"Actually eric it is well proven, people with a warm fuzzy outlook has less medical problems and heal quicker" What I was referring to was evidence that "positive thinking" doesn't necessarily help you to live longer, and advice to think warm sunshiny thoughts actually puts pressure on some patients who are made to feel responsible for being sick. "'The take-home message from this study is that..."It does not provide significant evidence that (group therapy and positive attitudes) helps (patients with breast cancer) live longer.' Reaction from those in the cancer care community include some who say these latest findings raise doubts about the mind-body connection -- the idea that a good result is only possible with a positive attitude. And Holland said that attitude can be hard to come by for a patient dealing with cancer treatments. "I've had one patient who tells me that if one more person tells me to be positive I'm going to punch them in the nose. 'I've had enough of this positive business. I don't feel good today. Enough already,'" Holland explained. For Jan Kuba, who underwent chemotherapy, radiation and radical surgery, the idea that her attitude would affect the outcome presented unwelcome pressure. "I think, "Oh, those few times that I felt a little bit down, they're the ones that are going to kill me," Kuba said." The researcher that conducted this study acknowledged that group therapy might contribute to a better quality of life for breast cancer patients...but not a longer lifespan. oakleif, if you'd take your own advice and show a warmer fuzzier side (or at least stop the personal attacks and pointless insults), it might enhance qualify of life for yourself and for others visiting this forum.

Thank you for the ideas and sympathy. I could actually go to LA--the trip would cost less than the markup. I was thinking that since they are based in LA, they must have lots of dealers in the area. But maybe they are their own dealer there? I'll have to look into it. Come to think of it, I have an old friend in LA.... I was also thinking about having my mom order it for me. But she is elderly, and might not really be up to the task. I wonder if it would be as easy as UPS delivering the hood, and then at the same time, picking up the hood for a new delivery to me. She's on the East Coast--what a trek that hood would make! But f she had to actually move the hood herself, then I'm not sure it would work. I hate to inconvenience anyone. It isn't my nature. I'm one of those, "No, no, I can do it myself" *struggle gasp gasp struggle*" It feels embarrassing to ask for too much help. I've searched for other hoods, thinking I could have a stainless one painted white (an idea from a GW'er), but I just can't find one with the right shape. Those MA curves perfectly match the curves on my stove. I'll try to focus my motivation on the fact that my house always smells like a combination of food, and fumes from my vintage stove, since we've got no hood. Thanks again! :-) francy

With not much experience growing herbs i agree it is best to pot the mint. And keep the 'runners' that reach out of your pot from touching the ground...they will grab the soil and put out roots in a mater of days. Just cut or pinch off and use those cuttings. The basil could be potted as well. It needs all day sun or at least the most sunny spot you have. It likes a sandy, well drained soil. Does not like to be too wet or slogged. Potting it will allow you to move it if needed as the sun moves toward winter and makes it easier to bring it indoors...it likes full all day southern exposure and will thrive in a window. Oregano is very tolerant and will grow easily once established. Like sage it will keep contained all on its own and become a small shrub. Mine come up every year without talking to it. (both freeze well) And drying is an option. I use my food saver for most thick-leaf herbs. pureed with olive oil and frozen in cubes for tender-leaf ones. My gardens are not tamed per-say. I like a bit rustic, but i have been organic gardening for many years and know individual needs by experience. I've made plenty of garden 'fouls' but some happy accidents. My mints are running wild but in spots that i don't mind...and when they miss-behave and start to crawl, i mow them back. They have become a companion to my groundcovers in heavy clay soil. The GW herb forum is a fun place to stop by. Especially if you get the gardening 'bug'. : ) -herbs are much different fresh. Use less, experiment. They can overpower and make a sauce taste like a bottle of perfume. Yet so good in summer italian dishes when used sparingly.

