But, I hadn't put the heater on during Friday night and when I woke up on Saturday morning, it was 54F inside the house and I felt chilled, even though I was dressed in four layers on the top (blouse, sweatshirt, wool handknitted sweater, wool handknitted cardigan) plus a scarf, sweatpants, and wool handknitted socks! So I put the heater on with the thermostat set at 65F and once it warmed up the house, I turned it off. Later in the evening, I switched on the small electric heater and that has kept me warm.
I did a load of laundry (the old sheets I put on the family room sofas to keep Dancer's fur off the upholstery) in the afternoon; in an attempt to keep the gas bill low, I washed them in cold water, not warm, and hung everything up to dry. I covered the sofas with the second set of sheets I keep for the purpose.
I spent most of the afternoon repairing the quilt and watching some online videos. I also texted cousin P's daughter and later, I spoke with cousin P. Later in the evening, I called friend R to check on her and video chatted with my daughter.
I walked a bit in the garden in the early evening, to enjoy the sunset and the scent of lemon and orange blossoms.
Dinner was more fried rice, with leftover rice and the last of the ground beef mixture I had kept in the fridge.
Today, I am grateful for:
- Working appliances
- Electricity and gas to run them
- Being able to walk in the garden
- Phone chats with family and friends
- Dancer keeping me company
- Electricity and gas to run them
- Being able to walk in the garden
- Phone chats with family and friends
- Dancer keeping me company
Today's joyful activity was repairing the quilt. So many of the torn pieces of fabric I am replacing came from clothing my mother sewed; she'd give me the leftover bits and pieces for my patchwork and seeing them brings me memories of her and the garments she sewed. She had a dress made with that fabric, she sewed me a skirt with this fabric, that other piece was from a shirt my step-father wore. We lived in a studio apartment at the time when I pieced this quilt and we had furnished it with other people's cast-offs, either given to us by family and friends or picked up from the side of the road, because we hadn't enough money to buy furniture. I still have one of the side tables we picked up. It's still serving a purpose in my hallway. Ah, yes, the "good old days"! Such nostalgia!
I've started washing most things at 30 degrees apart from bedding and towels but they are washed at 40 degrees.
ReplyDeleteYou reminded me of when husband and I were first married and in our first house, my father bought second hand furniture for us and carpet came from a store that was having a refit. You have lovely memories of your mother and the fabric she gifted to you, remembering the good old days and nostalgia is nice :)
I usually wash on "warm" whatever that temperature is, but, now, I am switching to "cold".
DeleteIt sounds like we all started off with making do with what we could afford at the time, doesn't it? Yes, I have some very good memories of my mother and, I hope that, one day, my daughter will say the same of me! :)
Oh my - 54 is too cold - especially for you!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad your heater warmed it up nicely and you were, hopefully, more comfortable. You sure were bundled up!
I always use cold water for my laundry. I think it will save you money trying to do the same.
You must be making real progress on the quilt. You seem to be working on it steadily.
I'm freezing, Debra! :D I'm telling myself that the cold will help keep me better preserved! :D I am limiting my use of the big (gas) heater - in the morning, when it is 54F I'll put it on until the house warms up to 65F (that's what the thermostat is set at, now). When it automatically shuts off, I manually turn the heater off. And keep it off until just before I go to bed. I turn it back on for about 10 minutes while I change for bed. Then, switch if off. In the evening, I put the electric heater on and keep it right next to me so I am toasty warm. Of course, I'm driving up the electric bill, but, I think I'll still save money by doing this. We shall see - I'll be getting the new gas bill tomorrow or so.
DeleteI'm hoping that by washing on cold and not using the dryer (which is also gas), I'll save some money. I'm also doing less laundry now that it is back to just myself.
The quilt is coming along but, I'm replacing so many pieces that it is very slow going. Never mind - it is a guilt-free way to procrastinate on housework! :D
I hope you post a photo of the quilt. I think those quilts are the best made from good memories. In the house i am forever putting on sweaters, taking them off, putting them on again. But when i am outside being active i find i am much better regulating my body temperature.
ReplyDeleteI will, Jozien. In the meantime, I posted about it here:
Deletehttps://bless2cents.blogspot.com/2015/04/quilt-repairs.html
and here:
https://bless2cents.blogspot.com/2022/11/triangles-quilt.html
Yes, being active helps to generate heat, doesn't it? Unfortunately, I tend to be a very sedentary person! I need to move more!
I love your quilt!
DeleteThank you! :)
DeleteI'm not surprised you felt cold when you got up. I had to chuckle at all the clothes you were wearing, I thought you must have looked rather roly-poly in them all! I think I would still have been cold at 65°F. I'm glad you keep the electric heater beside you when you are sitting in the evening. DS and family wash everything in cold water, but I use warm for some things that I think may need it. Looking back, in my childhood sheets and towels and handkerchieves were actually boiled!
ReplyDeleteOur up and down temperatures continue and it was mild today for a walk by the river.
Ha, ha, I did look very rounded in my multiple layers! I am glad I kept some of the old sweatshirts and the cardigan I knitted when I weighed more than I do now - they are big enough to go over a couple of layers and still feel comfortable. :)
DeleteI think boiling was considered the only way to really clean and disinfect laundry, in the past, wasn't it? When I was a child, white clothes were rinsed in water that had been tinted blue with bluing powder (and then starched and ironed). I still have a little bit of bluing powder I brought back with me from one of my trips back to Sri Lanka! I rarely use it, now, but, I have it if I need it!
I'm glad you are having some milder days when you are able to go on your walks by the river. It was mild enough to have the doors and windows open today during the afternoon and I only needed three layers! :D
It sounds like there is a lot of hugs in mending the quilt.
ReplyDeleteI wash most things at 30C these days - cool wash. My machine doesn't have a cold setting, but I've got some gizmos for handwashing which I hope to use more as it's supposed to be heating the water that costs most in washing things.
Yes! That's a good way to describe it! Thank you, Lyssa. :)
DeleteMy washing machine has an express wash cycle which takes less time and I've used it a couple of times when washing things like the kitchen rug and bath mats, but, I haven't used it for clothes and such.