Just polling the group on the better method to make a little patio, about 8 feet by 8 feet square.
We have a table and chairs under a large tree in the back yard. They're just set on the lawn so during the rainy season my chair legs frequently sink into the soft ground, leaving me to sip my martinis on an incline. I need to put something solid under there and first thought of paving blocks, those cement slabs a couple of inches thick and 12"x12" or 18"x18". I've done that sort of thing years ago at another location using red paving bricks.
Then I thought it might be easier just to set some forms and fill them with concrete. Less problems with getting everything leveled, matching edges, etc. I could get more creative that way, with a square section under the table and semi-circles where the chairs sit.
I also suggested a wooden deck but my wife didn't like that one. I didn't even suggest attaching round metal plates to the bottom of the legs to act like a snowshoe, spreading the weight and preventing sinking underground.
Any preferences among the group?
Paul