Hey, sorry for the late reply on the community garden plot rotation. I was thinking we could try a sequential planting schedule this spring. Instead of all starting seeds indoors in late February, maybe stagger the tomatoes every two weeks so we dont end up with thirty pounds ripening the same weekend. Last year the cherry tomatoes were out of control by mid July and half of them split before anyone could pick them. For the raised beds by the fence, I was reading that basil does really well next to peppers because it helps keep certain beetles away and the shade from the pepper leaves keeps the basil from bolting too early. If we move the cucumbers to the trellis on the north side they would get more morning light and less intense afternoon heat. My neighbor across the street rigged up a drip line from a rain barrel last summer and swears it cut her watering time in half. We could probably do something similar with the old barrel behind the shed. Let me know what you think about the planting dates and whether we should order seeds together to save on shipping. The seed catalog from that place in Maine has some interesting heirloom varieties this year and their germination rates have been solid for me.

So about the paint colors for the hallway, I pulled a few swatches from the hardware store after work yesterday. The one called warm linen looks almost identical to the current color but with a slightly rosier undertone that might look nice against the oak trim. If we go any lighter than that it might make the hallway feel sterile especially in the afternoon when the west window gets direct sun. My brother in law who does residential painting said to always test a two foot by two foot section near the ceiling and another near the baseboard before committing. He also mentioned that eggshell finish hides minor wall imperfections better than flat if that old plaster has any hairline cracks we cannot see yet. I taped the swatches next to the thermostat so you can compare them when you get home. If neither of those works I can stop by the other store on Saturday and grab a few from the historical palette collection. They tend to have muted earth tones that would complement the living room rug better than the bright samples we looked at last month. Let me know your thoughts before I return the extras so I can consolidate the trip.