating or a wet bar. The advantium oven is both a speed oven and a microwave. Use the glass turn table to microwave and it comes with the graphite trays for cooking. It would eliminate the micro drawers and free up some options. There are so many settings for all kind of foods to reheat /melt/etc , it would be a shame not to use it. It is preset w all the beverages and foods to reheat at the appropriate time less than 5 min., more like 30 sec. The prep area to the right of the dish machine with dirty dishes to the left realistically won't happen as people clear dishes from your table to the counter above the trash and dish machine. Revisit the prep area. The recent updated drawing with the undercounter refrig next to the refrig seems redundant. I was looking at my overhang and would not want to reach under it even for items not used often. With the banquette there, I would eliminate the overhang where it is and have an overhang to the right or left on lsland to be used not as a family eating area but for one to visit w you while you prep or for one to read paper w cup of coffee or use a lap top as an alternative to sitting at the banquette. It will all come together for you.