I can believe that it's National Mail Order Gardening month. The catalogs are pouring in. However, the trade organization of organizational products is obviously not on the ball. Nowhere in your list did I see a National Organize Your Life week although that's all I've seen advertised in the newspaper circulars for the past few days.

Thanks for all your hard work Karen! Can't wait to read it in its entirety. Jodi-

From OP: "She pointed to the table and chairs and I went to speak and noticed a bassinet in the corner of the kitchen. I immediately lowered my voice, apologized if I was too loud and sat down. I asked "Babysitting the Grands today?" She walked toward the bassinet and with her finger motioned me to come over. Soon as I got to the bassinet she put her index finger to her lips and did the 'ssshhhh' very quietly. She pulled the blanket away and told me she wasn't babysitting but his was her baby, Joey and that Joey's sister was napping in the other room. Long story a bit shorter --- she showed me Joey's sister, dressed in a really soft, fluffy sleeper, sucking on a pacifier." This is a person blurring reality and her "collection" You don't have to be quite (finger to lips shhhh) if they're dolls. Bread, wine bottles and grapes are not exclusive to vinyards. In fact I have all three here in my little rental hovel and normally have all three in my own home, and we don't grow grapes. We have friends who do own a vinyard, and gosh darn it, they have the same three items in their home. Now to blur reality with fantasy you would need to offer your guess a slice of plastic bread, or maybe sniff the air and wax poetic over the scent of the plastic bread, but just having it sit around isn't blurring reality. Much like doll collectors who have dolls on display. They are enjoying the beauty of the dolls. If they then take them down and have a tea party with them (and they're over the age of say 12) they're having some issues with reality. Now off subject...Organic...DANG YOU!!! Did you beat me to something? :oP I have two of the lovely chocolate ribbed coverlets for my master bedroom. I love them...but must admit, the cats do too and they're getting furry :( I'm going to have to buy something else (but it will be seffra! cuz you've ruined me for anything else). Now I'm going to go talk to my sheets! :oP Back to your regular (goofy) programing ladies!

Dear Sheainli, I was actually hoping this thread, as well as the other recent one regarding my experience with M. Texiera, would have been exhausted and off the rotation by now. Then, lo and behold! I see you just joined the GW community today and, in your first act of sharing comments with this group, you have chosen to tell us on both of these threads about your wonderful experience with Texiera. What a coincidence! Forgive me if I sound a bit wary of the timing and circumstances of your introductory comments to this forum. OTOH, I do not wish to adopt the style of Roger Teixiera and unfairly accuse anyone of dirty motives in posting here. Therefore, in the event you are truly a new member to this community who has unwittingly jumped into the fray, and who intends to stay around and share your remodel experience with us all the way through, then please let me be among the first to welcome you here. Really. At the same time, Sheanli, I think your post does open the door for me to make some final, hopefully closing comments on this entire debacle. As I've tried to say, in numerous times and in numerous ways, I've never doubted the rave reviews of M. Texiera which have dominated these boards for years. Indeed, had it not been for so many satisfied M. Texiera customers who have posted about those experiences here, I might never have ever wound up at that company looking to buy soapstone in the first place. A business does not get a glowing reputation in a forum community such as this because it's a lousy place to do business! I get that and I don't begrudge anyone their wonderful experience with M. Texiera. I only wish that same story could have been mine. But, sadly, it's NOT my story! Instead, I entered the doors of M. Teixiera with a consumer anticipation and excitement that was beyond measure. And, I was greeted by Michelle, Leo and other employees with professionalism and warmth. However, after only after my asking some pretty basic questions on the specifics,Roger Texiera ordered the quote and contract to me to be dismissed. Further, he withdrew the contract offer on the basis of an untruth which, despite my refutations, he refused to discuss. From what I've seen of some of the comments to this thread, not everyone would have been upset by Roger Teixiera's behavior. However, my truth is, (which is the bottom point of this thread after all) by the time my last futile effort to do business with M. Teixiera was rejected, I felt erased. And, no, I don't like the feeling of erasure. Not one bit. For once and for all, let me also make it clear that I did not initiate this thread in order to "get" M. Texiera or to try to take down that business! Let's be real. I'm a single, older female consumer who had one bad experience with the company. How is it even conceivable that someone like me has the means to cause harm to a mega-business in the North American soapstone industry that more likely than not has a profit statement that runs in the millions? I don't. OTOH, and despite all the wonderful experiences so many have had with M. Teixiera, I just can't make the same claim. Thus, when members of the community have solicited member opinions of the company, I've tried to offer my minority viewpoint in a non-dramatic way. In fact, for a long time, I would just state simply online that my experience at the quote state was not good and, occasionally, I would offer alternative vendors as a suggestion. Even less frequently, I would share details of my negative experience with selected members in private, offline. Nevertheless, every single time I would attempt to exercise my right to say that my experience with the company had not been a good one, Roger Texiera would come onto these boards to attack my character and to suggest he was the world's greatest business person with the most wonderful of customer skills. After his last attempt at that (which appears in the thread you chose to resurrect with complimentary comments off the back pages of the Forum today) I had finally had it. For me it was high time to accede to Roger's demand that I publicly tell all the specifics of my issue with his company and to counter his accusations against me of a nefarious plot to do harm. I say all that to say that this thread is about my story! And I'd like to tell it without having my character assaulted and diminished as one who is "ignorant", "a PITA" or "not worth it." Frankly, I'd also prefer not to see this thread become a platform for all those who are anxious to say they had a good experience with Teixiera. That's the majority story after all and there have been plenty of threads in which to do that in the past; surely there will be more opportunities to crow about the company in the days ahead. Bottom line: if you're happy with the experience you've had with M. Texiera, good for you! The past few days of spilling the beans about my bad experience will not change that. AFAIK, Roger Teixiera is still the soapstone king. Finally, I did want to come back here just to thank those of you who really do "get" why I wrote this thread in the first place. To see and read all your comments of support has been truly uplifting. Yes, it's been cathartic to get this matter off my chest for once and for all. But, even better, it's been a blessing to finally be heard, respected and encouraged on this matter by a community I've grown to love dearly. A feeling of erasure has been replaced by a feeling of affirmation and support. And, in the process, I'm reminded that "I get by with a little help from my friends." :-) Thank you GW friends!