It seems it's that time of year. I need a little encouragement I'm sure others do! Coldest day of the year by furnace quit working, my oven doesn't work and my dishwasher doesn't work. I need some encouragement, I'll be glad to share itπ
We invested in no less that three Fashy brand hot water bottles (we order ours from Amazon), for which I knit wool covers & crochet straps to keep caps attached to the bottles & to hold the bottles while pouring hot water into them w/no danger of burns. We fill them 2/3 full of boiling water & top off to 3/4 full with tap water.
Here in the van this winter, they mean the difference between comfort & misery. The little heater makes thing too hot or not warm enough with the doors opening to let the pup out/in or "let us out/in."
But covered hot water bottles under covers keeps all three of us comfortable! Bear has his, I have mine & little dog has one under his blankie or he snuggles next to one of ours.
We first got them six years ago & I just replaced two of them. They should be replaced every five years, I found out when we got the new ones & read the little booklet. Who knew? I ordered new ones cuz the old ones weren't still warm in the morning anymore like they had always been.
That doesn't help you much now, though. We also keep several packages of those shiny "emergency blankets"... and if course all the knitted/crocheted goodies. Scarves & cowls help retain body heat as do hats... yes, indoors.
Do you have a terra-cotta pot? Some votive or short fat candles that will sit inside the pot? You may have what you need to make an emergency heater.
We plan to invest in an "on demand" hot water heater for the trailer when we can afford it... they cost more initially but a lot less to use over time!
We always wash dishes by hand... my "dish washer" is often Bear. π (Although I actually enjoy washing dishes.)
We took the oven/stove out of the trailer two weeks ago. Bear turned on the oven to cook a turkey & two stovetop burners came on!!! π±π±π± NOT good!!!
He went over & borrowed a roaster from the camp kitchen & the stove/oven came out! We'd already gotten a single burner hot plate & an induction cooker at Bimart & plan to get a single burner propane cooker so we don't have to rely on electricity to cook. Plus the electric skillet & crockpot, we have it covered! π If it won't fit in the toaster oven, we arrange in advance to use the Clubhouse oven. Otherwise, it gets grilled!
But I can appreciate not having the things you are used to! I think it is actually more stressful when it is temporary. When it is long term, and especially when you have *decided* to make a change, it is easier to adapt & make decisions to do things differently.
This too shall pass. Think warm & comforting thoughts, find ways to keep your thoughts otherwise engaged, and take comfort in the fact this is *temporary*! We always say, "we can do anything temporarily!'
It seems it's that time of year. I need a little encouragement I'm sure others do! Coldest day of the year by furnace quit working, my oven doesn't work and my dishwasher doesn't work. I need some encouragement, I'll be glad to share it π
Awesome! It is truly hard to realize how vital being warm in the winter cold is... until you *aren't*! We keep an extra unused space heater around, cuz they *never* fail when they aren't essential for survival!!! π
Two years ago our primary heater died, at 2am when the outside temp was 17 degrees! We had *just* bought a second heater we'd found on sale & was SO glad we did cuz just one little heater was not enough in temps that low! Even with our HWBs we needed a little extra something to stay really comfortable. We only ran two when temps were under about 28 degrees. But we always run them on low.
I've got wool yarn (from an awesome sale a few years ago) to knit felted blankets for us for next year. Nice "brain dead" knitting but they are warmer than anything else & wear "forever."
It is silicon not rubber, it is the most popular brand in Europe where hot water bottles are very commonly used, but mostly because they hold the heat longer/better than any others I've tried!
We are just now retiring the bottles we've used the last six years (at least)... and I use mine hot *every* night when it is cold, when I'm running a fever & on my sinuses when I've got congestion; on really cold days, I reheat it again.
With a knit cover, placed under all my covers near my feet, the thing is still *warm* when I'm ready to get up! On these really cold days this week, I've shoved my feet under my covers onto my bottle *from the night before* & still got some warmth by putting my toes under the HWB!
