Cathy, I adore your father. Ask him what day he wants to come with his chain saw at anywhere from 4 to 5 am and see how much noise we can make. And I would love any ferns you can spare to help replant what has been despoiled. I have asked several tree companies to come for an estimate of whether the trees that have been splintered and topped will survive and be healthy or should they just come down. But after last week's storms, it will two weeks before they can get to me. With those figures in hand I can proceed with the registered letters etc. I want to take these buttheads to court because ever siince they moved in, they have trampled my property. The easement that is the common driveway is 10 feet wide, but since the day they moved in they have driven off the side of the driveway and over my plants. When I complained they said I should not plant along side the driveway. They only stopped when I told them I was having tire spikes installed along side of the driveway and perhaps that woudld teach them to be able to stay on a 10-foot wide blacktop. One of them ran over the dog of the people who live next closer to the road than me on the driveway. What made me maddest was the wife saying she had talked to her insurance company and they said because the dog wasn't on a leash she wasn't responsible for the vet bills. I asked if she had told her insurance company that the dog was on its own property at the time (sleeping, not running into the path of the car. The driveway is an easement, not joint property). Not to mention the moral responsibility. They eventually paid the vet bills and the dog is ok today. These peole need a lesson and I think being dragged into court would be it. The wife (who handles things contracts with landscapers and tree companies) said she watched them go onto to my property and break up my trees and plants, but it was more important to have her trees taken down so she told them it was ok I would go after the tree company but the butthead neighbors will not provide the name of the company. One lawyer I talked to said that homeowners are also responsible for dangerous work done on their property and tree removal is considerd dangerous. And that their continued refusal to provide the name leaves them solely responsible. I'm thinking seriously about having a banner made to hang from my deck which is now clearly visible from their windows (despite their saying the big tree they took down had no leaves) that says something like Deadbeat despoilers live next door. I'm seriously considering putting in a fence and giving the neighborhood teenagers cans of spray paint to decorate the butthead neighbor's side.

Val, I'm glad you're going to see the rug and meet the seller. Please have Tryin' look at it, too, if you bring it home. There are too many unknowns when viewing a photograph, from a stranger, so any importance or unwarranted hesitation she places on you or questions you ask is silly. Is she worried you're looking for perfection? Esp since you've said she's been going back and forth on whether she wants to sell. I don't understand the remarks about ~who cares what condition it's in, if you love it~. Maybe there's undisclosed damage and she wants someone to just fall in love with it when they come out. I knew someone years back who had a villa-type house, dh an architect, and some of the old rugs were so tattered and worn. They were still very enjoyable though and the ambience in that house was awesome! Be sure to look the rug over completely, top and bottom, and list any defects or wear for you both to sign off on. That way, if you were to bring it back, she can't say -- oh, there's a spot here. (Remember she found one when on the floor with her grandchild.) I do agree that the rug works in your room, bringing a new look to the space (part of the fun of the finds!). Although I would have the pattern flowing towards the fireplace (leads to the focal and flows with point of entry) rather than sideways to the piano. Does it actually extend too far that way -- into the hall or something?

It's a really, really long story. And not really over yet. Thanks to the hard work of our forensic accountant, we had positive proof that SIL, her husband and another brother had taken money that they shouldn't have, and used it for their own benefit rather than MIL's. The prosecutor's office was involved at one point and wanted to prosecute SIL. Now, she definitely committed a criminal act, and part of me would have been more than happy to see her end up paying for that--but there was another part of me.... Our fathers were best friends as kids. I grew up knowing this family, thinking of them almost as cousins, and ended up marrying the BEST one of them. SIL has been my 'sister' since she was in 8th grade. Our daughters used to refer to themselves as "best cousins, best friends". How do you sit back and send someone you've been friends with for over 3 decades to jail? I took a stand and asked that the prosecutor drop the case. I know--there was good reason to go ahead, but I just couldn't do it. Now, obviously, someone who would steal like that, doesn't have enough to their name to return what they took, right? They spent every penny, near as I can tell. Well, the lawyers got together and came up with a decent solution. The 'outlaws' had been 'caring' for MIL--and getting paid to do so (there's a formula for that by law). So they had to agree to continue to care for MIL, without pay--for YEARS. Also, because they'd already claimed their inheritance, so to speak, if MIL dies leaving anything, they get almost nothing, with the lion's share of the estate going to my husband and his one brother that wasn't involved in the thefts. Now, fact is, they've had to 'repay' only a pittance of what they took. And there's every chance that what little is left in MIL's name will be used for her care--which is as it should be. Still, the thieves have pretty much had to admit what they did, and they know that we have proof in black and white. They've become very quiet. There's another thing we feel good about. My FIL died under very odd circumstances. I'm not saying they did anything to cause that--but there are questions, not the least of which involves the fact that they had him quickly cremated (this was a man who was adamant about NOT wanting to be cremated). Anyway, in the beginning of this journey, they were not getting MIL the medical care she deserved, and I feared that they were trying to make sure she wouldn't last too long. As things stand now, after the agreement our lawyer forged--and not to get into all the details of the situation--they're better off keeping her alive as long as possible. I truly believe that not only did we conserve some of her money, but we probably extended her life by fighting as we did. As I've mentioned--this has been a long involved situation. There are so many details I don't feel free to offer here. I don't feel we've won completely, but I do know that my MIL is better off than she'd have been if we'd done nothing. Unfortunately, we had no idea what was happening until it had reached a crisis situation--and really--who ever suspects those they love of stealing from their own mother? It hasn't been easy, and we've felt very alone at points--because no one wanted to help us, and the thieves went around telling horrendous lies about us to discredit us. What they couldn't do, though was erase the paper trail of stupidity they'd left behind, so in the end, there was no way for them to deny what they'd done. I would say this--if you even suspect in your family, that someone might be taking what doesn't belong to them? Get a good lawyer, and demand an accounting. If everything's fine--great. But don't wait. As soon as you intuit something's wrong, get on it. It's best to stop this sort of hemmoraging as quickly as possible. Unscrupulous people can do a lot of damage very quickly, unfortunately.

The problem with a sewing machine that sells for $20 or $30 new is that it doesn't have very many features and it can't be of very high quality. If the thing is hard to use, it will turn off your grand daughter (or anyone else) to sewing. If you have to fight the machine, you won't enjoy sewing on it. When a standard clean and adjust service at the local sewing machine dealer costs $60 to $80, would you ever bother to have a $20 sewing machine fixed? A couple of suggestions: Go down to your local sewing machine dealer and ask to see their used machines. Explain what you are buying and why and what your price point is. Depending on what is in the shop at the moment, they may have a used machine in your price range. See if they will include lessons for your grand daughter on how to use the machine. Depending on your dealer, they may also offer "how to sew" lessons. As far as inexpensive new machines for beginners, Janome has some models that are popular and generally get good reviews. The advantage of going to a dealer is that you can try out the machine and judge whether it is sturdy and easy to use. Your dealer will most likely provide some other services that you won't get buying online. They want you to come back to them for your next sewing machine or sewing tool purchase. OR, Buy online, there are some great deals. Avoid anything marketed as a toy machine or a child's machine. Check out AllBrands or other online vendors for machines in your price range. Of course, you won't be able to test them in person. Here are a couple of examples (I make no claims as to quality of individual models): http://www.allbrands.com/products/abp10221.html http://www.allbrands.com/products/abp03975-0120.html http://www.allbrands.com/products/abp09934-0120.html You can find reviews of specific model sewing machines at the Pattern Review website. CMC Here is a link that might be useful: Pattern Review