I agree with you Bushlady. Read those letters when you have a little more time. I love doing that.

Happy to report the second project (part of it) is done. Just have some gluing on beads and then that will be done. Gathered up the next project in stitching. Have two flosses to pick up, but can work around it.

Diana, I'm curious about your projects. I bet they are something really pretty!

Having the glue gun out today reminded me that I made two pomanders but never got around to decorating them, and they need some ribbon, and lace perhaps. There's another little job for me to do. Perhaps that can be a reward job.

Goal accomplished: All Work Records and report cards went out in today's mail. Weight lifted off my shoulders - for a day or so at least.

This evening when DD and I were driving up to the house after her class in town, I was just dreading getting out of the car and going inside. I don't like that feeling. I want to be happy to be home. But, it's just SO cold in this house. We have closed everything off and are sleeping on the couches in the living room by the fireplace to keep warm at night. I just am doing everything I can to not have to buy more propane. This morning it was 46 degrees INSIDE. I don't like that!

I'm thinking of what to keep and what to get rid of in regards to furniture for our "new" home. Since it only has two bedrooms and DD and I rarely use the dining table for "dining", I'm seriously thinking of not taking it with us and using the "dining area" as my office/craft area instead. Would that be weird? There is a long counter in the kitchen which we can use stools at for eating or use the coffee table in the living area. I'm thinking of offering the dining set to DS. I'd rather not sell it, but keep it in the family as it was a Mother's Day gift to me from R many years ago. I just don't think we're going to have the room for it in the condo.

Carol, you can re-purpose any room you like to suit your needs and lifestyle. Our 'dining' rm is an office Monday - Saturday. Sunday from about 5:00 the table is set and until about 9:00 PM it's for Sunday night dinner with family and friends. We often have dessert and coffee in the living rm so when dishes are done, the cloth removed, the table is more credenzda-like, the roll top desk [aka dining rm server] slides up etc.

The 4th bdrm is my office with two walls of bookcases and only a daybed/lounger. No one sleeps in that room, not even conducive to nap but great to read from since the lighting is terrific.

We have a 'family rm' adjacent to the kitchen, at least it's used as a family rm by many of the residents in our condo complex. We use it as a breakfast room. TV and really comfortable kitchen chairs to read the morning paper, have neighbors in for coffee and gossip etc.

You pay for the space, use it as you wish.

My bf is having a hard time with my rearranging of rooms, but hey, he has his house and I have mine so..... He'd argue that it's just his opinion though.

I made the master bedroom into my office. It gets the most natural light which means I can keep the lights off in the room for most of the day, plus it stays warm and I keep the radiator turned off.

My dining room is my workshop where I make tshirts. The table was moved up to the attic years ago. We eat on the futon while watching tv. The end of my counter has an overhang so we could use it to eat at. A coworker gave him some barstool chairs and a table. I told him we could try the chairs but they have backs and may be too big. He wants to bring the table in to eat at, I have no desire for it, to me there are enough places to eat (my kitchen has a funky setup so it's difficult to have a table AND counter space, so I opted for counter space after living with what the PO did for about 5 years - literally 20" of counter - ouch)

Think outside the box and do what works for you!

My "original" living room is now my dining room. I needed that more than a living room. I have a family room, and that is more than enough.

My one bedroom is now my craft room. I think you should do what suits you and DD best Carol.

Cyd:
The crafts are linens and beaded ornaments. Starting a couple more now. I got carried away when I ordered them, so I must keep busy and get then done so I don't feel guilty in spending money! LOL

I like that you are able to use your dining room for both business and family/friends.

Carol, it's your house. You can do whatever you want. One of my clients removed all her living rm furniture and put a pool table in the instead. They use it all the time.

Don't forget you can always put the table up against a wall or use it for crafts if you don't want to get rid of it.

Isn't it interesting how our houses and apartments are "supposed" to be used in a particular way, but can be (and should be) used in the way that suits our needs? It is obvious that GONers know how to use their space.

I often wonder if I can rearrange rooms, but our place is pretty standard, except that the "breakfast or everyday" area at the end of the kitchen is used for a chesterfield and chair, coffee table and desk, more of a family room. On our own we eat breakfast and supper at the end of the dining-room table, but usually the two of us sit in the kitchen to eat our lunch, enjoying the view from the large patio doors.

I'm still working on my de-cluttering goals, and last night I went through a batch of paper stuff that came back from overseas and got rid of some. I am planning to take over a decorative box that DH is using down in his basement office area, for our keepsake items. I will find him something else for the few bits he has in it.

Bushlady, We made our "eat in" part of the kitchen, my DD's office. Her desk and chair are in there and that's where she does her homework. She likes being part of the family even when she's got her head buried in her textbooks.

Thanks everyone! It's a go for turning the dining area into my office. I always pick the absolutely coldest part of every house/condo/apartment to have my office in, and I think that is what is going to happen again here, but there is no other place for me to put it. On the up side, the lights in that area are also skylights so I will have light. And, it is a much smaller house so maybe it won't be cold after all. When we went in there last week, it was pretty warm and she said that she hadn't had the heat on so that's a good sign.

My DS said that he would like to take any furniture that won't fit so there's another good thing - I don't have to find anybody to take it off my hands. He's going to take the dining set, a large dresser, one of the couches, an oak TV stand, and anything else that I won't be using. The only thing that I will need to find a home for is my HUGE filing cabinet. I do NOT want to move the thing. I've asked DD's music teacher, but she hasn't gotten back to us yet. If she doesn't want it, I'll put it on Craigslist or Freecycle. I want the thing gone. I LOVE it! It's great for all of my work files, but it's just too big and bulky to keep moving.