I will vouch for Tina, she was my very first trade, and she will hold up to her end of the bargain and then some, everone goes through difficulties at some time or another, definitly know about those financial difficulties!! just remember...God only gives you what he knows you can handle. I will be keeping you in my prayers. micke

natal, can you post a photo or link of your foot-operated trash/recycle cabs, muspic, can I see your cork floor? We're doing cork as well. The telling sign for me was when I went into a "wood flooring" showroom. When I asked where their cork display was (the whole floor was covered in the different wood flooring), I expected them to say they didn't have one (like most stores). Instead, they took me to the area where the employees stood all day. All cork. No wood. Enough said. Alabamamommy, our current house has white Corian counters. They were here when we bought the house and were afraid of them at first, but now we love them. I cook every day and never had any problem getting anything off them, including red white and tumeric. I spilled about 4 t. of tumeric on the counter when I was making keema yesterday. I got most of it right away. After I was done cooking, I saw that I missed a spot. I sprayed the spot with 409, let it sit a few minutes while I cleaned up then came back and it came right off. We've also had success with set stains using Soft Scrub, and even a baking soda paste. For the kitchen in the house we're building, my must haves were: * cork floors (I need the sound proofing for living with a brain injury and active boy!) * walk in pantry (that it is 9'x9'11" is a bonus) * all base drawers * wide aisles * pulls instead of knobs * dropped baking center so I don't have to stand on my tippy toes while kneading bread, and open on two sides so my son can help. * foot pulls for trash * hands free water faucet * island (I ended up with two. WIth my TBI, I can't go out to socialize much, so two islands give me a "little kitchen" where I can focus and not be distracted (aka, burn the house down). The second island allows others to be "in the kitchen" to help prep, socialize, clean up, etc. without being in my space. I can't wait! *desk area for printing recipes, menu planning, etc. * side by side frig. It just works best for the way we live. Funny story, when we bought our current frig, the deciding factor was the one that fix a pizza box. In the last four years, there have been less than 5 pizza boxes in there! We cut out most processed foods. So we love the side-by-side because when I cook dinner, I always make larger portions so we can get 2-4 leftovers out of it. There are packaged in lunch size containers in frozen. Everything is easy to see in the morning, when DH grabs his lunch. * Full size freezer in pantry. We currently have a chest freezer, but we'd like to be able to buy a part of a cow from a local farm, so we're getting a side by side freezer to store our meat and extra bulk goods. DH's must have, beyond what's above: * deep single sink for washing pans (Usually I clean up as I go, but often I run out of steam by the time dinner is done, so he'll do clean up. I figured if I give him the sink he wants, he'll do it even more!) * energy star appliances * water sense sinks * Sharp microwave...

Thanks to everyone who has offered suggestions. If nothing else, it is good to know that this is pretty much a universal experience. It is not just me, thank goodness! I know that there are many, many wonderful novels in existence, some of which I have read, some of which simply didn't suit my individual tastes, and some of which I would love but have yet to discover (probably fewer of this last group, unfortunately). I am concerned here mostly about current and recent fiction. Thank goodness I have this forum to point out ones I might otherwise miss. Some old favorite writers have left us, and some others continue to write but have moved in directions that don't suit me. I'm quite sure that in time new writers will appear to take their places. It's just the wait that frustrates me. Meanwhile I'm reading books about sewing techniques and planting trees. Useful and informative they may be, but somehow I find them a bit weak in plot and character development. Rosefolly

Well, here we sit again....cabinets delayed another week. Have e-mailed Lowe's store manager on 2 weeks ago, again 3 days later re-forwarded the e-mail saying I thought he may have missed it over the 4th holiday and then again one week ago. ZERO RESPONSE. Z-E-R-O! Can't believe how unprofessional this is! I get it people are busy but to just not respond to a customer who has spent $30,000 in your store! And my contract said all work would be done by early April! It is now mid-July and this part of the installation MAYBE will be complete next week, then after countertops are installed (another company) there has to be more measuring for some decorative panels that they suggested we don't measure for until after countertops are in. After a call to Lowe's corporate in which they "escalate" the situation and said the store manager will get this "Urgent Customer Care" email and he must respond within 24 hours....still NO response! UNBELIEVABLE! So have put in another call to Customer Service and now they escalate to the District Manager and I am supposed to hear from him within 24 hours. And by the way, Lowe's Credit Card (Synchrony) said that it just takes a call from a Store Manager and they can push this final payment out and extend the promo (6 months same as cash) on out beyond the original 6 months. I have pretty much done EVERYTHING else myself since I placed the order with no communication from their "install manager" or kitchen designer. I communicate with the installer directly now since the install manager also can't seem to return a phone call or place or follow up on the incorrect orders that keep getting placed. I communicate directly with Schuler (their Customer Service has been phenomenal!) to correct orders that are placed incorrectly---even after going over it several times and putting it in e-mails. Cabinets ordered the wrong size by and inch (at least 5 times), finished ends ordered on the wrong side of the cabinet, etc. Hopefully there is a district manager who can straighten this out and get these people to get this project finished!