Mom and Dad

So my wife and I are deep into the final decision-making process on The Great Kitchen Remodel of 2008 (hereafter referred to as the "GKR"), although our budget is, quite frankly, not so great. Which often makes the decisions that much harder.

The cabinets and countertops and a couple of new appliances will be ordered this week, but we're still stuck on backsplash issues and overall color themes and design for walls and accents. We're working with an Interior Design consultant recommended by good friends, but the basic issue here is that we've spent more than two decades living with hardly any design concepts at all, unless you count furnishing our kitchen in early American "It Was On Sale This Week."

Bonnie - my wife/better half/voice of common sense in my life - wants to feel like she's somewhere else when she walks into the kitchen. Like she's on a vacation. She wants to feel that if, at any moment, she glances out the window she's going to see a stretch of sand and water. Since she's the one who spends the most time in that room, we're striving to achieve that effect.

Your suggestions and ideas are, as always, welcomed. Once the GKR project begins and completes - should be by the end of the month - I'll post some "before" and "after" pics on my website.

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My mother finally admitted that she was never a very good housekeeper.

She told me the story of one night when my father got home from work, frustrated from a bad day and just looking for something to carp about and he walked into the kitchen and told Mom, "You know, dear, I can write my name in the dust on the mantel."

Mom turned to him, and instead of a harsh retort, she gave him a sweet, quick smile and a pat on the cheek, and said, "Well, darling, that's why I married a college graduate."

[Net 153s Smile A Day]

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WONDER for YOUR WEEK: [Classic] What do people in China call their good dishes?

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