I would love to have a fireplace insert and a heatalator to warm the house, but I'm not convinced that this chimney is free of flaws. They run an interior stovepile through the chimney for a fireplace insert so I suppose the person doing that work would tell me about the shape of the chimney.

I have insulation sheets made into a box that I inserted into the fireplace and one across the front (the big pink planks of insulation you find next to the sheets of plywood at the Big Box stores). I have a large (4' x 5') wood-framed mirror sitting on the hearth and leaning against the front of the stonework to completely hide all of that. I used to have the television there; I don't remember why I decided to move it, because the hearth was a good height for the TV (harking back to the conversations a few days ago). I think it was because I was tired of having furniture all aligned toward the TV. I need to work on the setup in the den still.

This morning I finished a big hand-coding html project that has been hanging over my head for several months. Good to check that one off the work to-do list.

I'm going to make myself a list of the plants I've placed in the yard and add to it the plants people have given me and future additions. Learning the scientific names is the goal, and maybe a few little signs in the yard (like in a park or arboretum). Something some of my ambitious gardener friends have done to help them remember plant names or for people who visit and want to know. I had a professor with a web page for his yard - I don't think I'll go that far. :)