I got two packages yesterday. One from Jan and the other, from Poochella. The Pooch really knows where to find my weak spots! My number one, all time love is Chocolate and she sent. LOTS. Peanut butter cups and M&M's and RusselStover miniatures and Baby Ruth Almond Joy. As hot as it has been and they were not even melted. It would not have mattered, I would eat it anyway but I was surprised. Stress level has been high enough the past couple weeks that Chocolate is required on a daily basis. The heat and humidity have been terribly oppressive here the past three days. I'm really not getting much of anything done. If it would just rain I'd go out and work in the rain but I can't do much like this. Anyway, back to the package. There was some cream called Gardeners Hand lotion. A nice woodsy smell that I like a lot. A beautiful carved angel holding a shovel. I have two similar ones but not this one so she will make a heavenly trio when I get settled and setup the sun room Love this Angel. I have a very special shovel from my Secret Santa at work a couple years ago that is marked "Never Underestimate the Power of a Woman With a Shovel" How true... bet an Angel with a shovel could really do some special things. There was a lovely package of floral note cards. Very nice art work on those. Some interesting garden magazines too. LOL Pooch's specialty seems to be the "Plant Coupons". What a great idea. Then I don't need to be worrying if it has rained or not after I leave here. Good thinking Annie. Annie, I thank you for sending such a great package and I'm looking foreward to your Birthday TOO. Again, I hope I didn't miss anything on the list. If so, I apologise and really appreciate you. Beth

OH HI TMJ!! So glad to see you back. I know I have been gone a lot myself but did miss seeing you post when I would pop in. Your yard pretties sound like a great plan C to me!!! I am so bad I never even got all mine out from their winter storage this year. Now I think why bother since in a couple of months they have to go back. On the brighter side they will just last me another year this way. Hehehehe Sorry about your trees and like every one else I can't wait to see the new yard pictures. And your mannequin picture after grouting?? Chris

I think the others may be right that the crown in F won't look good in real life even though it's more cohesive on the page (yes, I did get it about the space behind it). B'more has the right of it on the cupboard above the oven. In E, it's too fussy. If the doors were simple, like the pantry door, it would be better, and even better if it were a single, flip up, door. I liked the idea of disguising the small pantry door as cabinetry because the blank wall flanked by the two passage doors looks stark. Having different appearances on either side opens it up, whereas the two matching doors kind of confines the blank wall and makes it a focal point in itself by bookending it. Additionally, it's a visual cue that what's behind is an overgrown cabinet, whereas the other door is for the laundry/BP/large pantry or whatever the next room is. I think your baking area is fine, and so is the oven location. Some people do a lot of stove to oven and vice versa, but many of us do rarely, and I assume it's not a biggie for you either, or that you were going to use the Advantium for those cases. It's the prep path that feels awkward. I really don't know if there's a better path, given the walls. The distances are fine. There's just a lot of moving around the island to do prep. I think if you clean at the sink, then move back around to the end to cut, where you'll be just across from the stove, it'll work fine. It's that extra step that makes it feel awkward to me. Hm... Yes... What I did with a small island is put in a trough sink at the end so that I had the whole width to work on. Similar size to the end of your island. A lot of that is based on how you work. I can dry prep too, or use a bowl of water rather than a sink. The sink is there. It's not a big worry and you have the rest laid out usefully. Don't worry about it. There are compromises in every kitchen. As I said, not impossible. :) It'll be fine.

Hello...........I just ran across this statement. I realize the statement is 4 years old............but I'm hoping "dsbird" or someone else might have an answer to my question. I too, have a problem with my Intek not wanting to make it past "compression," and I was looking for a "work around" when I ran across this. "dsbird" states that "I torqued it up a bit tighter to avoid gasket blow-out," and I was wondering if someone might advise me as to how much "tighter" to go as I try this "double head gasket" manuver to see if it will work for me as well ? Thank you : )