Maryl.yesterday we got a flood.It rained buckets all day and some of my roses are just sitting in water,and they are forecasting more rain on thursday.I don't need no more rain.Its turned cold today too.We didn't get the snow,unless it was just some flurries during the night.Nothing on the ground today.I don't know if you sent me a picture on that other post.I seen a little box with a red X in it,but I couldn't make it open up.Some times you can right click on the X and it will open,but not this time. Any who, that you for the good wishes. Jean

Ok - another tip - clean up the grout lines the next day if you use thinset to set the tiles. It takes several days for the mortor to fully cure, and it will be quite soft and crumbly the day after - makes cleaning any high spots out of the grout lines rather simple. If you wait several days, it will harden (like cement should) and it will be very difficult to remove. I spent about 30 mn this morning carefully going over the grout lines in my one wall (I have learned to be anal about this so I don't have "spots" when I grout) - I normally end up ruining a fingernail or two in the process but that is normal for me. BTW - here is what I got done yesterday. I mixed up too much thinset the first time, I forgot I was dealing with a small wall area and not a big floor! it looks a lot better after I took down the spacers and cleaned it all up. I had one "sliver" I had to cut for up by the range hood, it was 1/4" wide by 2" long, and the tile saw handled it fine. Ceramic is so much easier to deal with than porceline as it's softer and does not crack as easy when cutting. I used the rotozip for any "U" shaped cuts around the outlets and the tile saw for everything else. Here is an "in process" picture I had boards cut for the area needed for the border. By using them I could get my tile edges very straight - just make sure you don't accidentally cement the boards to the wall. This is what I got done the first "batch" and then I fitted and cut the rest of the perimeter tiles (they are laying on the coutner in this picture - ready to install). I put the border in after all the rest of the tiles were set. Here is my mixing setup. I use our smaller hammer drill (but not hammer mode) and a five gallon bucket so things don't splash. I have a scale (it's a fish scale, I'm not using a good kitchen one on this) to measure the powder and measuring cup for the water. Add the water to the bucket and carefull add the powder - if you simply dump it in, you'll get a plume of cement dust! And I have a timer - you mix for five minutes, wait for ten and mix for two and then use. one wall down - one to go! Now, we'll see if the resident experts come on here and rip me a new one for all the things I've done wrong. I think I'm learning why people rarely show "in progress" pictures on this forum. I'm showing the way I did things, I am not saying that I think this way is the only way to do it.

To everyone who attended the swap!! Please do not forget to thank, Triangle John!! for another wonderful swap. I am sure we all enjoyed it very much, Food too! We all gained more than we gave! Some got stuff, some, knowledge from the wise ones, and others, both!! Other swaps are extremely envious of our Raleigh NC Swap.. A big show of hands!!! Clap clap!!!

Lester, I forgot to thank you for the thai giant colocasia// Thanks !!