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!