Our 'new' pond (we dug it last year and have been working to complete it this spring) is 175 feet long with a large circle above the dam and trickles into the creek at the lower end. It will be virtually impossible to string enough fishing line or cover it in any way other than plant cover. I have two little comets in the circle and check on them every day. They seem to be instinctually good at hiding underneath the waterlilies and other plants so far but we live on a farm with herons, hawks, owls, raccoon, possums, plenty of snakes, etc. And I am so soft-hearted. I'm sure I will be devastated when we lose fish.

How did I miss this? Kate your kitchen is TDF! Just beautiful. I totally empathize as we are into our eighth month and have several more to go. I don't know which is worse: dealing with contractors and tradespeople who don't meet expectations, or having your own dear spouse doing everything (which is what we're doing) -- so there's only so much one person can do every day and still stay sane. But I do know from prior experience (bathrooms) that the pain is forgotten once everything is completed. Your kitchen is going to be such a joy. Just try to imagine the sun shining (it's spring? summer?) and all the people you love standing around that gorgeous island, celebrating with you. Hold that thought!!!!!

Wow - didn't expect it to be so unanimous! lobotome - yes, the high backs for these chairs have always bugged me. They are also very uncomfortable and, as I mentioned, kind of falling apart. I would definitely try to find replacement chairs at the very least. I'm not sure if the schoolhouse ones would match though - they seem to call for a more clean-lined table, no? Just to be absolutely sure, let me post some closeup pics of my current set, so you can see why I've been thinking of replacing it. Yes, the set was $3000 new, but it seems to be kind of crappily built. It was the first real piece of furniture that dh and I ever picked out at real furniture store (as opposed to the salvation army), and I guess I didn't know what to look for. Now I'd probably raise heck if they delivered something that looked like this to me, but back then, I just assumed that was the way it was supposed to be. As I said, this is a mexican distressed pine table. They seem to have used quite a bit of wood putty in the construction. All of the things you'll see in these pics have been there since new (except for the green stain - that was courtesy of one of my kiddos!) So here's the closeups: Wood putty holding leg together (ignore the half-naked doll on the chair - oops!): Wood putty holding other leg together (all those yellow splotches are putty): The distressed tabletop includes lot of cracks that have gotten worse over time. Makes it almost impossible to write at the table without using a notebook or clipboard as a writing surface. And oh, yeah, the green stain (watercolor paints from one of my kids): It's hard to think of getting rid of the table because it does hold a lot of memories and it is really cool looking. But the top has become such a pain in the butt with the kids' homework - I can't count how many times they've put a pencil through their paper because they hit a crack or dent under the place they were writing. And all those little dents catch every single crumb - it's really hard to get them out unless you vacuum it (yes, I've been known to vaccum my table, LOL!) I do think a round table would work very well for us - ideally I'd like to find one with a similar style to the new chairs (clean shaker-type lines). But all I can find are big oak pedestal tables with lion paw feet or ones with big swirly empire feet. I don't think either quite goes with my kitchen. Any suggestions for a round table that might work? I'm thinking at least 48", maybe as big as 60" in diameter.

I am definitely NOT a minimalist! In anything! A window is over my kitchen sink, there are a couple of folk art paper mache sculptures there, about 7 or 8 inches tall. A hen and rooster ceramic figurine that spent many years on my mother's kitchen window sill, a "Thank you Mom" mug my son gave me a couple of months ago, and some ivy cuttings rooting in a glass jar of water. I can see out, over these things, over the patio and into the back yard. The left portion of the sink has a dish drainer in it, there is one of those drying mats on the left counter, and the coffee pot is on that side, too. The end of the cabinet above the left counter has a wooden "A house is not a home without a dog" plaque my sister made for me many years ago. The right side is where I stack the dirty dishes after a meal. Farther over is a selection of often used various sizes of Ziplock plastic containers. The end of the upper cabinet on that side has a framed needlepoint sign, "Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most." Wa-a-a-a-y too cluttered for most of y'all! I can admire pictures of beautiful uncluttered kitchens (or any room), but I would not be comfortable or happy living in one. Different strokes for different folks, right? Rusty