Polar Vortex, Etc.

As you all know by now, this polar vortex weather system has been a real doozy. Temps here are ranging from the negative double digits to the low 20s. This winter we are heating the house with wood, so stoking and monitoring the stove in the basement has become a most important activity. On the very cold days (teens and below) the stove needs to blast all day if we want any hope of a hot shower and a warm house. On warmer (20s and up) days we can get away with stoking it just a few times a day and closing the door for a low, slow burn.

The gauge on the top of the stove lets us know how we are doing, and I am constantly monitoring the dial. When both hands are in the red, we get a hot shower :)

Little Riley stays in the house all day following the sun as it moves across the floor.

Fern is unfazed by the temps and hangs out with me in the barn while I package and photograph items for the shop.

I've also set a goal for myself to get through my growing pile of rehab projects over the winter while thrifting opportunities are more limited. Does anyone else have a problem with hoarding things that need to be fixed? I have at least a dozen lamps that need reworking and rewiring, a wood drawer box that needs a new top, a mid century plant stand that needs a new piece of wood, an apothecary drawer refinishing project, metal boxes that need stripping, two stools that need refinishing and reupholstering, an old typewriter that needs a thorough cleaning, and probably a dozen other random updates.  This is a small section of the "need to rework" pile:

It will be a good day when that counter is clear, not because I've moved the pile to another section of the shop, but because everything has been fixed and sold!

Josh has been busy setting up a new office space in town. The original plan was to see patients exclusively at the house, but we recently discovered that office space in the center of town is incredibly affordable, so he sprang on a prime location office. It's a pretty sweet little spot on the the main drag in town up one floor from the street. It was really fun spending last week cleaning and painting the space and setting it up with new furniture and all of his supplies. I enjoyed looking out the window and seeing the hustle and bustle on the street, hearing the sound of voices and cars moving by. Just that little bit of activity means so much to me these days.

Tomorrow I head down to Amherst, MA to do some thrifting and help a friend build a portfolio website for his artwork. Looking forward to a little road trip and a slight break from these temps. The forecast is calling for 55 degrees in Amherst on Saturday. Wahoo!

Stay warm everyone!