Thanks for the calls, e-mails & facebook posts wondering what we have been up to this summer into fall.

We have been working toward sustainability in our own way.

We moved from Nixa into an 81 year old home in Springfield in April.

Isn’t it a beauty!  We are really excited about this next chapter as it lends itself to our growing sustainability!

Needless to say, this old house needs some care and feeding, so that is what we have been up to all summer and seemingly for the rest of our lives.  This is not a statement of complaint, rather a statement of opportunity!

Over time, we will post the before and afters as we restore and regain this home’s sustainable nature.

Here is tip #1.  Friends do not let friends plant ivy on a stone house!  See the ivy overtaking the chimney in the picture?  This took Teri Leigh 4 days to kill at the base and remove up the first 5 feet.  Once the ivy was cut down to the ground – it had two base stems 4″ in diameter each – Teri Leigh poured five pounds of pure salt on the roots to get rid of it!