You could receive better advice and make it easier on the givers of the advice if you would disclose where you live. If you were my neighbor, you could grow many of your desired varieties serially, in about three different seasons. In some colder places, you only have a short period to grow most of all of it in a short period. In some hotter locations, you may have spring and fall seasons to grow your garden. Within your listed constraints, and knowing no other facts about your situation, I would say: forget the asparagus, zucchini, and sweet potatoes. You do not have enough room to grow enough to make a difference. If you know anybody who grows zucchini, you should get all you need just by mentioning it to anyone who grows it. People who do seem determined to see that anyone who will take it should be buried in it. Asparagus is great to grow if you have room, and time to wait, knowing that you may get a 4-6 week harvest each year after a few years of work. (I have room, and have done the work, and am nearing the end of this year's harvest, which I have enjoyed immensely.) Sweet potatoes? How many do you eat? I grew them for several years, too successfully. Never ate all we grew. We only ate them at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. For me, smarter to buy what I needed. Broccoli? Not very space practical, and I long ago gave up on growing cruciferous vegetables outside. The cabbage loopers beat me. I only grow Brussels sprouts in my greenhouse in the cool seasons. I would use the 10' strip of garden to grow 2 very productive indeterminate tomatoes, such as Mule Team or Burgundy Traveler, and maybe two sweet peppers, Brigadier if you like red, or early California Wonder for yellow. The rest of the narrow soil strip, I would use for two parallel concrete re-mesh trellises, on which I would grow several cucumbers and fill the rest with pole beans. I know nothing about raspberries, so if I wanted some, I would buy them in a store. Also, have never grown garlic, and celery will not grow here in the great American desert, so I will not offer advice about it. I would build at least two cedar boxes, one 12" high, 12" wide, 3' long, the other 18" high, same length and width as the first. Grow lettuce, spinach, radishes in the shorter one, carrots, beets, celery?, in the deeper one. Grow them in the cooler part of your year. If you live in a cool area, you might grow them in mid-summer, if you can place them in partial shade, especially in the hot part of the day. I would also recommend acquiring some large planters or nursery containers, at least 5 gallons each. You can grow more tomatoes (determinates) and sweet peppers in them, even through the heat of the summer on your deck. My favorite container tomatoes are Break O'Day, Hanky Red, Mini Rose (a determinate cherry), and Sprite (a grape tomato).

IMO, your father is playing both of you like a fiddle. As long as each of you are complaining about the other one, all focus is off of him. Brilliant! Golddust.. I agree. I've started replying 3 times and deleted all of them. I think there's more to the story & doubt it's just the girlfriend. Reading her letter, she probably thinks she's helping her man. Danielle, the best advice I can give you is to try to understand where she is coming from; but don't let her walk all over you. This is a very touchy situation; you know what your dad was like when you were growing up & she came into the picture after he was out of his "unhappy" marriage. While he's probably told her his side; she's never going to know what really happened because she wasn't there and IMO.. she needs to respect your feelings & how hurt you were by him but try to respect her for trying to be there for your dad now. I have issues with my step son. He likes to go back to his father & say that I said this or I said that. When my hubby fell off of his truck I sent him an email because he stopped speaking to my hub & wouldn't you know it, he twisted my email around trying to start a fight between my hub & I. Thankfully my hub knew about the email before I sent it; it was a rude awakening to my hub of just what his son would do to get me out of the picture. This is all in SS's head, not mine because I can be grown up about it & smile like nothing ever happened but he can't. The best advice I can give you is to try to have a relationship with your dad without the GF around every time. You still need father/daughter time. I encourage hub to call his son or go golfing with him because even though we can't see eye to eye, it's still his son. My hub does not talk about me when they are together & if the kid starts, he says it's between you 2 and not me. SS's mother was an alcoholic - probably why he hates me so much because we have the life he never had growing up & his father has been raising my 2 kids for the last 10 years.. so he's bitter; but he's also an adult man in his 30's & a divorced father. I don't feel that the GF was trying to place "blame" on any of the kids for the marriage/drinking problems, I read it as her just stating why he was drinking. My dad stayed in a bad marriage because "It was cheaper to keep her" & we kids suffered with the fighting. Dad was not around most times, he chose to work as much as he could.

Given the machines' depth and that window's width, the obvious option for stacking would be where the picture is on the 8' west wall. They would be a straight visual shot from the kitchen, just beyond the pellet stove and TV, and I am not especially keen on that sight line. Considered risers, and discussed ergonomics with DH yesterday. We prioritize staying limber and flexible as we age, and for now the bending/squatting seems a good thing. Same thinking has me keeping my cups and glasses on the highest shelf in the kitchen- short friends can't even reach them, LOL. Re: risers, DH concluded: "So you say now these machines last 10, 15 years? Next set then maybe we'll raise them." I agree. And I really like the simplicity of a continuous 8 foot counter, especially if I lose a bit of that to a sink. Oops, *but* a sink couldn't be set into a removable counter for machine access, so...there's a problem...raising the machines *would* allow logical segementing of the counter with a sink in the stationary part...hmmmm. Back to stacking, maybe 2' of cubbies for baskets by window, 2.5 W/D stack and 3.5 folding counter? (Existing counter is 3'9"). Have to ditch both uppers......hmmmm. Or, leave tub and washer as is, tuck dryer next, then cabinet(s). 6' removeable counter over that stops at tub. Center the wall cabinet over W/D with open shelving to sides....hmmmmm. All above options preserve the critical utility closet and chase. It does help to talk this through.

unfortunately the room is too narrow to have the sofa facing the fireplace. I'm pretty much stuck with that being there. Great thoughts about the coffee table, I keep trying to love the trunk but its just not happening. Oh well it was only $20 so maybe its Scouts new toy box. Interesting point about the rug - admittedly I'm not too polished on the rules of design so I end up having to learn along the way. I think I'll try a bigger rug. Also I'm going to hold off on the TV. Maybe once I finish the kitchen reno and use the room more otherwise I'm fine with just going to the basement which I'm also decorating slowly but surely. Its becoming my favorite room in the house and has another massive fireplace which makes it so warm and cozy. I'll post some pics and get everyone kind help AFTER I vacuum the couch (yellow dog & brown microfiber - UGH!!)....