I woke up this morning around 4:30 with the wind howling, maga thunder and lighting and rain coming down in buckets! I huddled under animals and the cover until around 5:00, but then the power started flickering on and off, so I got up and dashed to the kitchen to turn on the coffee pot, just in case it went out completely. It's always nice to have coffee in a storm even if it's cold! After feeding the animals I made a pot of spaghetti sauce and cooked up some pasta, I can always eat cold spaghetti!
By 7:00 this morning things had let up a bit and the power seemed stable so I put on a load of laundry. Funny how storms seem to make me much more industrious!
It's 11:16 now and the wind is calm with occasional gusts and it's only drizzling rain. I feel like I've already done a full day's work, so I may spend the remainder of it in front of the tv with a book! Sounds like a plan to me!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Storms
This past Thursday was a really wild weather day! Officially we got 8.52 inches of rain in about 4 hours. As luck, or lack of thought, would have it I was out driving in my little Honda during the worst of the storm. We lost power at work and since there was nothing for my to do I made my run to town, to the bank and the post office. I waded through running water up to my knees at the post office and even though I had an umbrella both the mail and I got soaking wet. When I got back to the office I was shaking so badly that it was hard to distribute the sloppy mail! I'm not sure if I was shaking from being so wet and cold or from the absolutely wild drive back from town! Probably a combination of both! The trip back to the office was really a knuckle whitener with water above my headlights in a couple of places and sheets of water from one side of the highway, across the median and over the other side. On hind sight it might have made more sense to wait until the next day for the mail, but the storm wasn't so bad when I left for town! I stayed at work as long as possible, but did leave a little after noon. I was so cold and so wet!
When I got home (it was still storming) the first thing I did was get out of my shoes...I actually poured water from them! Today is Monday and as of yesterday my shoes are still wet, I've not checked them today.
Yesterday we had another storm, nothing as wild as Thursday, but really windy and rainy with tornado watches until after 1:00 this morning. We lost power several times, but the longest was only about 30 minutes, just long enough to gather battery operated things and light candles! I waited until this morning to reset the clocks.
When I got home (it was still storming) the first thing I did was get out of my shoes...I actually poured water from them! Today is Monday and as of yesterday my shoes are still wet, I've not checked them today.
Yesterday we had another storm, nothing as wild as Thursday, but really windy and rainy with tornado watches until after 1:00 this morning. We lost power several times, but the longest was only about 30 minutes, just long enough to gather battery operated things and light candles! I waited until this morning to reset the clocks.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Thankful
I was thankful when I woke before dawn this morning covered in sweat. My fever had broken and I was still alive. When I turned my bedside lamp off last night I wondered if I'd wake up today...I felt that bad. Today is much better, I'm still achy and very tired, but much better. Thank goodness! I even left the back door open so the animals could get out if something happened to me and, for that matter, so anyone who happened to check on me could get in.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Forgivness
The rain is lightly batheing everything that the cruel freeze of two weeks tortured & browned, as if asking forgivness. For many things it's too late. Some of the plants are probably gone for good, but some, the rosemarys, lavender, irises and azaleas are reaching tall and appear to be saying "yes, yes we forgive".
It is quite mild today. The themometer registers 54 degrees on the carport and compared to the past few weeks it feels warm.. The space heaters are unplugged and the thermostat for the furnace is set very low so as not to kick in. The back door is open and the clean smell of rain is replacing the stale smell of a closed up house filled with animals and illness.
I'm still in bed with 2 dogs and an asmaticly purring cat. My temperature isn't as high as it's been the past few days, but perhaps running a fever is contributing to the feeling of warmth today.
I'm longing for ginger ale. I feel well enough that I could go out and get it, but as long as I have a fever I could infect someone. That's probably how I got this, someone trying to take care of themself and not thinking about passing it on to someone else. I know that Leah Jane would go out in this mess for me, but she's 75 years old and I can't ask that of her. My sister would bring me whateve I need, but I can't have her drive from Tallahassee in this messy weather for ginger ale!
