No Heat

On Saturday afternoon we returned from a walk to the library to discover that our furnace wasn't working. As I write a new furnace is being installed.

We were pretty fortunate. The weather has been mild and we have a wood burning stove. The stove, a cute little guy that sits in the corner of our living room, can generate enough heat to warm our living room and dining area. As a matter of fact, it got up to 74 degrees on Saturday night which is about 6 degrees warmer than we usually keep it during the winter months.

We did make allowances, though. On Sunday I went to the "Y" to take a shower and we spent most of the latter part of the day at my Mom's house. We were going anyway since my sister is visiting but it made the visit even more appealing.

This little inconvenience, though, has given me pause to consider how truly lucky we are. A new furnace is not a trifling matter but it is an expense that we can manage. We had relatives that we could turn to for a warm place to hang out and community services that we take advantage of.

For those of you for whom changing the year in the secular calendar is important, I wish you a very healthy, happy, and prosperous new year!