Another silicone one that was quite a bit less expensive and it came with a cover. My daughter loves hot water bottles. Thank you for the heads up. If it works I might get one to put by my feet in the evening.
As you may see on Facebook I spent the entire day cooking well most of it, I went for a walk with a friend. I even went to the liquor store and got some brandy. I seldom have anything to drink but tonight I had Coco and Brandy running a dehydrator actually gives off a little heat. It's a lot colder for you that it is for me.
He came yesterday and it's fixed. I'm gonna call the doctor today and see if I can't get something stronger for anti-anxiety. I'm doing a lot of self talk telling myself to calm down, however I'm not doing a very good lot job of listening to myselfπ
First take a deep breath and remember it may have been a rough month for u, but things will get better it's almost Christmas time, and that means family time here soon you'll be with family and it'll be fun and the bad times will go away.
Good for you. One of my sisters in Christ and I went for a walk today did me a lot of good. I had to go to the grocery store so I walked out after dark as my eyes are not good enough to see at night for driving. Home safe and sound.
I spent the whole day in the kitchen to be dehydrateing ,cooking. and doing dishes. And I went for a walk with a walk with a friend. instagram.com/p/BOJWh7flgSn/.
It is 33° right now which probably is warm for you but not for me. So I'm gonna go bundle up with my cat soon. I should repost some of my husbands pictures for you he was in San Francisco on the waterfront today.
I'd been they with my fishing rod. My kind of place. But we had snow yesterday. Tired of posting pictures of my wife and her trusty snowblower. Good luck with all you equipment problems. I love the country. There is a mountain between me and suburbia. Every time I drive home I marvel at the vista for the last 50 years. Sometimes we get lucky. Happy Holidays!
I forget which the highway and yes I think $36 from inland to the coast period the Harley Davidson club voted at the most beautiful highway in America. If you ever want to come out this way for a visit, we have lake fishing, ocean fishing, stream fishing, and river fishing! We have a lot of hiking cliffs along the ocean in the sand dunes in the mountains in the forest
Actually, I spent the day cooking. I love to dehydrate food. I went for a walk with a friend. Life is good I decided to go for a positive outlook instagram.com/p/BOJWh7flgSn/
Consider it roughing it. Just think about the fact you don't have all these old timers from places like Siberia saying "in my day we didn't furnaces....blah blah blah" lol.
Also, maybe this will let you go out and get something to eat and not have to cook and go hang out at the library or something where it's warm. Broaden your mind! ππ
Thank you sweetheart, actually I love to cook. I spent the day in my kitchen dehydrating food. Then I went for a walk with this dear friend. It's 33° here which is a little cold for I live elsewhere so close to the ocean instagram.com/p/BOJWh7flgSn/
Actually. I spent the day cooking I could not find an ingredient I needed so I was about to run out the door and a couple missionaries were about to knock. I think of both of us got π³ scared. Couple of boys from Utah. Actually I spent the day like a very good LDS women would dehydrating and cooking and cleaning. β€πI went for a walk instagram.com/p/BOJWh7flgSn/
Somehow I don't think I should be fixing a furnace. Actually I climbed under the house we have a dugout basement and try to restart the furnace. It went for three seconds and then kicked off. My husband thinks he forgot to order he oil. And he's down south. So I'm bundling up and staying busy
Exactly. I came so close to being a grieving mother. That nothing really fazes me right now. Although sometimes it gets close. Spent the day being positive and productive
Funny story, my grandson is a big University of Washington fan. They were in the playoffs a couple years ago. They lost. They caught him on camera. He said "this is the worst day of my life! "I figure if that's the worst day of your life you really have a blessed life. His mom agrees with me
My AC cuts off and doesn't keep my room as cool as I'd like it. π sorry, I can't identify with cold this year, but I know it sucks. Remember it is just a couple months til spring.
Thank you my very dear friend actually I took the kind of therapeutic I went for a walk with a very dear friend. Thus is what the Creator treated us to. instagram.com/p/BOJWh7flgSn/
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