We got our rain! Looks like a pretty good amount. Everything is thoroughly soaked. Amazing how much good the rain can do for plants. Glenda, You have had much cooler night temps then we have had. It has been in the high 90s during the day and high 80s at night. At 1 o'clock in the morning the temps would still be in the mid to upper 80s. Awful. Cameron, I am so sorry about your weather. I know the last time I flew to SC to see my daughter, I couldn't believe how brown everything was from Atlanta to SC. It was an olive green. I have never seen the South like that. The lakes were down really far and some almost dried up! I could see columns of smoke rising from the fires burning here and there all over. This must be the fourth or fifth year for you guys to be in drought conditions, huh? Man! We had a ten year drought and it was devastating. Nearly broke the banks because the farmers had no crops and the ranchers were having to sell off their livestock because there there was no hay to feed them. All the cattle ponds had dried up. This year, all the rain and precip. we got in winter and this spring really made the difference. The trees were able to get moisture further down in the ground, so the plants closer to the surface are not having to compete with them for whatever there is near the surface. I have had to water every day through this Heat Wave, but everything is doing pretty good, considering this early hot weather. The only exception being the veggie garden - insects ruined my cool weather crops. But even the areas further out where I never water look good. The garden phlox are the first to indicate drought. When they shrivel up, I know we are in drought. It's still very overcast and gray out, so we might get more rain. Hope this heat wave and drought ends for everyone... and moves on up to Washington where they could use a little heat and drying out. BTW, has anyone heard from MeMo lately. She blew out her knee(s?) trying to move plants and do things she shouldn't be doing by herself. She doesn't have one person to help her when or how she needs it the most. Wondering if she is in the hospital. Oh dear! I am just heartsick for her over her beautiful cottage garden plans. She worked so hard at designing it and digging those beds and her veggie garden. Then digging up her plants out on the ranch and transplanting them, mulching them, babying them along, only to be told it would all have to be dug out. And to make matters worse, this all happened right when the heat wave hit. Good grief! I would have been devastated. I worry about her. ~Annie

Thanks, Holiday-ers, for your comments & also for identifying the baby chicks as Lefton, Purplemoon & Jane! One chick had a tip broken off his toes & I just touched it up w/paint...but that's why the TS person told me that I get the pair for $3! :-O Big smile on my face when she said that! luvs...I've never heard about Jade plants & growing them outside before ... that was fun to hear you talk about them...amazing! frou...no wonder I liked that bulldog...you have great taste! magpie, slinkey, punk & nana...'dragonflies' remind me of summer & our little pond...so I hope I get a summer t'scape done to share sometime in June! DH & I are on overload right now trying to catch up (uncooperative weather) plus we do Farmer's Mrkt one morning each week...but we enjoy all of it! Jeanne S.

I have tile floors in my kitchen and I like them now but sometimes I wish I had gone with wood because I'm afraid that in a few more years the tile will look dated. I think that is a problem with tile. It dates fairly easily. I chose a slate look alike although it doesn't have as much variation as the slate in the above pictures. But, I think with tile regardless of what you pick it will date whereas wood is always classic. And, to me it seems like a huge effort to replace tile (although maybe I think it is a bigger deal than it is) I think wood with wood cabinets might be much though and would maybe choose painted cabinets over stained. Also, if you get the tile, I do highly recommend installing radiant floor heating if you can. It cost us a bundle for a hydronic system but it is so worth it in the winter when I walk in there in socks and can feel the heat on my feet! An electric system is much cheaper to install, but costs more to run so I guess it just depends on what system you will have in your home to begin with. Good luck!

I remember these photos too. Isn't the room on the right a dining room? I agree with oopsie, put the sofa between the two rooms and a sofa table to divide them. I'd definitely add more table lamps and an area rug for each room. If you don't use the other room as a DR, then you can do what I did with the large space in the back of our LR. We added a round area rug with a "game" table in the middle. It's not really a game table, but a small wooden dinette with two chairs, and I use that table all the time for projects.