Obviously it's been a couple weeks since I last posted. Between the sickies, the holiday, and the weather, I just have had to cut down on computer time in favor of other things. Mainly fire duty.

We heat with wood in a vintage parlour stove that lacks only it's bright silver, pointy and oh-so-elegant crown. It was a big bargain back when we bought it, almost a decade ago. We paid 40.00 for it then, and recently found it's twin (with crown) for 250.00 in a flea market/antique store.

My point, oblique as it may seem, is that our little woodstove isn't technologically advanced. It's cast iron, pretty, but basically just a box. It can get really over hot, or it can decide that it doesn't want to work, which means messing with the flue, or the other little thing that I can't name at the moment due to sleep deprivation. Because the stove burns best for 99 minutes at a time. Which is how long I sleep between "feedings" overnight, every night that it's below freezing.

When we first went to all wood heat, it was because our propane company refused to deliver to us in the wintertime. This was unacceptable, so we dropped them and hauled this stove into the house and got it set up. We figured it saved us about 750.00 that first winter in heating costs. Propane prices have since doubled in our area, to the point where if we were still heating with propane, we'd be looking into alternatives now. Instead, we just haul deadwood in from the woods and chuck it in the stove.

In other news, the habit I need to work on is posting daily. I've been keeping track of my daily savings and freebies in a little notebook, but getting online to log them is just not happening. I've read it takes between 21 and 28 days to make a habit. If I'd been awake enough the last two weeks, I would almost be there. I guess I'll just have to take another deep breath and keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Prior balance was 49.00, I believe, on my savings tally. Forgive the huge list about to start.

Lotion samp. .25
Pepcid samp. .50
Veggie Wash 1.00
Female items 1.00
2 bubble bath 12.00
Dinner for 3 6.00
Sale/free shipping
for a gift 20.00
3 books 3.00
3 mags 3.00
3 sweaters 3.00
Stovetop percolator 15.00
Popcorn .50
Facial cleanser .50
Lunch for 3 6.00
Plant in pot 1.00
Cash for running errand 7.00
Pen 1.00
Veggie Times 1.00
12 bars of hm soap 6.00
Bento box and shipping 14.00
BY Poultry 1.00

New total----------- 162.25