Just before the coldest night of the year, our furnace went out. Actually
both of our furnaces went out. We have two systems because our house is a
very sprawling ranch style so the systems are divided. Oh baby ~ it was
quite chilly in here this morning. We all spent the night under several quilts
(thank goodness I am a quilt lover) and retired really early to keep warm.
Bentley was in our bed under all of the quilts cuddled up as tight as he
could be next to me. I got up at 4:00 am this morning to let him out and
it was I think his all time record for doing "his business". Then back into
the cozy bed we climbed. We stayed there until it was time to put on lots of
layers of clothes and wait for Sean ~ our wonderful heating and air conditioning
savior to stop by.
Notice the look on Bentley's face. It is his why can't I go out and help Sean
fix the furnace mama look. Y'all know Bentley ~ he loves everyone who
stops by and can't always understand why he can't spend every moment with
his friends.
While we were in Fredericksburg, our realtor, a really great fellow named
Jim, stopped by the little cottage we were staying in to give us some
paperwork on some houses we are considering. Jim came in and sat on the
sofa and Bentley jumped right up next to him, then jumped on the back of the
sofa and leaned over to give Jim a kiss on the cheek. He did this so
quickly that I hardly had time to correct Bentley. Fortunately Jim is an
animal lover so he was tickled by it. Then Bentley curled up close to Jim
and took a nap.
I call Bentley my little love bug.
Sean is a great guy who has fixed the problem ~ at least for now. I think we
are just going to bite the bullet and get a whole new system so we don't have to
go through this again. Well, there goes Christmas!
By the way ~ let's all thank Sean for his service. He is a Marine who spent
two tours in Afghanistan. So thankful to have wonderful soldiers like Sean
protecting our nation! He's the father of two great kids and a great friend too.
Always a smile on his face and lots of jokes and laughter.
Oh, and I didn't want to forget to tell you about a new book I am reading.
As I said, we turned in really early last night and I read for a while before
turning out the light. I started this mystery by Emily Brightwell. There are
quite a few titles in her Mrs. Jeffries series. This is the first one for me and
after just a few pages I was hooked. I discovered this author by reading
the website Cozy Mystery. I love to read cozies and if I run out of books
in a series I search for a new one. I am thinking that this series will help
to cure my longing for Downton Abbey until it returns.
One more thing before I sign off for the day. We who have homes that
are warm and cozy are so very lucky and I am so thankful. Being really
cold if just for a few hours made me be concerned for those who are
homeless and for those who cannot afford to properly heat their homes.
So many people suffer during the cold winters. I am trying to avoid
being political, but I wish that our local and federal government would
spend more time and money on addressing this issue. Many of our
veterans are homeless and I think it is shameful. I wish that we bloggers
collectively could find a way to help resolve this problem.
Bentley ~ it's toasty in the house once again. Sean
did a good job of getting everything back up and running
again. We may have a few more years on the old system yet!
Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
Hi Susan,
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw your Rose Chintz teacup, I knew I had to stop by. Yes, we are very thankful for our warm homes and for the brave men and women who do their best to keep us safe. God bless them! I think our governments could be doing a lot more for our veterans both in the US and here in Canada. I know of two vets right now who are not being taken care of the way they should be. Seems they are quick to send them off to war but when these soldiers come back, they are overlooked in many ways. There, I've said my piece too. Thanks for sharing and by the way, I had to giggle when you said you call your sweet little Bentley your little love bug because that is what my hubby has always called me. :) Enjoy the rest of your week.
Blessings,
Sandi
Hi Sandi! I so agree with you about the treatment of our vets be they American or Canadian. We owe them so very much and we should take care of them when they come home. Thanks for stopping by "love bug"!
DeleteSounds like you don't have to dole out the money for two systems just yet. That's the main reason I like little places. Little places mean little bills!
ReplyDeleteBrenda
You are so right Brenda!
DeleteWe all need to remember how lucky we are! Stay warm!
ReplyDeleteWe are roasty toasty now. What a blessing!
DeleteCold for you, hot for me the world has many varieties.
ReplyDeleteMerle..................
Well that's true!
DeleteHi Susan, I'm glad you got your furnace fixed; here in Colorado we've been hovering in the 0/-5 degree temps. Like your Bentley, our Hunter snuggles up between us or against us to stay warm. I have been surprised that he's actually gone out(he has a doggy door)during the middle of the night to take care of business. I always listen for him to come back in. I'm sitting in front of a fire right now-it is cozy. Stay warm. I must have missed that you were moving-it sounds like across the country, where are you going and why?
