The Middle of the Night

Early this morning, around 2AM, we were jarred out of sleep by some loud noise. It made me jump. My husband thought our building was collapsing. The night was filled with strange strobing lights - fire trucks - more than 1. I think maybe there were 4. And a police car.
"Get downstairs!" I urged my husband. He was jumping around in the dark trying to pull my jeans on. He finally got his legs free and grabbed a pair of shorts. I handed him flip flops as he headed out the door.
I knew what was going on - something we had expected all through last winter. Someone thinking our building was on fire because we're heating with a wood stove. Most people just don't expect to see smoke rolling off a downtown building roof.
We bought this hundred and twenty five year old building almost two years ago. It sat vacant, empty and decaying for at least five years before we bought it. There were no gas lines to the building, a couple old non-working furnaces that we carted out for scrap. But then winter came. The first few months we owned the building, Chris stayed here and I would visit on the weekends. Bitter bitter cold nights, we'd sleep with long underwear, sweatshirts and stocking caps! But our first full winter I was living here full time and we needed heat. Installation of a new furnace and ductwork (there was NONE) would cost us upwards of $12,000 - money we didn't have to spend. Salvation came in the form of an airtight wood stove I found at a flea market. Could this work for us?
Chris came by to look at it - lo and behold it was the exact same stove and model that his dad had heated their entire house in Maine with when he was a boy. So the stove found its way to our living room. I love the feel of the wood heat - it is somehow warmer than a traditional furnace. I didn't like carting firewood up 27 stairs to our house area! But I was pleased to find out that I could start a good fire and keep it going - all on my own.
So last winter, we heated with wood. Scrounging around family farms for firewood and buying when we could. Loading firewood in the middle of January in a snowstorm is NOT fun! So this year we stocked up with four and a half cord of wood in October. We are ready for winter!
And then there was last night. Once the firemen came up and looked at our stove and chimney, they gave us the all clear and declared it 'safe'. Except that the adrenalin rush we got and being jarred out of bed, and the wave of what ifs that filled the night, kept us from sleep.
Poor Chris, he had to head off to work with only 2 hours of sleep. And I am determined to clear and organize this house today - I wanted to apologize to the firemen that I hadn't put our laundry away yet...
The good news is that we got a lot of good soul talking in - the middle of the night is the best time for that!
Now what to do about our doors that now won't close all the way because the firemen were wrenching them open before Chris could get there to unlock them. Better safe than sorry I suppose...

New Perspectives

This week marks a new year for me. I love October! My birthday month, autumn crispness in the air, leaves changing, school starting, new beginnings.

I start this year from a new perspective. Life is colorful, rich and full. I have a treasured handful of old friends and an exciting group of new friends and new adventures. This is the year I will bloom, I can just feel it now!

The air is full and ripe with opportunity and blessings.

This new year and new perspective calls for a new look to my blog and website. Hope you all enjoy it!

Blessings,

Toby