I don't think of it as quite complete yet I have not addressed the bugs we encounter. So anyone else that wants to see something not present in it please let me know. The final version I will post as FAQ in the sugject heading.

Jodik says: The coir might look dry on top, but down in the center of the pot, it could be quite moisture-laden! I have found it helpful to insert little wooden skewers carefully into the soil to about root level, and leave them there... I take them out and press them against my cheek to test for dampness... if they feel at all damp, I wait to water... but if the skewer comes out dry, it's time to water. My coir is 4" deep in a closed pot. I put the skewer to the bottom of the pot. When I take it out how many inches of bone dry top "soil" should there be before it's time to water again? Is it 1", 2" or 4"? I just went 10 days without water and only 1" of the top was dry so am I supposed to water this direct sun pot once every two weeks or so to avoid over watering, really? And how much water for my 6" closed pot? I had been watering 1 1/2 cup or so once a week and my plant was fine but I'm now worried that was too much so I'm re-evaluating. I know what conventional wisdom says (water deep, not shallow) but that advice doesn't seem to apply to my situation. Also how long should it be before I see new leaf growth in the summer time (first season outside)? My 18 month old Red Lion so far has only grown new leaves once a year. At potting and at dormancy end.

Hi2all, you can use your family dishes for awhile this way and still be able to take them apart later. I haven't tried hot glue, although I do think that would work if you wouldn't be handling them too much. I used floral clay on my stacked plates and really had to pull hard to get them apart later. Also, if you wanted a more secure bond, the GE Silicone II for windows and doors would work well. To remove them, you just have to use a razor edge and cut the glue to open the seam. I've used it on glass garden totems very successfully. My suitcase is all painted, I just finished it a few minutes ago. Just need to do a few coats of Krylon sealer on it. Should be able to post the pics on the painting gallery by tomorrow afternoon I hope. I plan to use it to store little GD's dress up play outfits.

I'll ramble about various thoughts that struck me from reading your last two. If you have a prep sink, you won't really be working much in the big cleanup sink to really notice where the drain is. Now that I have a prep sink and am not prepping over dirty dishes, I rarely notice where the drain is or isn't. The way my space is set up, after meals we walk from the table past the island to get to the cleanup sink with dirty dishes. I usually have the compost bucket still on the island from prep so it's easy to scrap in to that on the way past to the cleanup zone. If its not out already, it's quick to grab it from under the prep sink. I feel silgranit is a workhorse material also. There is nothing to baby. It also cleans easily, doesn't stain, and takes a beating. Hot water, heavy pans, tomato sauce, anything. I can't imagine silgranit can't do anything stainless can do, except not scratch or have constant water marks. ;). They are nothing like cast iron or porcelain either. I'm sure I said it already, but my sink material is one of my most favorite things about the new kitchen. Don't judge silgranit by a plastic sink you saw 10 years ago!! They are not anything alike. I compost almost every bit of food, but am really, really pleased to have GDs at both sinks. I'd hate to be dumping out a grungy drin basket full of bits of grossness from the prep sink. If anything, I think I generate more gunk at the prep sink than cleanup. I have a double can Rev-a-Shelf garbage pullout. It's another of my most favorite things in the new kitchen. I thought it was 15" or 18", but just went to measure. The drawer front is about 16.5" but I think the actual mechanism is 15". Most of the house's garbage and all of the recycling (we have mixed in our municipality) is handled here. I find it plenty for us so didn't need an additional can under the cleanup sink. My garbage is close to my cleanup sink, but, as I mentioned, plates get scraped into the compost and not the garbage. As I mentioned, having a center rear drain on my super single doesn't bother me. If I had to do it again now knowing what I know, I'd probably do the offset drain. I've never had a prep sink or a single bowl sink either so this is all new to me. I sure do love it though! Having a separate prep zone with sink makes an enormous difference in the way my kitchen functions and how I function in it. P.S. I like the way you're focused on function and are trying to work out all the little details now. OCD is good. :)