I hope the improving weather lasts a while. I'm ready to enjoy having a few days with highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s. It wouldn't offend me if we had highs in the 70s either. Sammy, I hope your roses are okay. Our temperatures here have not been the lowest ones we have had since moving here, but some of the wind chills have been the lowest I remember since moving here. Still, some of the usual winter/early spring wildflowers have bloomed in January and February even in the midst of all the cold, so maybe the cold weather hasn't affected the plants as much as we think. If we are going to warm up, I hope we stay warm. The worst thing in the world for my fruit trees is for warm temperatures to arrive in February. They've already had enough chilling hours to meet their chilling requirement, so just a few days of warm temperatures are likely to push them into bloom. Usually if they go nuts and bloom in February we lose the fruit to late freezing weather or frost in March and April. So, from the viewpoint of someone who wants to have a decent peach and plum harvest this year, I hope the weather isn't warm enough long enough to encourage the trees to bloom too early---unless it is going to stay warm. Y'all, remember this.....we were having widespread grass fires, brush fires and wild fires across a large portion of the state before the really cold temperatures and winter precipitation arrived. Now that the precipitation is gone, with warmer and windier weather returning, fire danger will increase over the next few weeks so be prepared and be watchful. Let's think some positive thoughts for all the folks in Georgia and other southeastern states whose weather forecast is calling for ice storms of epic proportions. It sounds like they could have a good old-fashioned Oklahoma-style ice storm that brings down lots of trees and power lines. Let's hope that they get lucky and the trees stay upright and the power stays on. If it has to get icy there, I hope the ice falls more as snow pellets, graupel or sleet and not as freezing rain that coats everything it hits. We've all "been there, done that" with the freezing rain here in our state in the 2000s and I wouldn't wish that on anybody. Finally, if you want to use "highs of 32 degrees or lower" as a measure of how bad this winter has been, I'll link the OK Mesonet map that shows that below. Keep in mind that this map is based off of official temperatures recorded at Mesonet stations and the weather at your house may have differed significantly from the weather at your county's mesonet station or stations. Dawn Here is a link that might be useful: Map: # of Days With High Temps 32 Or Below

Y'all, I'm looking now at the Lee sofa on which I spent more than $5,000 6 or 7 years ago for the higher quality level, only to watch the cushions become WEIRDLY misshapen within 18 months: "pitching forward" (a good term for something I hadn't known could happen before seeing it here), sinking in the middle, the back cushions developing permanent horizontal folds that couldn't be returned to its intended shape, and slanting to one side in a way that wouldn't fluff back to its original shape. The seat straps collapsed in less than 3 years, and I used the throw cushions under the main seat cushions to bring it back to height somewhat. TOTAL CRAP! What's left of it is still here, due to a combination of pandemic issues (including my getting long covid) and the difficulty of finding smaller-sized quality furniture in the configuration I want. Wish I'd stuck with the beautiful Calico Corners sofa that the Lee replaced only because a new room configuration required an L-shaped sectional for TV viewing. During the pandemic, a new Calico sectional -- a small one -- was going to cost in the upper $7,000s - low $8,000s, and I was already out the $5,000-something for the Lee, so... After re-reading this thread, I'll look into the Quatrine, Massoud, and Arhaus. But ple-e-ease SAVE YOURSELVES from the Lee Industries experience!

Many of you have had some interesting jobs! I can't say I have had any job that I could even characterize as "worst." For the most part, most of my time was spent in in air conditioned buildings, I didn't get too dirty (except packing supplies and taping boxes ruined my hands and some many a pair of Hanes stockings) and the people I worked with in all of my jobs were pleasant enough with the exception of a few, but that's to be expected. Summers I worked for my dad's business while in high school and all throughout college every afternoon doing office work--filing, bookkeeping, answering the phone, filling orders and packing supplies, delivering supplies, cleaning the bathrooms--you name it, I did it. It was good, general experience and the best part was the time I spent as an adult with my Dad. I guess the most interesting job I had was working for a criminal defense attorney when I graduated from college. I had to travel to different states and hunt down some pretty questionable characters to take statements and get affidavits regarding a murder--we were defending a guy that shot a guy in the back of the head from the back seat of a car over a drug deal. I remember we all said he had "Manson Eyes." Also, I had some interaction with some dangerous people in undercover work for the federal government--illegal arms buyers, drug dealers. But I can't say it was unpleasant--I enjoyed knowing that one day these people would be going to jail for their crimes. Nope--no bad jobs--they were all good!

Thanks for your advice. The more I thought of what you said and the dishwasher behind me the more I didn't like it. I signed on for a new kitchen today and I will have the appliances lined up but did take 9" into the DR. This allowed me to put a spice rack between the range and the dishwasher. Fingers are crossed for my new kitchen looking good. This kitchen I have now is terrible with 3" of counter space to the left of my sink and the dishwasher at the 90' can't be opened w/o moving away from the sink. No wonder Mayfair Homes is no longer...