Monday, November 16, 2009

Monday Morning Chat Over Coffee






I spend a lot of time on Facebook these days but you really cannot sum you life up in small status snippets all the time. Once a blogger always a blogger I suppose, so pour a cup of coffee and let's chat.

Last week was a busy one, and I wish I could say I got everything done I wanted to get done. But I did get four new paintings completed (two still need to be framed) making currently a total of eight new ones for the holiday market a week from this Friday. To check them out go to Creative Journey. One of my other blogs.

I also attended a cooking class at the Taos School of Cooking on how to cook winter squash. That was Thursday and on Saturday I tried out my new skills with a lovely squash based vegetable soup. Yummy. Monday was back to the spa with a friend and trying to get back into the routine of hard exercise. Tuesday a yoga class. Okay, I didn't get a lot of painting done because I was out playing around too much, but the weekend brought snow which was not as much as forecast but it kept me inside my studio.

I wanted to put nose to the grindstone this week but the lawsuit from the contractor-from-hell is preventing that. Today I must go into the Legal Aid office and help them prepare one of my witnesses for his deposition on Tuesday. And Tuesday I have to hang around there to be available should questions arise during the deposition. November 4th was two years since he had filed the lien on my property. Why cannot he just go away?

On the plus side I have been doing some monitoring of temperatures in my studio and house during this cold streak (currently 12 F) with not much sunshine in three days. The wood stove seems to keep everything quite cozy. And the house holds a good temperature even without the fire going. The hit and miss passive solar yesterday kept the studio a workable temperature even without a fire going. My goal is to use as little supplimental electric heat as possible this winter.

Saving kilowatts makes sense not merely in the pocket book (the electric coop bills last winter were awful) but it is the green thing to do. Due to the snows I did have to use my electric dryer on Saturday. Tried to catch a sunny window between storms and got caught. But once in four months is not bad.

What are you doing to save money this winter? And to be more green?

2 comments:

Bekkieann said...

With new windows, siding, and roof in the past 4 years, as well as setting my programmable thermostat to low but tolerable temps that suit each time of day, I have really cut my heating usage and I don't think I can do much more. I also have made a habit of turning off all lights in rooms if I'm not there, but this year, with a tendency to mood swings, I'm finding I need to keep more lights on. My electric bill has been really under control, but it may creep up until I get back to my old self again. So what can I do that I haven't already done? I'm sleeping an hour longer in the morning and goimg to bed earlier at night. I'm getting some much-needed sleep and saving a couple of hours of lights.

Jacqui, I think all those activities sound like bringing balance into your life. Work is necessary but working out and yoga - and cooking classes - make you a happier person in this stressful time. Good luck at the lawyer's today. I know how stressful that is.

heatherbelle said...

Our winters are not as harsh as yours so heating is rarely a problem though I do feel the cold when it hits.
Summer is approaching and I refuse to use the air conditioner even though this rental has one. No..it will be opening the doors and windows to let in the breeze when it comes...or the "fremantle doctor" as we call it.

I really must try and get myself motivated in the new year. Get the trial out of the way, come what may, and then start living again.

Becky makes a good point about balance. At the moment I am very lop-sided.