Almost Amish

I know I should be helping you change the world or something, but I can’t manage to pull myself away from the woodstove.  It chants, “More wood.  More wood.  More wood.”

My husband doesn’t believe me.  He thinks I burn through all our wood for my own pleasure, but it’s really the stove.  I’m practically chained to it.

This morning we woke up to -15 degrees, but the Weather Channel App said it felt like -32 degrees.  I can’t say for sure, because there was no way I was stepping outside to either confirm or deny that report.  I’ll just trust they were close, and really, there’s no use squabbling over a few degrees when you’re caught in an arctic freeze.

We watched The Day After Tomorrow a few nights ago just so we could feel good about ourselves.  We haven’t resorted to burning books yet.

The kids even managed to squeak a day off from school.  I guess the principle would feel bad making the kids in town walk to school only to find half of them have frostbite.

If it were back in my parents day, they would walk to school anyway, without shoes.  They’d hold a hot potato and eat it for breakfast when they got to school.   And, they would live to tell the story, again and again.

We must be getting smart soft.

This morning I decided to go all out and make French toast for breakfast.  That’s what happens when I get an extra hour of sleep.  I turn into a more ambitious version of myself.  We were living large until my kitchen began filling with smoke, so I asked my son to put a fan in the window.

“Are you kidding?  You know it’s freezing out, right?”

“I’m oxygen deprived.  If you don’t put a fan in the window, you’ll have burned French toast and a dead mother.”

He put the fan in the window.  He was hungry.

I put another log on the fire.

At this rate, I’ll be planting trees by spring.

So, now you understand, don’t you?  I’d like to help you change the world.  I’d love to write inspiring, helpful, life-shaking blog posts, but I’m too busy filling the woodstove and chasing the rabbit.

Yup, she’s in the house too, and believe me, it’s all fun and games.  She’s chewed up half the electrical cords in our house.  Now we’re almost Amish.  Soon we’ll be building an out-house and driving a buggy.   Well, maybe not until after it warms up.

For now, I’ll be sitting right in front of the woodstove.

How is your January?

Since we all like to talk weather, what’s it like in your neck of the woods?  I know you Minnesotans (not sure that’s the right term…correct me) have been freezing your fingers off.  Can anywhere possibly be colder than Minnesota?

P.S. Sorry this post is photo-less, but I more than made up for that yesterday in my photo-full post.  I just couldn’t talk myself into going out on another picture taking adventure.  I’m saving that for a day when when there isn’t a minus sign in front of the daily temperature.  I am a wimp.

If you’re frozen in place, you may want to read Redneck Heat.  That explains my love affair with the woodstove.

If not, stay warm my friends and have a wonderful Wednesday.

*No trees were harmed during the writing of this post.  We burn blow-downs.