Cynthia, SO nice to finally hear from you. I was getting worried about and "that fool dog of your's". I can't even begin to contemplate how hard this must be. At least with Rex he still had 3 legs left to hop around on... and while he may've been sore for some time he could at least move around and shift position without yelping. I really would like to see a picture if you're up to shooting it and then posting it. Hang tough! I love candles in the windows of a home (pictures? look who's talkin'). The only reason I don't do it here is that there are windowboxes under the roadside window and I fill them with greens that would hide the candles. But when I was a kid we used them. And, MARTIE, we added one for every Sunday in Advent! All the decorations were left up until the Epiphany (Twelfth Night) and they came down the next day. I finished the 3 pediments this afternoon and put them up. I like them. But need to add something pale/bright to the lower edge to keeping them from "oozing" visually into the window below... . Shoulda bought more .99 lemons at Wallyworld, damnit. I have the big pediment on the dining room table right now and am about to embark on that. Boxwood is holding up, and I'm a whiz at making white pine swags now. :) (smells really good in here and the cats are having a total blast... in and out, in and out, doing their wonderful kitty routines. (thinking of Cynthia and the candles). Norma, your photographs are lovely (no "blurries" here, either)! I see a lot more color than just green grass in those shots. I love the way Mother Nature changes the palette over the course of the seasons but gives us the shimmer of rain and snow, instead. Martie, Kyle should be excited about his position. He must be having the time of his life. I'm a bit envious, frankly! :) I'm still struggling with how Mum's life ended, Martie. Not that I think I could have done more (aside from the ususal regrets you feel when someone you love dies), but there are several things I would love the opportunity to go back and "fine tune". I've thought about your question repeatedly over the past few days and still don't really have what I want to say completely figured out. It's such a huge thing to face and I still feel the full force of the wave that overtook me and hurled me onto the beach. I'm still shaking my head and trying to "collect myself"; checking again and again to make sure "everything is here". A good, family plan is the perfect place to start and having the doctor know you is KEY. IF you're able, make sure your Mom's doctor "follows" her if she ends up living with her children or enters a nursing home. That's one of the things I most regret... I loved her doctor when she was with me. He was young, hip, and all about minimizing medications and keeping her ACTIVE. I deeply regret the loss of that when Mum entered that awful place. Many, many thoughts and reminiscences today... alone with my thoughts, the animals and my final project (helmeet working AND going out with his buddy tonight). Some tears, a lot of "singing along", and the appreciation that the decorations are really ALL Mum. I learned it somewhere, afterall! Thinking of my friends tonight and still hoping for some basic pointers on how to "light" a basic TECHINICAL shot with my camera. Please? (MY tent would have a perpetually warm hot water bottle, blue cheese and pate. A cat, a good biography... want to know more about Martin Luther and Abraham Lincoln. Sparkling water with lemon, and Pinot Grigio or a nice red wine. Clementines, olives, and almonds. It would smell like evergreens, too).

