Thanks AJBB and waterbug guy! Something interesting happened; we got a good inch of rain Friday night and it seems to have helped the ailing boxwoods a bit. Even though the leaves are still a bit dull and brittle, it seems the plant isn't releasing them as it was before, so this is probably a good sign. Maybe not the fungal disease as I had imagined. Waterbug guy, perhaps as you suggested, it is a drainage issue that I'll need to work on to find just the right 'mix' of topsoil versus the natural muddy stuff. Another thing: You're correct that the ones that are affected aren't getting sunlight due to being blocked by the larger established shrubs(which look fantastic!). Maybe the stress of being transplanted plus no direct sunlight is causing the problem...in which case, maybe it would be best to plant them during the spring when the sun starts hitting that area, so they can get established and strong prior to summer/winter. I was surprised by the fact that the one that got hit by the most sun during the summer(on the west side of my row of shrubs)seemed the happiest and healthiest during the summer, too. So I guess they do like a bit of sun! Thanks for giving me some hope! I do really love the way they look when they are healthy!:)

The last plan you posted looks somewhat like my kitchen, actually. Both my present kitchen and my planned kitchen have this general layout. I've dealt with/cussed at my current kitchen for 3+ years now, and have studied my planned kitchen for some months now with lots of help from GW'ers, so I have some opinions. 1. The "power kitchen" area will indeed be the core of activity - it is prep zone, cook zone, plate zone, beverage zone, wash zone. Which means that, if you have two cooks, they will both be trying to work in the same space. You know what happens when one mafiosi crosses into another mafiosi's territory. You might get to lose that finger after all. This may happen with Amish too, I don't know. 2. You can solve that problem by moving activities out of that core zone. I'm going to move wash out (via a second sink), beverages out (via storing coffee/tea fixings and glassware over a counter elsewhere), and heat/reheat out (via moving microwave elsewhere). You have much more space than I do, so you should be able to move activities elsewhere as well. 3. The distance from refrigerator to prep zone matters a lot or a little, depending on how and what you cook. Some people are super organized, and make one trip around the food storage zones (refrigerator, pantry), collecting stuff, then bring it all to the prep zone and work happily. Others - like me - are constantly criss-crossing the kitchen, rummaging and swearing. I'm hoping to solve this problem by storing small amounts of the common prep stuff (shallots, garlic, ginger, corn starch, butter, spices, etc) in a cabinet and small undercounter fridge by the sink, so that I only have to travel to the refrigerator for the big stuff. You could do the same - or, be super organized - or, do your prep on the side of the island which is already convenient to the refrigerator and pantry. The only thing not immediately at hand would be water. It seems silly to have a little prep sink n the island when you already have a triple sink, but if you're like me and reach for water every couple of minutes while prepping, you might consider it. 4. Traffic. In (my) perfect world, all work zones in the kitchen would be roped off and only you and your helpful sous-chef children (why should corporations get all the child labor?) would be admitted. But that's hard to achieve. I guess it depends on how much traffic you get along the dining room side of the kitchen, and how sociable a cook you are.

I think that unless you move the doorway over, the new island might just funnel people closer to the cooking between the island and range rather than around the other side of the island because the direct path from the door to the kitchen table goes that way. The current arrangement at least influences them to walk more diagonally across the kitchen. If you got rid of the cabinets on the L wall between the kitchen and the living dining area and moved the doorway over to the left, opening the fridge wouldn't block the doorway. The island could be made somewhat longer which would replace some of the storage and counter removed from the L wall and mixing bowls and other items you need for cooking could be in the island closer to where they are needed and where they are washed. With the new doorway location, people would be directed to the non-cooking side of the island. I'd also suggest a small prep sink on the end of that longer island near the fridge which would make a separate zone for you to do some cook prep while your husband is using the main sink for clean up or other prep. Plumbing to the island is more expense, but IMO it will be worth it with that layout. Do you ever eat on that deck? Have you thought of doing a pass through window over the counter to the deck?

We bought an amazing rug from EA over 10 years ago. Large, wool and silk, soft soft, traditional pattern ~ primary color is a deep midnight blue very high quality (never shed)....it was very expensive, but it was the one. So soft you could sleep right on it. It still looks brand new today!! At the time when we ordered it we had to wait quite a while for it and she explained because they have this rug (hand made) to order. Yes they always have rugs in the store but on the more expensive rugs they made per order. Sooo I don't think that rug that you love is made by a international rug dealer. Was it worth the purchase. YES. I need another rug now and only wish I could afford an EA now. We actually negotiated "the rug" in the divorce. He wanted it so much that he made it worth it to give it to him. If I was you and you can afford it, I would buy the rug. Lorraine