“The RoseBouquet”

Oh my, but it is cold in our area these days! I’m grateful for my new furnace. It works hard, but the house leaks heat, so as soon as the furnace stops blowing up hot air, the house loses heat again. My next big reno goal will be to get the windows replaced, and new Styrofoam wrap and vinyl siding around the house.

I have managed to walk to the office and back again each week day since about August. Even at -19 Celsius (-2.2F) I have managed a brisk walk and not complained. Mind you, I dress sensibly in many layers. However, on the weekend our temperatures plummeted to -33C, (-27F), with windchill factors making it feel like -44C (-47.2 F). It was not a problem on Saturday as I worked inside all day, but I did go out to sweep my back steps, and plug the car in.

(I heard on the news that the Eastern seaboard states in the USA have had a doozer of a winter storm - the worst in several decades, including the loss of electricity. My adventures will seem tame compared to their stories).

Sunday morning the car started okay, but driving to church I realized that the heater was only blowing cold air. My hands and feet were icicles by the time I got there. Fortunately, the half hour I had the car running warmed up the engine enough so that I had no trouble starting it later, and I was able to enjoy a lovely lunch at the home my my new friends, the McBrides. I went home for a short while in the afternoon, and then headed back to the church for the Christmas program by the Sunday School. Our ESL class was singing a special number and the children had been prepared to put on a fine musical called the Christmas Spelling Bee. (I am truly enjoying the making of many new friends!)

The fact that the car heater was not working right and sometimes I smelled anti-freeze, led me, first thing yesterday morning, to try to make an appointment to have the heater examined and repaired at a service station. Imagine my surprise to find that one place didn’t even answer the phone and the second place said they had customers lining up with the same problem. They were already booked up into Thursday. I should call later in the week.

Much as I’d like to walk to the office again, I caught a ride with my neighbour, Joe, yesterday. Later, realizing that I needed groceries and so did my brother Tom, who is handicapped and not feeling well these days, I started up my car when I got home and went to do the shopping, thankful that I was only driving short distances, and that the car still works besides not heating well enough.

This morning I really weighed my options but decided to drive to work and go out at noon to start the car for a few minutes so that I can be sure it will start at 5 pm when I want to leave.

Do you have to make such lifestyle adjustments for winter where you live? Not much fun, is it? However, I often remind myself not to grumble as that makes it worse. Instead, remember that these unkind winter days will help us to have so much more anticipation and joy when spring comes! Let’s just get through this with a clear conscience, and honorably.