Pat, you can use fresh herbs in just about any recipe that you would use dried herbs in. Some fresh herbs though are added at the end of cooking. Especially something like basil. I like to add a handful or two of fresh basil to a quick tomato, garlic pasta sauce. And you can use fresh basil and fresh oregano in salads. Greek Italian Recipes using fresh Oregano: Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Tomato - Oregano Tarts ====================== Source: Roger Verges Vegetables 1 lb very ripe tomatoes 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 clove of garlic Salt and pepper 1 slice of bread 1/2 lb puff pastry 2 Tablespoons or Capers or 4 oz black olives (Nicoise or Kalamata) - pitted 6 oregano sprigs . Peel and seed tomatoes. Chop coarsely. Put olive oil into a sauce pan or skillet heat, add tomatoes, minced garli and salt and pepper to taste and saute for 7 to 8 minutes. Trim crusts from bread and process into crumbs. Mix crumbs with 2 oregano sprigs. Add to Tomato mixture. Set Aside. Roll puff pastry into a generous 12 inch square. Place on a chilled baking sheet. (may also be made into 4 six inch circles, use a tart ring or plate as a template and cut out) Prick pastry all over, leaving 1/2 inch border unpricked. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and spread a layer of tomato mixture and sprinkle with capers or olives. Return to the oven and bake an additional 8 minutes. If serving as a first course, allow one per person. Or cut the large tart into small squares and serve as an appetizer in the living room. Garnish with sprig of oregano. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Green Bean, Zucchini and Potato Stew (Fassolakia Iadera ======================================================= Adapted from: Krinos Foods (The original recipe called for a large can of tomatoes and did not include garlic or oregano.) Green Bean, Zucchini and Potato Stew (Fassolakia Iadera)This is a traditional vegetable mixture that is often eaten cold, accompanied by hunks of country bread and feta cheese . 1/4 cup olive oil 1 cup chopped onion 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed, halved crosswise 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 8 ounces zucchini, cut into 1-inch-thick slices 8 ounces russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes 3/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh oregano chopped (or dried) 1 14 ounce can of Italian-style tomatoes, chopped. 1/2 cup chicken broth . Heat oil in heavy large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes.Add Garlic and green beans and sauté until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini, potatoes, cayenne pepper, parsley and oregano. Pour tomatoes and their juices over vegetables. Add chicken broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, stirring frequently, about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Can be prepared 1 day ahead -- cover and refrigerate. Serve warm or at room temperature. 6 To 8 Servings

Thank you all for the feedback, especially bmorepanic for the plan! If we decide to go with an island plan, we will definitely use the north wall rather than the south wall. I think a common comment was about the play area not being necessary. It would be our long-term plan to turn the "play area" into a study area with desks in the future. @kaismom - Thanks for the tip about getting the cabinets now to ensure that they match, we will certainly do that, if that's what the space is used for. The area we had labelled as the play area was previously the eating nook. I should also note that you can see into the family area from the former nook area, as the wall has an opening about four feet up so the family room is not really private at all. My husband actually grew up in this house (buying it from my parents who want to downsize). There is a rec room upstairs to spend time when the kids want to stay away from the parents. That room will still be up there as a rec space and was used as a computer area also. There is also another computer area as my husband is a consultant that works at home and thus will have a room dedicated to his home office upstairs. The reason we like having the dining room table on the west side is because it can be extended to seat six on that side (12' across even with the angled wall) and there is space in the living room for an additional table or two if necessary if we want to entertain (the room is about 15 x 30 - not measured, guessing). As suggested, we would likely use the room for a large folding table when we want to host events. Also, we feel that having this setup would encourage us to use the living room more often as the room has vaulted ceilings and nice large windows. The room wasn't used very often previously as the dining room and family room were only used when entertaining guests (which I guess doesn't seem that uncommon in all honesty). There is a large walk in pantry (with a slanted roof under the stairs) whose entry is just to the left of the north-west door. Not sure if we'd miss having a pantry in the kitchen but there is a lot of space to leaving things in that room which is the plan for now. We toyed with the idea of building access to the room directly from the kitchen but realized that the angle of the roof line would not accommodate access a door from the kitchen very well (there are stairs going up which run parallel to the kitchen wall from east to west). Nobody in the family currently plays music, historically there has been a piano in the living room but if it was played, you could hear the piano throughout the house except in the family room. Thanks again!

Sure! I wish I had a picture to send, and a scanner to send it with! Sorry, you will have to use your imagination but I can assure you that it's quite simple. Just go to the craft store and look for embelleshments. I like all kinds of beads, be it glass or wooden, but there are so many different things you could attach. And as far as the wire goes, a local home improvement store should sell all kinds. I've even used a thin, copper wire that looked nice. And don't forget about paint. You could paint the cage any color using Krylon paint suitable for metal. I need to work on getting a scanner hooked up, as I have so many pics I'd like to post. Maybe if I wasn't so busy growing plants and doing craft projects I'd get it done, lol! Well, give it a go and let me know how it turns out. Have fun!