Jimhardy, I think that's Andy that lives in Livonia, MI. You can put me on your list. I'm in Grosse Ile, Michigan 48138. Weather.com says we're only supposed to get down to 34 degrees tonight, just as warm as the city of Detroit(luckily), while most other cities in our area are forecast to get down into the mid to upper 20s- Burrr! Although, the local weather man says I'm supposed to get down to 30, and the city is gonna get down to 32, so I'm not sure who to believe. Supposed to get close to record low temps tonight. I brought everything potted inside yesterday just to be on the safe side, even all my potted windmills. I'll usually leave them out through the upper 20s, but I figured leaving them out in the cold this late in the season would slow their growth back down again. Hope eveybody's bananas(and potted Roebellinis) make it through. Not really sure if my basjoo is still alive. I have a stump, seems very firm in the ground, but no signs of life yet.

Courtney, Thanks for saying I am a wonderful teacher. Sometimes I really, really struggle with the best way to make a point without coming across as an overbearing organic wacko. (smiling and poking fun at self as I say that) The post in which I told you that chemical companies fund the very research that says their products are "most effective" was one of those times. I could tell you had really done your research and understood WHAT you read, but just wondered if you had thought about who was paying for that research? In many ways, the research system in this great nation of ours is evil....and not just with regards to the gardening world....how about in the pharmaceutical world as well? There is such a complicated financial relationship between the companies who MAKE/MARKET the products and the very researchers/agencies who evaluate their safety and effectiveness. I find it impossible to imagine university researchers and regulatory agencies are not influenced by the large multinational firms who market these products AND fund the research that studies these companies' own products. There is a superb book out that studies the complicated relationships that exist in the agricultural/horticultural world. It is called THE WAR ON BUGS and was written by Will Allen. It basically describes in great detail the vast ongoing collusion between the chemical firms, the university researchers who study their products AND the media. These three groups have combined to convince us all that commercial agriculture cannot "feed the world" without a heavy reliance on chemicals. I highly recommend this book. It is the best explanation of the complicated relationships/processes that I have ever seen. I linked info on The War On Bugs below. If you go to that link, read the review by Dr. Rob Williams near the end of that webpage. This is a book that everyone interested in horticulture and agriculture should read. And, how much of the chemical pesticide-related research is funded by the chemical manufacturers themselves? Research done in the 1990s found the chemical manufacturers and their industry lobbying groups were funding 66% of the research at that time, and it was increasing at a rate of about 3% a year. (As government cuts research funding, the manufacturers step in and fund more and more and more.) OK, I'll stop going on and on about the chemical manufacturers! I bought Milky Spore powder in a 40 oz. can and applied it over the 10,000 s.f. closest to the house, following label directions. When you have acreage (even 1 acre!), you just can't treat all of it, so I concentrate on the area closest to the house, yard, barn, garden, etc. If I had felt like I needed to do additional treatment, I probably would have treated a 10,000 s.f. area every year until I felt I'd covered all the area I wanted covered. Keep in mid that Milky Spore powder is a bacteria that should grow and spread on its own over time. Nolo Bait for grasshoppers works the same way--once you establish it on your land, you often have it forever after. I think I walked around with the cannister and sprinkled about 1 t. every 4 feet in a sort of checkerboard pattern. They also make milky spore powder dispensers or spreaders. I never try to treat a really large area because it costs too much to do so. I just treat what I can. Dawn

Tinker - I really respect your willingness to keep as much of the home as you could. It is absolutely beautiful and exactly the style I would choose as well. We're just finishing picking fixtures for our new addition and fell in love with that style of schoolhouse fixture you put in the kitchen. I love your kitchen! That would be a dream space for me. And the laundry - oh, the laundry! In theory, I agree with totsuka. I think that the bar has been raised in this country, and many people are putting upgrades in their kitchens and baths that aren't necessary. It would be silly to put granite countertops in our modest bungalow, but I think some home buyers expect it. HGTV or whatever has made us think that somehow cooking on certain surfaces is mandatory. I was struck when I lived in England how dingy that carpet often was and how home dwellers didn't seem to notice. I appreciate that sense that if it works it's okay even if it isn't current. Maybe I misread the aesthetic there, but I had the sense they had lower expectations, at least in my circles. Not everything had to be perfect, and people were used to living in older spaces. But having said that, what you did is extraordinary. And if you have the money, I think home improvement is one of the most satisfactory ways to spend your money, especially if you are committed to restoring rather than renovating.

Got my wood at East Teak and the clip fasteners. We used liquid nails and the clip. I have boards that are just a foot or so above ground but well ventelated in some spots and no cupping at all. The screwless look is really special. And if I had a problem, I can always screw them down. This fall will be three years and no cupping issues.