Hi, all, - yes, we finally got some rain last nite here in my part of the world - thank goodness.... But unfortunately it appears the deer have invaded my front yards - and they've chomped just about everything they can - platycodon, lilies, you name it... I guess now I know what Chloe was having a fit at nite aobut (I thought she was just getting neurotic as soon as the bedroom lites went out, barking & running downstairs, & carrying on).... but she's not enough of a deterrent. Mary, have a nice time on your trip. Sounds like you and Kathy both have pleasant times ahead to count on. T- nice to hear from you - Im so sorry your little "chicks" are under the weather again - yikes, it makes me tired just to think of it. Sue -- Im sorry you're ill again -- the thought has occurred to me - do you think it could be shingles you're getting? (It popped into my head because a friend just got that -- I know a lot of times after some major stress on our bodies (i.e., operation, severe illness) those of us "eligible" for shingles come down with them... just a thought but you better get it checked out quickly. If it is, I think there are drugs that when taken early onset really make a difference to how severe the bout is. Sure hope you figure it out. That sure was disturbing w/ the Cops in your 'hood, uh? I've had it happen a time or two & it definitely ruins the sleep mode. Great to hear and see from you, Woody - I meant to remark on how lovely your shed has turned out - a little getaway in the woods look - really really charming. And it sounds like Charlotte is enjoying her stay w/ you just fine! Im soo tired -- but have to work late tonite & then go back to PA for some court/estate business on Monday - Im really hoping this will be the last weekend shot to heck for a while -- I can't tell you how horrible the inside and outside of the house is! And no time to shop -- getting really low on toilet paper at my house -- that shows how bad the shopping routine has gone to, LOL.... (McDonald's doesnt sell t.p. - what a shame, hehehe). Norma, great to hear from you as well - Im really missing the times after work to deadhead daylilies and things - I think the deer have done that for me so I dont even know what bloomed - it's breaking my heart this year! I hope your back has healed sufficiently for you now. Deanne -- great shots, as usual -- you'd never know you're missing that Tiger Eye in the driveway; it's still so lush and gorgeous looking -- it must be a full time job every day to keep up with all your containers but it shows - they are truly grand. Well, I better get to work here and hope I dont fall asleep at my desk. I am happy it's at least cooler here and we should enjoy a few days of great weather - I will only be able to grab tomorrow a.m. in the garden. O, p.s. -- Michelle -- I love the shots of your garden & Kenzie -- she's such a sweetie & rightfully is enjoying G'ma's wonderful garden. --Cindy

Those are very nice chairs, ML. I agree that they could go in the living room as easily as the dining room. I like the wavy "x" legs, especially. It gives them a little something extra. I have studied your diagrams and read your descriptions, finally. Ran around all day yesterday - went and got a Holter Monitor at the cardiologist's and then hit Salvation Army, where I got a sweet little bakers rack - solid metal, welded seams - for $35! Just needs a little 3M Rust Reformer. I think you have shown us the kitchen design before. I remember the sink across from the Bertazzoni, the big garden window, the baking area. I am not sure if you had the nice indentation there for the cook to have a safe zone, though. I do remember the sitting area outside the bedroom, though. It is neat to see the diagram of your home after all these years of seeing photos of little parts of it and imagining how it all fits together. The nosy neighbor, is he on the side with the clawfoot tub and your clothes closet? Is the new vestibule in the front new this time? I don't think I remember seeing that. I am also a bit surprised that you gave up on the storage/pantry units on either side of the window seats. I like your idea of base and wall cabinets with your favorite solid surface counter there, though. Does the table that you use in that space have extensions that you can use to fill the dining room if you have a large group? I am now struggling with an idea I have for my family room. We now have a nice (but huge) 1990s TV unit with the doors that slide out to shut the TV behind. Which I never do. The thing is 5 ft high, which is too high to place my gnome garden upon. I have my air plant garden up there, but it can hardly be seen. I want to ditch the furniture, get a larger wall-hung TV (old eyes can't see small print) and have a furniture piece that I can set things on and under. Craigslist had an beautiful console table for $230 that was under 2' deep at its smallest configuration that looked like a sofa table. It could be pulled out to 8' long! Yet it was only about 8" deep! I could set things on the floor underneath it, as well as on top. It did need a little restoration (it was from the 1930s), and I would not feel really comfortable putting a garden on it, as drips could happen. But since I made the entire kitchen into an island, I have no place for a table-height table, and thought I might want that option if I could ever talk DH into getting rid of the hunk o'oak that I once thought that I just had to have! I'd love to give it to someone to make into a nice play kitchen set like MamaGoose made! We could bring up dining chairs from the basement and have a sit-down meal if we wanted to. Currently, we eat at the island or sitting on family room furniture. I have a tea cart DH and I have used as a dining table, though. So I am imagining that you have the extending table that I wish I had! I hope that you are well by now, and that Marti is over her cold, too. I hear that both flu and colds are going around in Michigan, with Norovirus and RSV also hitting hard. We have been lucky, so far.

I agree you don't see many because the styles clash. The house you posted above is what I sometimes refer to as a builder show house... They built it to show clients how many different things they no how to do all on one project. This isn't the worst example... but look at all the things that don't quite go... There's brick, and stone, and shakes. One column looks like all brick base, and two look almost like stone base (can't tell for sure). There are windows with arched transoms. and windows with squared transoms. There are wooden truss looking beam features in each gable, but no other wood on the entire house. I don't know... its just kind of a mish mash for me. I'm sure someone smarter than me could find other oddities.

Well...I tried to explain up-post that it's not a simple solution to convert an existing non-habitable attic space to a habitable attice space at some future time. Again, two of many examples: 1. There will need to be a set of stairs added. Where will they go? 2. If the initial roof is economically framed with roof trusses, rather than more expensive rafters designed for proper head-room in the future, then a habitable attic may be simply impossible...unless the roof is removed, the trusses removed, and rafters added for a need roof. Good luck on your project!