i think rhizo is right .. go figure.. hit the link ... and refer to the NOTE at the bottom ... double go figure... thx rhizo .. ken Here is a link that might be useful: confused???... not me... lol

I posted a Rhubarb Bread recipe that is delicious. Cannot remember where I got it from... :o) Rhubarb Bread Ingredients: 1 cup milk 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups brown sugar 1/4 cup granulated sugar (my change to the original recipe) 2/3 cup vegetable oil 1 egg 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon butter, melted Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans. In a small bowl, stir together milk, lemon juice and vanilla; let stand for 10 minutes. 2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, oil and egg. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda, stir into sugar mixture alternately with the milk mixture just until combined. Fold in rhubarb and nuts. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans. 3. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, cinnamon and butter. Sprinkle this mixture over the unbaked loaves. 4. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a loaf comes out clean. Number Of Servings:20

Long post, but the above post brings together several recent threads, for me. This one of those "aha" moments when I can say I thought I really got it, but now I REALLY get it. I was on this track already in some smallish ways--recently I posted about chucking party supplies and getting free of the idea that I needed to store leftover red holiday paper goods, or things with Happy Birthday on them, for a party that isn't even imagined yet. When the kids were younger, I tried to avoid some of those late-night box store runs for the "I need a presentation folder for tomorrow", so I had part of a cabinet with binders, folders, all that stuff--but in retrospect, so often you just had to go to X-mart no matter what you had at home anyway, that I wonder whether I would do it again. I do have a big box for Christmas wraps, and so far have been happy with thinking I am limiting myself to just that box--but it has to come down from the attic, I sometimes need something before then and so I keep a bit out,or basically, have tried to develop a "red" theme for wrapping because you can use it for anything--but I can see the simplicity of just buying 2 rolls of wrap and a few ribbon or bow items (real simplicity would be not wrapping!)--or at any rate, deciding on your wrap concept each year and freecycling the leftovers yearly. This becomes much more do-able if your gifting get simpler, which ours has as the kids have grown--might cycle back up if grandkids appear. But I am really intrigued by moving this concept into other areas. What are other things we can identify that we keep for once a year or less--which of these things are worth the storage--hard to find, just the thing you want, etc--and which are best re-purchased at the time of need? Also a lot depends on how much stock you put into recycling and whether you can do that with the items or will they end up in the trash. Not to disparage trashing as a de-cluttering method, but just not trying to make intentional changes that increase my landfill footprint. I'm also intrigued by the furniture concept. Sure, I read lots of articles on how the lovely antiques fit so nicely in the new smaller retirement home and just a bit of downsizing was needed, but I also read, we just started over to get what we really needed, so share the Brit's concept of, so many things prove to be just not what you would have used if you were trying to maximize the space, the funtion, or even the style. That might suggest not getting overly attached to furniture or again, thinking ahead to whether one's investment has to be justifed by a "lifetime" of use, or just the next decade or so, given that many people will move several times. Most people can't afford to just re-buy the same things over and over, so it really is more a matter of being very selective about what you might do this way and that you don't end up overbuying to start with, as the above poster noted, so that you tend to end up with not too much left over, or you have a calm approach and backup plan for "running out"-as in, you try to avoid the feeling that you have to run and buy new wrap and bows for the one last-minute gift on your list. Craft items were a big deal for me--and I'm not even so crafty. But until recently I kept the spray paint, ribbon, felt or whatever from each project and I could tell my own "hoarding gene" got some kind of stimulus for having these items available just in case. It requires either having a certain personality or developing that angle. My MIL is a person who derives immense satisfaction from diving into a room or cabinet and coming up with just the box or twist tie or item you need. She is not a hoarder in the worst sense of the word--no trash, home is clean, the main rooms are a bit cluttered but okay to be in, and they lead wonderfully active, busy, helpful lives, but she basically can't part with much, and the decor, spare rooms, and cabinet space reflect that. So what I am eager to do is to go back through all my spaces and say, now, in which areas of my life do I want to have on hand just the thing I need, and which areas am I better served to re-purchase at time of need? And maybe this is a personality area that can be developed so we are more able to do this--it doesn't have to be an all or none thing. I have seen myself as being more able to do this as I get older, rather than being less able. What ties in for me is simplifying my ideas of "what I do" on a REGULAR basis so there are fewer things that have to be kept on hand just in case. Plus, selecting those areas that are most easily re-purchased. So maybe I am a bit crafty, but only once every couple of years and often not in the same direction using the same supplies. Or, maybe I need to develop more of a focus and say, I am going to try to specialize in just a few areas that use ___. Christmas wrap is just such a good prototype for this type of discussion--it's ubiquitous, you can walk into even the grocery store and find it, comes in all price ranges. Clothing was discussed in this way on some other post--which things do you just get seasonally and chuck; do you keep the fur coat for a trip 3 years hence; etc. I would love to hear others' examples of areas in which you "changed" from being a store-er to being a re-purchaser, and why it worked for you.

dc - Thanks so much for taking time to comment and snap the pic -- love what you did with the BS! As I pondered this more, I realized the stripe effect will indeed be more pronounced if I go with a solid white BS. Because we went with our brown/grey cabs (which I love) and are committed to the Black Pearl, I wanted to be sure to lighten up the rest of the kitchen as much as possible. Walls, BTW, are Sherwin Williams Ivory Lace. This is a photo from much earlier this year (previous granite installation went south), showing the granite piece in between: