Bumblebeez- "I will admit that I hate the heat. 4 more months of this, yuck." You took the words right out of my mouth! It's a relief to know someone else feels that way! It seems almost unbelievable to most that there are people who don't really care for summer. I find summer to be neither lazy nor crazy, just kind of hazy! I like to go out early too--to do yard work, and run errands. Was out at 6:30 A.M. today to rake, water and tidy up. (Went out yesterday afternoon around 5:00 for an hour and almost passed out!) Got a solid hour of work done and really enjoyed being outside as the temp & humidity was fairly mild and low. Then all the "worms" came out...people walking (and talking!) I do enjoy talking to these people, and enjoy visiting with their dogs as well, but then I didn't get much done the remaining hour I was out. After 9:00, certainly 10:00, I can't work in the direct sun. I may try to go out again after 5:00. There's a finite period during which I can get things done outdoors during summer. Your idea of a trip to the beach in November sounds nice! People are expecting me at the neighborhood picnic this weekend. Eating outside in the noon-day sun when it's in the 90's is not my idea of a good time. I told one neighbor, "If they'd just have this thing in December, I'd love to go." She looked at me like I'd turned green and sprouted horns. I'm such a grouch. The "Grinch who stole summer!"

Hi Ladies...and Gents that may read. Am I done? Short answer: No. I haven't had time and now the weather's nice, we've had to focus on getting our landscape going. Grass is coming...now next week. It's been push and shove for months. Plans are being executed because of necessity andtiming, but not for the cabinets...yet. WELL...they are stripped, just needing detail. I did get that done before the pollen blew in here. Then we almost lost my mother and father in separate crisis. Three months of hospitalization and recovery. I'm sure you can imagine.... Then...a close family friend that is 76 had two critial emergency brain surgeries due to newly found, fast growing growths in his head. (He's the father of a guy I probably should have married.) So, he's like family. He lives here and I try to stop in to see him regularly. He's now having seizures, can't live alone, his wife died last August recovering from a horrible broken foot. What happened? She got infectious diarrhea while in a rehabilitation center. On top of getting the results of the lawsuit that I won in name only, we've had another HUGE expensive crisis. The thread below will let you in on this mess. Bottom line, we had bugs in our trees...so many bugs trees were dying left and right. We held off on our landscaping until we found out what was wrong. I was so wrapped up in the cabinet lawsuit that I didn't focus on the trees until around Christmas. We started noticing new piles of sawdust at the base of our trees and I posted on Garden Web about this phenomenom. A guy that works for the Florida Division of Forestry, Forest Health Section is a forum member and ended up coming to our home to help identify our "problems". He took specimens to the entomologists at the state lab during several visits. Turned out at the time, at least 12~15 trees were bonifide dead. With all of the hurricanes here, we made the very expensive decision to take down about 60 trees around our house and site. TOTAL wipeout, except for the perimeter of the lot. We have been focusing on new trees, landscaping, had a hot tub built, paver patio put in. (Another story there.) And...then last Friday, my son washed clothes around 1 AM. I don't know how it happened, but the drain hose came out of the drain pipe and FLOODED my laundry room, wood floors, MBR closet, under my stairs and part of my bedroom carpet. I had to of course pull up carpeting, dry it, etc. As I type, my entire closet contents are in my foyer. I'm depressed as all get out. I have company supposedly coming this weekend and we've diverted them to a hotel. I'm to the the point of who gives a care anymore? It's been so stressful around here with just 'life'...then add a 25.5 year old and a 20 year old that needs her chain yanked into the mix....finishing only half of her classes all year in college. My son has been given 30 days to find a place because his room is DISGUSTING..and the 20 year old may be right behind him. He's apartment hunting as I type. My 13 year old daughter is blossoming and "spotting" for the first time...so I'll have more hormones in the mix shortly. My 14 year old made the high school drumline and is ECSTATIC. Their drumline is coached by the D-Line Drummers for the Jacksonville Jaquars and are AWESOME. Band will keep him busy all summer...and the next four years. OH...and remember the PERV-y, weird single neighbor that is enamored/fascinated with our 13 year old daughter...and other neighbor's little girls that are younger? Well, he is absolutely getting his credentials to teach in our county school system! Would you believe he was so BOLD and STUPID to chose my daughter's elementary to "observe"? Would you also believe that out of ALL of the classrooms in this county, he chose HER classroom to "observe" as part of one of his courses in college!!! This guy is 48, was in the AF for 11 years, Master's Degree...and lives three doors down. Early in the school year I had the bus stop changed, take my daughter to the bus stop every day so she doesn't have to speak to this guy, AND have had to call the police because he kept trespassing and hanging around and I wanted in on record of his fixation with her. (there's more to this story...) ANYWAY...Two weeks ago, when I heard he was in HER CLASS ROOM, I had a conniption fit with the Principal because THIS was the SAME GUY I warned her about early in the year. She told me that she didn't realize it or STOP him if he had the right paperwork from his college professor. I told her that this is not some college kid, he's a MAN, on a MISSION, and he's EXECUTING THAT MISSION. He has a MASTER;s degree and has a fixation on my daughter that he is not shy about. He scares the heck out of her and us and IF he wasn't out of her presence, then I am going to take legal action because MY daughter has a right to be in the classroom...he can go to another school. They got him out of her class rooms (she changes classes), but he's SICK. He's CREEPY. AND of ALL of the classrooms in our county, do you think for one minute that it was by ACCIDENT that he ended up in her room, out in some PORTABLE CLASSROOM at the far end of the school property? Uh, no. It is NO accident. He's up to something. Anyway, school will be out her in a few weeks and she'll go to another school next year. IF he ends up at the junior high, then she's out of there. I don't know what I'll do, but she will NOT be going to ANY school where he will be working. She's a tiny thing and lovely. He's even told her, "You're so exotic looking and beautiful...." as he just openly gazes at her. It's the WIERDEST thing. Even my older son said, "Man, give it a rest or leave!" Gives us all the willies. So, every week or so, I check out the site. I have been spinning my wheels, accomplishing little. I appreciate you remembering me and hope to now have my cabinets completed by my anniversary: JULY 1st. I hope. =0) Now, if I could only lose this weight, too. Here is a link that might be useful: My Trees Are being ATTACKED!! Thread

