Agreed on all counts CurlyGirl! For me, the thing that appeals most about the GH is the uber-efficiency of growing our own food right here at home. Everything we do is geared toward maximizing food without a major energy outlay. To me, personally, heating a GH all winter defeats the purpose of being efficient so I've never been interested in that pathway. I can see why folks do it, so I'm not passing judgement, but it's not for us. Yes, we do have our GH already, a Riga in Zone 4 Montana. We get by with a nicely insulated foundation, stacks of 5 gallon water buckets for thermal mass, and a predominance of sunshine in the winter. I also make a hoophouse within the greenhouse using metal hoops and many layers of fleecy frost blankets. This has allowed us to keep lettuce alive even in this cold winter. (Although I brought most of the lettuce inside during our recent dip to -27, but amazingly, even the lettuce left in the GH survived just fine.) The next thing I'd like to do efficiency-wise is vent excess GH heat into the house in the winter. So often the roof vents are open and perfectly good 85-degree air is venting to the atmosphere. I would love to have that warmth coming into the house instead. So I'd like to figure out a way to do that before next winter. What kind of fruit trees are you getting? How exciting!

Sarah...maybe this applies somewhat to you, but I found this on John Leeke's website, which I am studying to memory in gearing up to do my window restoration. It's about vinyl. John Leeke's Historic HomeWorks(tm) Vinyl Siding Q: "I purchased an 1840's house in northwestern N.J. in 1991 which has been a great deal of fun to restore. However, I have been ignoring its largest problem: the house is covered in a disgusting, light-green vinyl siding. There was evidence of termites in the basement when I bought the house. I exterminated the termites and have seen no evidence of them since '91. Should I consider painting the vinyl siding? What is the advisability of ripping vinyl siding off, considering I don't know what's underneath. Is there any way to tell whether or not the clapboard underneath is damaged, or is continuing to be damaged." A: You face the two common problems with vinyl siding: it is not "maintenance free" and it hides conditions beneath. I am now seeing many vinyl siding projects that have 12 to 18 year's age on them being painted due to poor appearance. To improve deteriorating appearance vinyl siding is sometimes washed with high pressure water. This must be done carefully with a downward blast to prevent loading the wall with moisture through the ventilation slots. When cleaning does not help the vinyl siding contractors' response to deteriorating appearance is to replace the siding. So the time proven actual maintenance method for vinyl is little or no maintenance until it fails and then the very high maintenance treatment of replacement. If you have a term of interest in the building that is less than the life of the vinyl product, this approach may make economic sense to you. Even if you plan to sell before the vinyl needs to be replaced vinyl's short-term economic advantage may be limited. Vinyl siding is now becoming recognized as a liability by some astute real estate buyers, because its long-term life is not as cost effective some other siding materials and because it can hide serious problems. Vinyl siding hides changing conditions of the wood and paint underneath. You need to investigate conditions underneath the vinyl siding. Begin by looking at the exterior surfaces of the siding for visible signs of buckling, trails of light tan insect wood dust sifting out of the vent slots of the siding, etc.. Suspect underlying damage in the walls at inside corners where two roofs drain into one location, and north and east walls in particular which are susceptible to moisture decay problems. Look for major cracks in the foundation which might have telegraphed up the walls underneath the siding. As an historic building investigator, I use moisture meters to sense high moisture content in the wood underneath the vinyl. This is quickly done and does not damage the vinyl. You can also spot moisture problems by looking for black streaks of dirt left by water from cornice leaks at the top of the wall. Locations of high moisture usually indicate trouble spots. Selectively remove sections of siding where you find these signs of trouble and where you saw the termites. There are special tools for removing vinyl siding so you might want to hire a vinyl siding contractor. It can usually be done carefully enough to put the vinyl siding back up without damage. Look for dampness, peeling paint and decayed wood. Paint peeling to bare wood indicates there has been high moisture, which could also have lead to decay. Look for dampness that indicates the moisture problem is current and not historic. You might need to remove the old siding in areas of concern. This should be done by a finish carpenter or cabinetmaker. Again, it can sometimes be done carefully enough to reapply it without much damage. Look for deep decay in sheathing boards and the structural members beneath such as sills, studs and plates. Here is a link that might be useful: Historic Homeworks

My husband works for Sam's Club, and they do not take those check/coupons. My DS is on Isomil Similac and we have found the best deals at Walmart. For some reason, the Walmart by our house offers the huge can (1lb,14oz) for 2 dollars cheaper than the walmart by my work. My DH says it is b/c the income level is lower where we live. Anyway, the formula is always $15.54 and w/ a $2 coupon, it's only $13.54. At Kmart or Fry's, the SAME can is $22.50. The difference is amazing! Andrea

I am a fabricator. $100 - $180 per sq ft. is correct but that is a BIG range and very high even at the $100/SF. Cambria has exclusive marketing arrangements which are designed to inflate the price. Unless your decorating scheme absolutely requires a Cambria color you can get similar or near identical colors from other slab suppliers for much less. I disagree with the assertion that Cambria has some magical process that makes their colors better. Decide for yourself by getting samples of Cambria and other quartz brands and putting them side by side in good light. Cambria's magic is in their marketing where they try to convince the public that their countertop material, made on same Breton production lines as every other major brand, is somehow much better. If you send a sketch of your layout or cabinet drawings to a couple fab shops you should have some idea of pricing within a day or two. Specify the Cambria color you like but note "or equivalent" so the fabricator can provide pricing based on alternate material(s). Some shops insist on measuring because they believe it gets the customer to feel obligated. A good estimate can easily be done off drawings; I've done thousands that way.