A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD BUT NO FOOD ON THE TABLE or OIL IN THE FURNANCE

March 3 2012

After a disastrous event, how often have you said or heard someone else say; "At least I have a roof over my head and food on the table", so we will get through it. In our normal daily lives we don't think about not having that roof or food or heat. We take it for granted. What I have learned is these basics necessities are the emotional and physical foundation in our lives. So for the past six months I have felt like small earthquakes have rumbled through my life shaking my foundation.

My prodigal son came through and a heater arrived today. In the midst of this crisis a long term prayer has been answered. My prodigal son and I have been estranged since 2007. He was shocked to hear about my living situation. Now he is starting to talk about what sent him out of my life in the first place. The heater is a tower affair that osculates 180 degrees, has two different settings plus a programmable thermostat and 7 hour timer. It includes a multifunction remote. So far it is working pretty well. I also have a smaller ceramic heater in the kitchen. When I get home from work or get up in the AM, I can turn them on. This way I don't have to run the oil furnace as long to heat up the house or have to drop and run to get wood to get the fire started. All of this is a very temporary fix. For the long term will it save me any money? How much will my electric bill go up? The truth is I would need a heater upstairs during the really cold days of winter or my water pipes might freeze. Heating with wood is hard work and dirty. It has never been my intention to heat solely with wood which is not cheap. A senior citizen who is disabled should not have to worry if they are going to be able to heat their home. It is bad enough to worry about how I will pay for the heat. What else will I have to give up or what repairs will be put off again?

I have had in my mind for a long time to sell my house with 4 bedrooms and buy a small 2 bedroom cottage with a small yard. So maybe this mess will motivate me to get more done. But right now I feel like a shape shifter. It is difficult to focus and pay attention to task of getting rid of stuff.