Hi all! I am so grateful for all your comments. We had this house built 19 yrs ago. I am 55 & just retired from teaching. My husband is in county politics, so we plan on being here awhile. Our son is grown & the house is too big for the two of us, but to sell & buy smaller what we want would be about the same money. I figure this is my last kitchen so I need to do it up right. The cabinets will be good quality for around here. Custom made by a popular area cabinetmaker, or a small company in the next county. Kitchen Jewels from Jasper, IN--anyone heard of them? Someone asked--our appliances are GE Profile. WE went to the local Parade of Homes today & every house we saw was dark cabinets, dark counters, & dark or SS appliances. Now I'm not sure I like that look all put together. Our kitchen is fairly small with one over the sink window. It opens completely into the dining room & it opens into a sunroom. (I found out later why the saleslady wanted me to order the pink chairs--she wanted to see them to see if she wanted them in her house!! She could have had mine!) I won't mind the cleaning of the black granite. I would wipe down my counters anyway. Some of you said my appliances will be wearing out soon. Not the stove--it is never used. I am a non-cook. Hate to cook. That may get me kicked off this forum with my very first post!

If your daughter decides to change the drawer pulls, there is a website and catalog called Van Dykes Restorers. They have heaps of cabinet hardware and you can even search by 'boring size' which means the holes will match up. And hey, Newhomebuilder, you kindly answered a previous post of mine about Decatur Buff, and now, thanks to you and a few other lovely folks here, we will be using that color for our living/dining room. I've viewed the gorgeous photos of your home so often that I feel like a stalker, even moved them to my desktop. Can't wait to cover up the ten gallons of the BM Honeymoon mistake with Decatur Buff. http://www.vandykes.com/