Hey Jennifer: I did use Sluggo once but you have to re apply it often. Seemed like a pain for the cost. We have three cats that are into positively anything so I have to use any chemicals if I can help it. So last year I went out and bought a whole bunch of plastic ashtrays from the dollar store. This is for my hosta beds. Once a week I fill up the ashtrays that are hidden behind the hostas with whatever the single cheapest beer is at the grocery. At that time I might rinse out the slug carcasses or I might not. It is just as effective to pour beer in with or without dead slugs (or what's left of them) in the ashtray. I do rinse them out as needed with the hose and then put them back in place. It works great. Furthermore I like the looks on my neighbors faces when I walk around the front yard at 6 a.m. Saturday morning carrying a six pack:) Kate

I think you're being perfectly reasonable. They are your son's children, it's up to him to raise them, not expect you to raise another family when you should be thinking of retiring and putting your feet up. Why on earth would he marry someone who doesn't want his children? (Well, I can guess...) He can sure pick 'em. This is a tricky one. While it was kind of you to take up the slack when your son was partnerless, it was not right for him to assume the arrangement would be indefinite. When he started getting serious with his now wife, that was the time for him to have had "the talk", as in, "my parents can't spend the rest of their lives raising my children, and I'm going to need your help in this." If she wasn't prepared to help, she should have cut and run at that point. If you refuse to care for the children any more, what are the options? Will he get child care/change jobs so he can be home to raise his children/surrender them to social services? If the last, how would you feel about that?

I am in love with these pillows so thank you for all these kind comments! The upholsterer has given me an estimate on the sofa that includes new seat cushions about 1.5 inches higher than the current squashed ones, no skirt and new turned legs in a fruitwood finish. Now all I need is to find the fabric! Our curtains are solid green with a decorative edge trim and luckily they are not faded (because of their heavy lining and an interlining with baby flannel), so I def want to find something that works with them. My mother is campaigning for coral. I have no idea what I want and will eventually call ID, I guess.

Every color (OK, just to be safe-almost every color) can look amazing when decorated around and styled. I had so many yellow walls in my current place when I moved in-I made it work everywhere (but the master bedroom when the light was different and that very same yellow looked too dark, and drove me crazy until I repainted it). I suggest you live with it a little bit and then decide whether to repaint, where, and to what. I don't know where you live but here we were quoted 5000 paint job for the room with ceilings like yours, and it was several years ago. And you really need a pro for the height like this...ladders and all. You can pick a bit different shade for the kitchen if it bugs you already-it will still flow nicely even if it's different and more neutral..just be mindful of the undertone of that neutral so it doesn't clash with gold everywhere else. I have paler yellow with deeper yellow accents in living and dining, and more calmer and neutral tan in the family room-they work together quite well. The plan is partially open, so all colors are seen at once. These windows are really really cool. Do you plan to leave the build in next to them? I think it interferes a bit with their awesomeness so to say.