My GC destroyed our house, so he was fired before his drywall subs could even start. He had his own employees - THEY were the IDIOTS who detroyed the framing, roofing and siding. He told us on day one that the actual electrician would run the wiring - WRONG! His morons did it and then I had to learn all about electric and fix it! We had to then hire our own electrician. Well, next time we are going with the higher bid from the company we know is reliable. The guy we hired was nice (at first)- and his bid was about $5,000 to map out the wiring the morons did, inspect it, have the electric inspector approve it and then hook it up and get final inspection. The highest bid for all new wiring was around $7,500. Well, that turned into "Oh, you wanted THAT?" YES! Do you not comprehend English? And on and on. In the end it cost us over $8,000 just for the electric, and I actually did the re-wiring (the original MORONS NAILED through the wires!) Then, AFTER the final inspection, the electrician came back because some breakers were recalled. When the guy was there he looked and said "Oh look, your breaker box (in the basement) has rust - it looks like water is getting in along the main line from the outside. You need a NEW breaker box and breakers. I'll get back to you with a quote." He wanted over $2,300. So, it just so happened that an electrician just purchased the old building my mother used to work in, and she stopped by to see how they liked it. She explained the situation, the guy came out and said "You do NOT need a new box. There is only a little rust. I'll clean it all up, replace any corroded breakers, clean and re-seal the main cable on the outside for $700. If you want a new box for added capacity you can do it later." DEAL! In and out in a few hours, two very nice guys. Not like the other electricians who thought they were God's Gift! We had to hire someone to rip down and replace all the cedar shakes. The original MORONS installed it with no double-course on the bottom and GAPS showing Tyvek behind the shakes. We found a local high-end GC who does almost all cedar. Yes, the bid included a few hundred extra dollars per day for the GC's "time" (he didn't do any work), but his cedar subs were true artists who usually do high-end work on the water. What a DREAM! They were very nice, one guy LOVED that my house has the old ship-lap plank sheathing, they replaced the Tyvek with tar paper (NEVER use Tyvek behind REAL wood siding), installed all the new (properly sized special order 24" tall) shakes in 3-4 days. They even left us the $2,000 worth of 18"h shakes that were ripped down to use as kindling in our wood stove. Normally they take them because they all heat with wood too ;) The GC even offered to give me cedar scraps in the future if we ever need them (that won't be for a few years though ;) -- Dianalo, just before the new electricans arrived (the rip-off guys), the ONE available outlet in our kitchen died. So yes, they replaced it the day they mapped the wiring. It cost a few HUNDRED dollars for that ONE outlet with new line to the box (a short, clean run). Had we just called in a local electrician for an hour it would have cost maybe $100 for an hour's work. I do not understand how your GC added an upcharge to items that YOU purchased?!?! Even my original GC told us "Buy your own light fixtures - make sure they are here by this date." The electricians charged $300 for each ceiling fan install, and $100 for each recessed light. If I had realized how BAD recessed lights with CFLs would light the rooms I could have saved $1,400 and put that towards the expensive sconces and pendants that match my triple-pendant and gotten 10x the amount of light in the room. Oh yeah, they wanted to charge $10 for each CFL lightbulb! We bought our own - this made them REALLY MAD! They claimed that customers NEVER buy their own bulbs! What? That is INSANE! -- Oh yeah, we hired our own drywallers. The GC was charging a few thousand. The bid was only $700 for labor - we already purchased the drywall because my brother's friend was going to do it (but he screwed up the insulation and I had to fix it, so that idea went down the drain). $700 sounds cheap, but it took only 1-1/2 full days, the other days they came between other jobs. I think it looks like crap, but I did some research (when deciding on paint sheen for the ceiling) and it turns out modern crappy drywall / spackling is NORMAL! I am SO glad I live in an old house with 1" thick plaster walls with smooth-as-butter like a baby's bottom finish. I had to fix a cracked ceiling (WORST experience - threw out my back for 2 weeks), but once I hit the original plaster under the gazillions of layers of paint I couldn't BELIEVE how SMOOTH and PERFECT it was. And someone did it all by hand! Oh yeah, people think that new construction has crown moulding as an "added value." That's BONK! It's because the framing and drywalling is so bad! You NEED crown moulding to hide the wavy line between the wall and ceiling. I haven't done mine yet because the cost of lumber has skyrocketed and the wood just to make the trim around my patio doors cost over $200. All I can say is Thank God I already do my own custom trim - there are SO MANY screw-ups that need to be hidden. The original MORONS cut the first plank of wood flooring between the dining room and the new kitchen. I looked at it and SCREAMED "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!" They said "Aren't you going to replace that old floor?" WHAT?!?! I said "Are you CRAZY? That is ANTIQUE FIR! WHY would I rip that out and replace it?!" Cutting the flooring and installing a wide decorative strip between the two rooms is the job I am dreading most. That is the one thing I truly fear I can screw up, but I don't trust anyone else after all I've been through. Having to engineer and build new beams and collar ties and figuring out 3 different mitres and bevels to shore-up the roof so the original front roof doesn't collapse is nothing compared to facing that floor!