ReplyDeleteHugs, Noreen
We from Idaho to Texas over a year ago. We are quite happy in our new home and are looking for a second home ~ a weekend/vacation cottage in the Texas Hill Country. So that is why we are house hunting.
DeleteWe just replaced our furnace and you are right it is very costly. as for the homeless We are in a very small town and there has been a homeless woman near where I work I contacted our homeless shelter and the police department. I want you to know our homeless shelter because we are small offer each person their own little room. She refused all and any help. I have passed her money but no amount of help will get her off the street. So not sure what it would to help them.
ReplyDeleteCathy
I agree, there are some people who will remain homeless no matter what one does to try to help. Not much we can do for them. What worries me are the displaced souls who have lost their homes for financial reasons or in the case of women because of an abusive relationship. I am also concerned about the many veterans who remain homeless. Many of them seem to be afflicted with PTSD and I wish more was being done to help them. I am also a big supporter of hiring our returning soldiers.
DeleteFortunately for us Cathy, Sean was able to repair our furnace, so we have a bit more time left.
I'm going to check out that Mrs. Jeffries series. It's still a long time till Downton Abbey comes to the U.S. Bentley looks adorable all snuggled up amongst the quilts!
ReplyDeleteDo check it out. I only completed reading a few pages before I fell asleep. No, it did not put me to sleep, I was just tired. Usually I can tell within the first few pages whether or not I am going to enjoy a book, and I think I will with this one.
DeleteSo glad you got that heat...it seems it happens to so many when they first turn on the heat for the year. Bentley is so darn cute!!
ReplyDeleteI jotted the name of that author...I love series and mysteries!
I have a few causes I give to. I donate to several charities for families without food or homes, and a cancer research center. We all have to give...large or small. It really is our responsibility and I think we are on the same page, Susan
Jane x
Please include me in a big and forever thank you to Sean. We are all so very blessed with the brave ones that give their life to protect us.
ReplyDeleteGlad you are warm and toasty again. Bentley sounds like my little and much missed Murphy Brown.♥ Happy Pink Saturday, Susan.
Our government sends billions of dollars to other countries when we have so many IN NEED right here. It is shameful and I am NOT HAPPY with the way things are going. Worst I've seen in my long lifetime, BY FAR.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely not the time of the year for the furnace to go out. We are having our first freeze this week. Bentley has good taste, I love the quilt he is warped in.
ReplyDeleteAngels to you and Bentley. We do have so much to be thankful for, including warm homes and service men (and women), both the in the military and in HVAC repair . Your cozy mystery looks interesting I will be checking it out. Happy Pink Saturday!
ReplyDeleteLovely post....as you enter your coldest months we in Australia are heading into out hottest months with temperatures up around the 100 mark. I think Bentley is just the cutest and if he is anything like my four dogs he never wants to get out of bed. Stay warm...HPS Michelle
ReplyDeleteBentley looks like a little love bug :) My daughter's dog Corey is the same way - loves everyone and wants everyone to give him kisses and hugs all the time!
ReplyDeleteSorry your heating went out - no fun that I know from experience. We had to get a whole new heating and air but our utility bill went down after we did. Old systems aren't very efficient.
Stay warm! We're freezing in Atlanta!
Lovely tea tray and quilts. We had the exact same thing happen and I spent an entire afternoon drinking hot tea, so I know what you were going through...it does help!
ReplyDeleteWonderful post. I am so glad you are warm once again. I do love your pictures ~ so cozy.
ReplyDeleteOh what a lovely visit and such a gorgeous tea set - I LOVE the roses! I also love cozy mystories and that type of genre tho haven't had a chance to read many lately. Have you ever read these two oldie goldies - Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman and the whole series about banker John Thatcher by Emma Lathen - both were fun series and they're so old they're hard to find but many libraries may still have them. I also loved the O'Malley Family series by Dee Henderson and all of Karen Kingsbury books - many of which include mysterties. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving.
Kaye Swain
Oh stay warm!! The tea is lovely!
ReplyDeleteThat seems like a bad stroke of luck for you. One furnace going down is bad enough, but to have two conking out at the same time is crazy. Though it's great that Sean was able to fix it soon after. You're right to consider getting a new one, especially if the old ones are already old, so that you won't have to deal such problems again. Take care!
ReplyDeleteShelley Coday @ C & C Heating and Air-Conditioning