LOL. Actually, I am bi-coastal: grew up in NY metropolitan area and spent 25 years in California. I have not been able to travel much inside MI since I got here. I have seen the Northwest coast??? I've been to Sleeping Bear Dunes. See, I don't even know terminology. I wasn't here long and then had to take care of my mother, so couldn't go up North where the real beauty is. Now, I have geriatric post cancer cat who I cannot leave. I have refinanced my beautiful house, so I will be here at least five years. I plan to travel around N.Michigan after my beloved kitty leaves and when I am retired. There are some interesting cultural sites too like Interlochen Center for the Arts, and I feel silly for not seeking Traverse City yet. Of course, I know Detroit area and Grand Rapids.

Dis here boy growed up in Mamfus (as spoken), TN, 1 mi. so. of Graceland. I know flat. There people stuck a flag on a mole hill & christened it Mt. Whatever. But in Saratoga Springs, NY I could see Adirondacks out my window & was 1/2 hr. from skiing. Here in SoCal I can see San Gabriels & Saddleback. The latter, like Denver, is 1 mi. high.

I love VT. Honeymooned there, skiied there often. When back in NJ for wife's 50th H.S. reunion 2 yrs. ago, went to Saratoga, then Burlington, then drove Rte. 100 from Mt. Stowe to Bennington to look at autumn leaf changes. Not as much fun in rental car as it was years ago in my targo-top Porsche 45+ yrs. ago.

Rte. 100 upgraded since I was last there. Rental car inexplicably swerved into parking lot few miles so. of Mt. Stowe. Once I got it stopped I realized we were in parking lot of Ben & Jerry's. Figured as long as we were there, might as well take the tour. Must've had something to do w/ car's GPS.

For many years we went to Grand Haven for Labor day weekend. The dunes, the beach....AHHHHHH.

Ruby, I too am from middle Indiana. Kinda flat!! Visited Saratoga Springs. Toured Revolutionary War sites, Cooperstown, Niagara Falls. Beautiful. But my fave is Florida. Warm, ocean, beaches. NO SNOW!!!

I love reading all T is doing in her amazing room. You all have given her such amazing directions.

Ramona and her purples, Flo....everything, pure and her wonderful insights, Trib and her wit, Bruce...where would you all be without Bruce!

This truly is what Houzz is all about. Thank you all so much for such a wonderful ride!

Ramona, Northern Michigan has some amazing Ice Wine vineyards, especially around Traverse City. I am so sorry about your kitty. When you feel up to it, TC is an amazing place. Michael Moore redid the theater there and I heard he did an amazing job!!

Theater is very good in TC. My friend's vineyard Amoritas on the Leelanau Peninsula is, after five years, going to bottle. Not ice wine, but definitely a cold weather grape. It's going to be a very good harvest.

If West TN, & parts (much) of MI & IN are be flat, then Tetheridge's stomping grounds are concave. Never really been there, but have flown through there many times. The TV documentary about the terrible sky-diving accident there had video showing it. I understand when you go west twd Red Wing there're hills (according to Navy buddy who went to work at nuke plant there), but none are allowed w/i 30 miles of Twin Cities. Another Navy buddy raises mint to sell to confectioners, toothpaste companies & Chinese. He laser-levels his fields. Wouldn't have to around Minneapolis. :-)

My Navy buddy loved Red Wing area. He was outdoorsman. Loved camping, hunting & fishing, & lots of it there.

SandyC, re the city, no. It's named after a Sioux chief. I also learned it's the home of Red Wing shoes & boots, which are almost de rigeur for construction workers. The name of the nuke plant where my friend worked is Prairie Island. Looked up hockey team. It's name came from an amateur team from Montreal with which a former owner was affiliated & that team's name derived from roots in cycling & its uniform colors. Now you know!

Sandy!! I got my PhD from UCSanta Cruz. Where are you exactly?

Ramona, you're a Banana Slug!!! Thank you Quentin Tarantino! I know that because Pulp Fiction!!

Get some ducks.

Okay, you asked the History of Consciousness program.

Which is an interdisciplinary program in philosophy of history, science, language.

Also, film studies, women's studies, race studies, semiotics, cultural anthropology. . .

It's interdisciplinary: students construct projects/dissertations out of a collection of these categories

The first group of students picked the banana slug in the 60s. The president wanted cute sea otters which are numerous in Santa Cruz bay.

We step on them all the time by accident. They don't get special treatment and we have no banana slug mascots. Just things like baby's socks with slugs in the bookstore.

Ruby, have you seen a banana slug? I've only seen on campus.

Hi, just to let you friends know, there is an open chat thread here, I've let them know you might drop by:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/crossroads-cafe-dsvw-vd~3238886?n=6099

Thank you T.Trouble. These posters who bogarted this thread and are using this for something other than DESIGN Dilemma are rude, rude, rude.

They are all nice people, so would be a good fit for Crossroads IMO.

Ruby roses, have you tried clicking on "comments" bar under the title picture? It scrolls instantly.

Beverly, I am sorry. You are right. We were just chatting while waiting for T. Will keep the chitchat to a minimum.

Kathi, Ken is already on Crossroads. See link above.

Tetheridge, any notable developments? Gonna be ready for Thanksgiving weekend? Or are you so involved w/ Vikings that you put DR on back burner? :-)

Curious minds wanna know, "Where's Calliope?"

Random photo update! Still in need of lighting lol.

As of today, we are officially divorced. Unfortunately, this is now the home of a single man. On a positive note, the dining room is the only room that remains to be finished and I am willing to see that through for him. The table and chairs (both types) came from Arhaus. I truly, sincerely apologize for ghosting everyone. I can't express the magnitude of my gratitude to each of you that helped through the process. I did have to relocate halfway across the country with toddler, move in temporarily with my parents, find a home to purchase, find a job, retake the bar exam, deal with a very late term miscarriage/still born delivery, and a divorce -to be fair- but I recognize that my ghosting over the past year was completely inappropriate and I do apologize. Also, I'm in a much better place now. Thank you all!

Tetheridge, taking care of yourself & your son is way more important than keeping your Houzzer mates up to speed. Glad you're at a better place & can come up for air long enough to carch us up. DR looks gray-ate!

I am still in love with the color and glad we opted for the darker green. It feels so dramatic and perfect with Calliope even a year later!

I am sorry for all you had to go through. That is quite a list. Take care of yourself first. This room was one of the most interesting ever on Houzz. You are a strong woman. My blessings to you.

I would try sconces for sure. Perhaps a victorian style would match your decor in that room!