I think I'll make a pitcher of sweet tea. That should slake this yearning. We'll see.
It is quite mild today. The themometer registers 54 degrees on the carport and compared to the past few weeks it feels warm.. The space heaters are unplugged and the thermostat for the furnace is set very low so as not to kick in. The back door is open and the clean smell of rain is replacing the stale smell of a closed up house filled with animals and illness.
I'm still in bed with 2 dogs and an asmaticly purring cat. My temperature isn't as high as it's been the past few days, but perhaps running a fever is contributing to the feeling of warmth today.
I'm longing for ginger ale. I feel well enough that I could go out and get it, but as long as I have a fever I could infect someone. That's probably how I got this, someone trying to take care of themself and not thinking about passing it on to someone else. I know that Leah Jane would go out in this mess for me, but she's 75 years old and I can't ask that of her. My sister would bring me whateve I need, but I can't have her drive from Tallahassee in this messy weather for ginger ale!
I think I'll make a pitcher of sweet tea. That should slake this yearning. We'll see.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Sick
I've been sick for several days. H1N1....how 'bout them apples? Cough, running nose, headache, body aches, chills and fever. Today I'm breathing better, but still achy and chills & fever.
SE Propane filled my tank after 6:30 Monday evening. I still had 30% in the tank...I'm truly miserly with the heat. $255.00...thank goodness I've been anticipating this and had socked some money aside for it.
Read a good book yesterday, Roses by Leila Meacham. 609 pages, but had nothing else to do. Good read, I recommend it.
Can't type much longer...arms ache and head hurts. Cold right now, will be sweltering soon.
SE Propane filled my tank after 6:30 Monday evening. I still had 30% in the tank...I'm truly miserly with the heat. $255.00...thank goodness I've been anticipating this and had socked some money aside for it.
Read a good book yesterday, Roses by Leila Meacham. 609 pages, but had nothing else to do. Good read, I recommend it.
Can't type much longer...arms ache and head hurts. Cold right now, will be sweltering soon.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Records right and left!
This is our 10th day in a row of record low temps here in North Florida. It's 15 degrees right now and that's down right cold! The Dawn dishwashing liquid under the sink in the kitchen isn't liquid! It froze last night, no telling what else is frozen under there, but it's just too chilly to worry about right now.
The animals are staying in most of the time. Mercy hasn't been outside in days and days. The dogs have on both their sweaters and their jackets and usually stay huddled with each other or the cats or both! The two youngest cats just can't stand to be inside and yowl to go out, but are back inside in record time!
Yesterday afternoon a neighbor came over needing a lever to close off his water main, he had a pipe burst. I don't have what he needed. I'm dripping the outside pipes and have the water inside dripping too. I'm hoping that's enough.
While sitting in my chair in the living room yesterday, dressed in multiple layers and a cap and scarf with a wool lap throw and 2 cats and a dog in my lap, I was COLD! I could feel a cold breeze coming in from the French doors in the funny room and through the large living room windows. The lr windows had wooden blinds and purple shears over them, but it felt as if they were open and uncovered! Last year I bought some purple velvet drapes (everytime Ruth and I talked she'd ask if I'd hung them yet). I didn't hang them because I didn't have the rod, etc. and frankly didn't think I could do it myself. Well, I'm here to tell you that I now have them hanging over the living room windows (took me a bit of awkward effort and still don't have the rod, etc) and the relief was immediate. I took the purple shears and threaded them onto a bamboo fishing pole and nailed 4 nails in the trim over the door between the funny room and the living room and hung those puppies up there. Again relief. I wish Ruth were still here so I could tell her that I hung the drapes, she'd be so proud!
