How come it appears you did part of your neighbors area? That deep furrow is the property line between our two houses and my lawn used to be a mix of 20% tall fescue / 80% weeds however for some reason, that entire side of his property was bermuda grass that was invading about half of my lawn. Which, coupled with the fact that I only had about a 10'x10' patch of fescue left, made me decide to renovate. I had planned on asking him but considering he moved out around Thanksgiving and is letting his house rot until the bank finally forecloses I figured he waived any rights he had towards objecting what I do what that small swatch of his grass. There are a great number of expletives I could use regarding his decision to buy a bigger house in a nicer neighborhood while allowing this one to just sit vacant. The neighbor on the farside couldn't care less which leaves me to mow the yard, patrol the parameter - to ensure it doesn't become the local hangout for deviants (as it's what I used to do when *I* was a kid, lol - and all the other chores that need to be done simply to ensure the health & safety of my 10mos old child. Down here, I've found that tall grass leads to all manner of nasty insects, snakes, etc. to set up shop, not to mention the overgrown and soon to be dilapidated look doesn't do much for my property values. :sigh: And the S.O.B. is a real estate agent, you'd think he'd at least rent the place out rather than allowing his credit to tank because of the impending foreclosure. But, to answer your question specifically, there would have been little point in renovating my lawn and leaving his bermuda grass at that property line as it would have simply continued to spread back into my yard over and over again. As it is, the double application of Round-Up followed by the Tupersan I put down at seeding doesn't seem to have gotten _every_ bit of the bermuda grass and by the time I can start mowing my new lawn I'll be out there trying to proactively kill off the last bit of stragglers poking through.

ANN: Yes,HEARTS OF FIRE does seem to be sunfast.Its just as bright and pretty at sundown as it was early in the day.It really is a gorgeous Red. JANET; I love looking at all the blooms too,and don't care if they have been posted before.They still new photos to me and I love seeing them..Yea,It was a miracle that the Vet and I saved Snoopy.She was n othing but skin and bones when she returned home,and I didn't know where this strange cat came from.And she was so so dirty.I kept standing there, looking down at her,asking "WHO ARE YOU?" "WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?" and she kept looking up at me,and I finally said "SNOOPY, IS THAT YOU?" She meowed so pitiful,I opened the door,and she tried to come in,and was having a hard time,so I picked her up,thinking I hope you are not some strange cat I am bringing in,when I don't know whats wrong with you.BUT, after I brought her in,and the way she looked me in the eye,I knew it was my snoopy.It was a sunday and the vet wasn't open on a sunday.I called a friend and asked if there is a way to reach the vet on a sunday,and he told me can call him at home,and I told him my snoopy has come home, but her leg is broken and I need the vet for her. So my friend called the vet at home,and then called me back,and said the vet is coming to his office in a little while.Then my friend came and drove me and snoopy to the vet.I was a wreck, worrying about my cat.Then the vet said her leg has to come off as its crushed, can't fix it like a broken leg, but, I have to feed her and put some weight on her,because right now she wouldn't survive.And I said you mean she has to stay in pain like this till I can fatten her up again? and he assured me she was not in no pain.So,it was about 10 days before he could do surgery on her.Her tail is broken too,about a inch or so from her body, but the vet says it be ok,as long as its not in the way when shes in the litter box.So far,shes doing great. RITA, I am the same way.Long as its a picture of a daylily,I don't care how many times its been posted. KAY, I always been told that several means 2 or 3. NANCY;What do you spray them with for Thrips? SHARON; The vet told me that after a few weeks,Snoopy will be running through the house like she has all 4 legs.I was so worried that she wouldn't be able to get around with just 3 legs. The vet was right.I have her mother, too,but,shes a outdoor cat.She don't like to stay in the house,and really I can't turn my back on her when shes inside.She likes to claw up furniture and howls to get out. Snoopy don't bother the furniture and has a very soft meow. VICKIE AND VAL; Thank you for the comments. Jean

We've been married for 14 years now and we lived together for 3 years before that. While we were cohabitating I never allowed our finances to be comingled. It was incredibly difficult for us to make the financial transition after we married. Truly, of all things that was THE most difficult. I have always been the "skinflint" and the "nervous nellie" when it comes to money. I remember living in a little town where there were no jobs... and how humiliating it was to have to ask for some money to go to a movie and then to ask for some for popcorn, too. An "allowance" was never offered and I had to "justify" every request for money. It was a defining time in my life. I swore, that when I got my first job NO ONE WOULD EVER USE MONEY TO CONTROL ME AGAIN. And I remember being so afraid of what I didn't know... balancing a checkbook, making intelligent decisions with savings, investing. My parents never talked about money, it was as though it was "dirty"; even though they lived frugally and lacked for nothing. I sucked it up and learned how to do those things because if I didn't, I understood I would be vulnerable and in a position to be manipulated. And you know what? it's not hard, at all! it's actually fun. The helpmeet was much more cavalier than I with respect to money (didn't take much, lol). He was never a wanton spender, but he wasn't always so good about getting bills out on time and never lost much sleep about interest or finance charges (drove me nuts). But he had a much healthier attitude in the greater context; never laboring under the awful, nagging fears that I did. So... after a few good fights about it we sat down for a "board meeting". We agreed to do the bills together; but I was given the responsibility to call the terms because doing so allowed me to put the kibosh on interest charges and any late fees. We worked out a strict budget and he stuck to it. We lucked out, I suppose. He's no longer is "late", pays no interest, and we no longer fight about money (he has thanked me for showing him how easy it can be!). Either of us could pick up the reins and take over in the event of catastrophe. Best of all, though, I am now at ease with money; no one controls me with it and I'm secure in the knowledge that there is plenty of it to meet whatever needs we have and even enough to spend on FUN THINGS! (imagine that?!) I will go to my grave knowing he imparted that simple belief to me; it set me free. Really. It wasn't easy gettin' here. You mustn't allow your husband to dodge the issue by saying he's "sick of spread sheets"... that's an excuse (and it's unfair to put the responsibility for success or failure on YOU!), the spending isn't about the new toy, it's about something bigger. I'd bet a nickel on that. If you want to get to a trusting place with your finances you have begin by being honest and putting all your debts on paper, establishing a budget and being accountable for it, and sitting down TOGETHER every month. Silvercomet is absolutely right... this is IMPORTANT stuff. It doesn't have to be unpleasant, either. One of the nicest aspects of this process for us is the time we spend together talking about what we want for our future(s). It's gone from perfunctory attention to bills and statements to presenting ideas/goals/and seeing possibilities emerge. It's empowering and it's FUN.

In our original set-up, we had the table butted up to the island and the old light hung in the right place. Since then, we moved the table to the window, which we like much better..... buuuut it left that fixture hanging in prime head-knocking space. Also, I was thinking that if I really wanted another light protruding from the ceiling in addition to future fan, it would be better to have it over the sink instead of two hanging things in the center of the room. At this point, I'm thinking I will use that light for now and relegate it to the laundry when I can.