loupE, it doesn't sound like you have room for a table runner!lol. what a busy home and life you have!! mine is just the opposite now. i do have 2 dogs and 2 cats, but all the exotics were for the kids' benefit, so no more. i'm retired/disabled and my dh is still working. we have one 'child' in london working on his master's degree, and 2 in tx with my dgd. we have decorated the house in 'late-i'll pick it up, later' style. i'm taking over the living room since i have overflowed the dining room. more stuff to find other homes for! i have a shopping addiction and it's not only fabric! i collect 18" dolls, their clothes and activities. just found a boy! that would be my 2nd. they are few and far between. so far we have trained our cocker spaniels to sit and wait for 'ok' to accept food. they do know their names and are pretty good at coming when they are called, but that's all their training. they are useless at protection. kitten barks at anything and nothing, and monkey doesn't like to bark at all. she makes up for it by snoring and gassing us as she sleeps. the only company we have is family and they can either live with it or pick it up. my house, my rules, lol. gravity-- not just a good idea, it's the LAW. lol my only table is my cutting table and it is covered with fabric, etc. i like to hang dq's and table runners, and wall hangings (for sure!) my mom passed last december but she was not living with us (saints be praised!) she was always a difficult person). i'm sure i will miss her this holiday season, just because.
keep your head up, your chin down, and you'll be fine! would love to see a pic of that 4yr old! taught and ran pre-school for years. sometimes i miss it!