Today Southeast Propane is suppose to fill the propane tank. I think there's still about 25-30% in there and I've really tried not to use it. The thermostat is on 62 (I'd been keeping it on 58, but that's too cold for me) and I am using 2 space heaters that don't really make it warm, but provide little pockets of warmth that are greatly appreciated by the animals and me! Anyway, back to SE Propane...I think they aren't nice folks. In fact, I think they are cheaters. I called them last Tuesday to get propane and they quoted one price to fill the tank and another to just get a partial tank...that doesn't seem fair. Then she asked how much I have in the tank and when I said about 30% she did some figuring and said they couldn't fill it until today. I think that's so I could use up the gas in the tank and they could fill it to the brim and make more money! On Friday they filled my next door neighbor's tank and also filled Leah Jane's (she lives right down the street) and she didn't want her's filled!...hadn't even called them and doesn't have an agreement to have if filled reguarly. Now, they were all over me and didn't fill my tank...something's wrong with this picture! Leah Jane's bill is right at $500! Oh God, that'll wipe me out!
The animals are staying in most of the time. Mercy hasn't been outside in days and days. The dogs have on both their sweaters and their jackets and usually stay huddled with each other or the cats or both! The two youngest cats just can't stand to be inside and yowl to go out, but are back inside in record time!
Yesterday afternoon a neighbor came over needing a lever to close off his water main, he had a pipe burst. I don't have what he needed. I'm dripping the outside pipes and have the water inside dripping too. I'm hoping that's enough.
While sitting in my chair in the living room yesterday, dressed in multiple layers and a cap and scarf with a wool lap throw and 2 cats and a dog in my lap, I was COLD! I could feel a cold breeze coming in from the French doors in the funny room and through the large living room windows. The lr windows had wooden blinds and purple shears over them, but it felt as if they were open and uncovered! Last year I bought some purple velvet drapes (everytime Ruth and I talked she'd ask if I'd hung them yet). I didn't hang them because I didn't have the rod, etc. and frankly didn't think I could do it myself. Well, I'm here to tell you that I now have them hanging over the living room windows (took me a bit of awkward effort and still don't have the rod, etc) and the relief was immediate. I took the purple shears and threaded them onto a bamboo fishing pole and nailed 4 nails in the trim over the door between the funny room and the living room and hung those puppies up there. Again relief. I wish Ruth were still here so I could tell her that I hung the drapes, she'd be so proud!
Today Southeast Propane is suppose to fill the propane tank. I think there's still about 25-30% in there and I've really tried not to use it. The thermostat is on 62 (I'd been keeping it on 58, but that's too cold for me) and I am using 2 space heaters that don't really make it warm, but provide little pockets of warmth that are greatly appreciated by the animals and me! Anyway, back to SE Propane...I think they aren't nice folks. In fact, I think they are cheaters. I called them last Tuesday to get propane and they quoted one price to fill the tank and another to just get a partial tank...that doesn't seem fair. Then she asked how much I have in the tank and when I said about 30% she did some figuring and said they couldn't fill it until today. I think that's so I could use up the gas in the tank and they could fill it to the brim and make more money! On Friday they filled my next door neighbor's tank and also filled Leah Jane's (she lives right down the street) and she didn't want her's filled!...hadn't even called them and doesn't have an agreement to have if filled reguarly. Now, they were all over me and didn't fill my tank...something's wrong with this picture! Leah Jane's bill is right at $500! Oh God, that'll wipe me out!
Monday, January 04, 2010
Brrr!
Boy howdy, it's cold! Low 20s and the prediction for Wed. night is 9 degrees with snow! How 'bout them apples? And, this is Florida, North Florida, but Florida never the less!
I knocked the temperature on the thermostat back a bit to 57 degrees...just can't afford the propane, but would like to keep the house above freezing! I'm afraid to leave the little space heaters plugged in while I'm not home and when I'm in bed for that matter, but I can't let the temp drop too far!
I knocked the temperature on the thermostat back a bit to 57 degrees...just can't afford the propane, but would like to keep the house above freezing! I'm afraid to leave the little space heaters plugged in while I'm not home and when I'm in bed for that matter, but I can't let the temp drop too far!
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