Pidge, Wasn't A Thousand Splendid Suns a terrific book? It's a book group book for sure. I just watched two French films from NetFlix. The first wass "La Vie en Rose", a bio-ppic of Edith Piaf, snd it was great with all those wonderful songs. Of course her life was sad, sad, sad & way too short, but whaat a voice! The other was "Je T'aime Paris" (and I know I'm not spelling that right.). It's a series of love stories tht are only 5 minutes long, each done by a different director & each each one is set in one of the arrondismonts (sp again!) of Paris. It's amazing how much can be told in 5 short minutes & it seems like 50% of all the actors in France or Hollywood are in the vignettes. I want to rent it again & really try & match up the directors & the stories in my mind. It was an extrememly clever idea for a movie.

In case anybody is still following, lol: I've been thinking of Sena's fridge placement concern. The fridge I ordered has a door that can be reversed and is actually 26" deep with door. So I think we'll try it for awhile where the current fridge has been, on the end of the short L. We can inset it into the wall with the door reversed so it swings left and, thus, won't crowd the person at the sink. I'm wondering if we do this if it will be back far enough to now crowd the line-of-vision to the window? We should be able to get an idea of that without actually before we tear out the wall to see if it will be worth it to inset it. Although i do hate to lose that long baking counter. But we can also take out the side wall to the broom closet and play with the fridge there. If we don't like that, I figure we can get cabinets to fill that spot. They could uppers and lowers with counter and a better landing spot/command center than I currently have. Or just a pantry. Might also make a good place to put a small microwave a bit closer to cooking area. Anyway, just mulling options. It will be fun to play with all this. Went to a big home show in the Big City a 90-minute drive away. Hoping to see some unique and interesting ideas. Well, that was a waste. Didn't really see anything any different or better than what I see at our HD. Bummer. But had a nice visit with my friend that came with me so that's good. Won't waste my time on home shows again if this is all they have. My next venture out-of-town will be to some of the bigger Habitat Re-Stores. I've been told that a couple have amazing selections due to being in areas more flush with cash and a lot of high-end remodels. After looking at photos online, I kinda wish I'd thought to check them out sooner for my fridge. Hoping to find some nice cabinet boxes in the sizes I need so I only have to order door/drawer fronts from Barker. I don't mind multiple trips for the right cabinets as this will save hundreds over buying new cabinet boxes. Wow, I can't imagine building a whole house. A kitchen is enough work for me!

I grow Hydrangea paniculata White Diamond, Quickfire, Fire and Ice, and Pinky Winky, as well as H. arborescens Annabelle. All are fully hardy here, and all bloom white, though the various H. paniculata types turn pink as they age, while Annabelle turns greenish which mostly looks nice but some years doesn't. Annabelle prefers some shade in the hottest part of the day and likes a fair amount of water. She is 4'-4 1/2' tall and may flop some since she puts out many large flower heads, so you may need to prop her up. All of the listed H. paniculatas grow in full sun in my yard and don't need any supplemental water after their first year. I have chosen varieties that hold their blossoms upright since they are lacier and lighter than some of the others. Some H. paniculata cultivars have huge blossoms that may bend the branches down some. Choose a variety of hydrangea that fits the size you want (H. paniculata cultivars range in size from about 3 1/2' to over 15') as well as the placement you'd like. For instance, Annabelle in full sun will require regular deep watering and still may brown out the flowers faster than you'd like, so would be best in afternoon shade.

Thanks for the all the feedback. A few comments: 1. The island will need to shrink. We like this example: 2. We originally had a door to the pantry that we decided to remove because we were concerned about losing shelf space (there’s already 1 door from the kitchen). 3. We wanted the flex room to face the pool and not the street for better view and privacy. 4. Flex room bathroom and closet will get switched and that entire area will need to be revamped. 5. The mud room entrance comments were interesting. Where else would you position the door? 6. My wife and I need our own closets for a happy marriage... :-) 7. Yes, mixing between traditional exterior and a modern interior is hard... 8. I’ll need to double check the natural lighting in the kitchen. All the windows in that areas face east but with the porch roof it may not be enough.