Um...is a cooker the same thing as a stove?  If you can swing it, maybe you would like a new one better.  I know I would!  When things are painted and spruced up, the old begins to look shabbier.  Still, maybe a good cleaning would do the job!

Are the pink flowers a creeping geranium?  We have some of those and they are indestrictible.  I have cut back, pulled up,and tried everything to get rid of the ones in my front bed, and all I have managed to do is to slow them down.   I don't mind a clump or two, but they don't like to share space with anything!  Husby and I have really tried to stay on top of them this year, so we'll see.

The patio set looks cute and practical!  Do you have an umbrella for it, too?  We have one for our set on the deck, but we have to keep taking it out because of winds, which is a pain.

Your place is going to look fabulous!

Hello and good morning from Iowa! I have been catching up with your site. Sounds like much is going on.  I love your patio set. Looks like a grand place to eat breakfast or would Bonnie and Clyde bother you too much as you tried to eat? My 3 cats would make their presence known but one is too fat to jump on the table.

I have had work done to our jolly little cottage and certainly disliked the mess but like you say it is worth it once it is over. All my walls are white.....I call it "no-decision white". Even then there are many differences in white as I have sadly found when I attempted to do some touching up.

My son surprised me when he arrived at the family reunion after his wife assured me they could not make it....what a wonderful surprise and she was so happy she tricked me. A delightful surprise indeed.

I have copied your happiness quotes and entered them in my journal. It is very hot here and we are running the a/c full blast. Very humid also. Hope you have a nice day today.

That is a lovely patio set and so practical.  We too have had much rain. Last weel we gpt 6 inches of ran, and yesterday we got one inch.  Combined with heat and humidity, it has not been comfortable.

I think you have picked great colors for your house.  I am sure it will be lovely when it is done.  In this house the microwave is above the cooker. It is both a microwave and an exhaust fan.  I find that to be very useful and spacesaving.  As for your cooker, I think your decision should be based on the current cooker's age and features.  New ones have wonderful features  Mine is electric and has a glass flat top which is so easy to clean.  The oven is self cleaning, a chore I have gladly given up!  The oven has a special rack that is devided in half.  If you have a number of things to put in the oven, for a holiday meal for example, and one of then is tall like a turkey, you can remove one half of the rack to make space for the tall food item, while still having a half rack for something else like rolls or a pudding.  I have been a bit overwhelmed by it, but I am getting on with it quite wellnow. 

As ever, Carol

Oh, Marie, when I read your quotes on taxes I thought you must have read my mind!! I blogged about taxes today!

I think you should get a new cooker. As for microwaves, you will find they are much cheaper than when you last bought one. One of the few things that have gotten cheaper. Your colours sound delightful and I wish I could come visit and see them!!