Oh trust me, it bugs me, but if the alternative is having this idiot rip out the tub and try to install a new one, forget it. I just want him and his merry band of morons out of my house. The original gouge was less than 1/2 an inch long, so if he had just filled it in, I probably wouldn't have noticed that the filler color was slightly off. I have NO idea why he decided to leave a huge patch of stuff on the completely undamaged surrounding areas, and basically what I would like to accomplish with sanding is to remove the unnecessary area of the patch and just leave it in the actual gouge. I'm a little concerned that they may have gouged the tub further to try to repair it, thus resulting in a larger patch - but there's no way to find that out other than removing some of the patch. Anyway, I guess I will just see what the contractor thinks he can do to make it look better and if that's not satisfactory, I'll find myself an expert.

The Man Who Watched Trains Go by - Georges Simenon

I agree with looking at the Newbery list (not just the award winners, but the honor books as well). It contains a diverse range of books that should appeal to this age group. I'd also like to recommend Michael Ende's The Neverending Story if your son hasn't read it yet. It's classic fantasy, IMO, and can be read on different levels -- overall, a very transcendent piece of literature. I've recently discovered Nancy Farmer's books, too, and am a big fan of hers. Sea of Trolls has a boy protagonist and would make a nice tie-in for learning about Norse mythology. John Bellairs' Lewis Barnavelt or Johnny Dixon books are good for the age 9-12 range (sort of creepy, gothic mysteries for kids). I enjoyed them as a kid (and they are fun, nostalgic reads for adults, as well).

Hello Xtal, Thank you for your suggestions and feedback! And Roselee, thank you for sharing this. :) I wholeheartedly agree that the facade looks too new (I call it cartoonish). I'm not a fan of the stone that was selected and agree that if it had an older look it might blend in a little more. The original owner later added an enclosed courtyard to the side. I'm assuming he was unable to source the original stone because he used a completely different one. I prefer the look of that stone over the main house. He also added an arrow slit. :) Our "moat" is functional as it has french drains. I love the idea of planting Cypress trees between the windows but I'm afraid of the roots impeding drainage later on. I did plant a Brakelights Red Yucca in the center as well as three evenly spaced Pride of Barbados seedlings I grew on each side. The walls are so boring and I'm hoping the contrast of the reds and oranges give it some interest. I have thought about planting creeping fig under the turrets to help age it but I'm a bit gun shy after reading horror stories of ivy gone bad. I do love the look of it. Turret where I would plant the creeping fig (please ignore the impulse buy plants hiding along the wall, they are in pots): It's funny you mention using ponyfoot in the fountain. I had originally planted that but the deer kept it chewed down to stubs or would uproot the entire plant. I finally caved and planted Woolly Stemodia which they ignore. The Silver Ponyfoot is now coming back! I'd prefer the Ponyfoot but I'm afraid if I take out the Stemodia, the deer will return. I would love to see the green and silver Dichondra blowing in the wind. If you look closely, you'll see the ponyfoot mixed in with the Woolly Stemodia: Here's a closer up distorted pano of the house that shows the moat area a little better: I may seriously consider the creeping fig up the walls/turrets to help age it a bit. I have also considered repainting the window trim and the parapet walls (I think that's what you call the top?). Here's an overly adjusted realtor picture from when we bought the house. I kind of like the darker top... Ok, enough distraction and daydreaming! I need to gear up and get back out there while the weather is so nice. Thanks again for your observations! It really helps to hear honest feedback, opinions and ideas that could help me achieve the look I'm desiring. Take care - Joanna