boxerpups - such a sad situation for that young girl - and surely her sister too. it does sound like she is acting out and I do agree that you should contact the teacher. maybe someone can intervene with her. life is tuff enough for young people today and that girl has more than any one young person should have working against her. i don't think i'd go the court route (don't think you will either). in the end it could cause more trouble for your dd and your family than it's worth. i'm not saying the young girl isn't worth it or that we don't have the right to be upset when someone damages our property. but in the end, a fridge is a fridge and hopefully will be fixed w/o much expense. OTOH, I do think the young girl needs confronted about it. for her good! and i think it is something you could handle. holding someone to account is not mean, it is the more loving thing to do for them. short term upset for long term gain. it might not show in her in the near future, but it will be going around in her head that someone was more concerned about her future than a material thing. it sounds like she has been raised to think that things are more important than she is. until you decide how to fix the fridge door, i think i'd use it as a prayer reminder for that young girl. and a thank you for the blessings you and your family have in each other. and as for getting a new puppy after the loss of another very loved furbaby, my belief is that the best way to honor my precious gone to heaven furbaby is to find another furbaby in need of a loving home and lots of spoiling! i think that makes them very happy!

Slowmedown, I remember last Christmas , a group was purchasing items from us at a flea market and said they were putting them in shoe boxes. I guess I should have ask then, I just thought it was for kids at their church. Is there any particular item that you are looking for ? If I can help you out in any way, please let me know. Spiderwoman, I checked out a magazine at our local bookstore and didnt see anything in it, but I just kinda thumbed thru it. Thanks for the info, I will check again and see what I come up with. Ladyronnie, Man .. am I ever glad that you posted for Jerrysartrama, I looked at this one this morning and bookmarked it to go back and order from it, it has been a busy day and I completely forgot about going back to it. I just went and ordered some of the brushes that he can use. It looked like good prices to me, I really do appreciate all of your help and if there is anything out there I can do for anyone just let me know. By the way........ a bowling center not to far from us, told me that any of the bowling balls that are on the racks, that does NOT have the bowling centers initials on them, have been left by customers, and they are free for the taking. You might check with your local bowling center and see if the same applies there. Some of them are so pretty that you dont want to mosaic over them ! But... they are FREE ! Just a heads up and its worth checking out. Thank you so much for all of your help, and still just one post on the painting board ! Sandra

Agree with laceyvail and Babs about removing what’s there. If she wants a more formal, uniform planting look, she could do dwarf shrubs, depending on how deep those beds are. If she wants color/more cottage-y style, a mix of perennials, small ornamental grasses, annuals — in varying heights and textures. I think another paved walk to the sidewalk, if budget allows, would look nice and give some definition to the yard. I’d make it a bit wider than the other walkway, and slightly flared where it meets the public sidewalk. A lamp post would be very charming on the driveway side. The ledge under the left window is cute, and if it’s sturdy enough, I’d put some small, pretty pots (or one rectangular pot) on it with flowers. A narrow trellis with a non-aggressive vine would look good on the vertical white thing by the door. Or replace that detail with a post or column. ETA after seeing her location: I googled ‘California cottage’ and saw some ideas. This one has the similar ledges under the windows. :) Also, with being in S Calif, google ‘xeriscape plantings’ for ideas of things that survive drought and heat well. And ask for advice at local nurseries, of course. For painting ideas, you might want to post on the Home Decorating board ... or download a paint app (most of the major paint companies offer virtual painting) and play around with it. HD board — http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/decor

In cases like this I always like to think "I'm probably not their cup of tea either". You might want to attend at least one party though, even if briefly. You seem to care about the host so just be honest and say you are not much on big crowds but consider her a good friend so are making an exception. Then, she probably will not expect you more than once a year. Also, sometimes when you get to know a blowhard a bit better there are some good qualities hidden below the surface. I have a friend who's SO is too embarrassing to go to dinner or public places with (we won't) but after getting to know him find him to be a very caring kind person with a heart of gold. He's simply used to places in the Bronx or with his large family where he can be loud and say anything that pops in his head. We were once almost kicked out of a restaurant if you can believe it. We do go to their house for dinner about once a year though. The woman has been a friend for years and years. Sometimes getting to know people you wouldn't normally hang with can be interesting fun once the top layer is peeled off. In your instance (someone else's party) you can always leave when you want.