[QUOTE=Stitchnripper;8316049 I like being in front of the windows but sometimes when Mr Stitchnripper comes into the room he startled me because my back is to the door!![/QUOTE]
I have a solution for that one. Mr. "now I'm retired with no real plan" used to soundlessly materialize in front of me when I was cutting, and I'd jump a foot in the air. This was Totally Unacceptable.
The solution was a bell from Staples (the kind where you tap to "ring bell for service.") It can be heard above the washer and dryer, too.
hugs,
charlotte