It finally got chilly enough here in my area of Oklahoma that we had to keep the fire going in our new woodstove all night.  I slept in the living room on the couch because my husband was a little nervous about it as we've never had a woodstove.  I woke up at 3:10 am and it was out, just coals.  But it was so toasty warm, 68 degrees.  I put another log on and soon it was burning again.  It's a brand new woodstove, and the booklet that came with it said that it will have an odor from the paint for awhile.  I'll be glad when that smell wears off.  It's kind of stinky.

With the economy getting so bad, this woodstove gives me a somewhat a sense of security.  We have used propane for the last 12 years, the cost rising more each year.  Last year alone, we paid over $2,000 to the propane company.  We still have propane as our water heater is fueled by it, and we keep our home heater set at about 55 so that if the fire does go out in the middle of the night and it gets too cold, the heater will kick on and we won't freeze to death.  Work for my husband is slowing down.  He is paid commission on what he does (he's an auto technician), and there's just not as much work as there used to be, so we're noticing some effects of the economy.  His employer just implemented a new insurance policy in which the employees insurance is no longer paid by the employer.  So, needless to say, our monthly insurance for my husband and son is going up about $160 per month.  If I were on the policy, it would be $700 a month total for the worst option they give.

Just having this woodstove helps me to feel more secure in this time of trouble in the economy.  I know that if we don't have the money to pay our electricity or propane, we will still be warm!  Not just the economy though, there have been times that we had no heat during ice storms, or power outages due to bad weather, downed lines, etc.  Now, we will be able to stay warm even during those times.  It's kind of neat how a thing as simple as a woodstove adds such a feeling of security.

While I'm thinking about it, I'm going to get a metal pan, put some water and a few cloves in it and put it on the stove top.  Hope you all have a lovely day!

Country Blessings,
Jamie