Winter continues

Well, Anita, maybe we can further our education and you be an electrician ($75/hr)and I, a plumber ($85/hr)! (or vice versa) The pay looks pretty good, even with the overhead and that is probably about 40-50%, plus taxes. Decent work, with good pay, and it is work that will always be there. Well, maybe we should have thought about it when we were much younger!!

Andy and Kat are now down. Andy decided against taking out the ceiling to insulate the water line. Since the basement is unfinished on either side of the family room, you can see all the way down into the area between the floors (where the lines are), from the unfinished rooms. He showed me where the hot water line was bowed and was lying against the cement wall. It just goes to show what an effect the wind has on the extreme cold the cement is going to conduct from the wind chill. Andy is going to try to insulate between the cement wall and the lines, from the unfinished rooms.

While out in the garage with Kathleen, Andy got the idea to use their camping mat (a piece of insulation to put under the sleeping bag) to insulate the wall. So they cut it to size and then taped the pieces together with masking tape until it was the length of the space where the lines ran. Using some extension sticks borrowed from his Dad, he tried to get the mat to go behind the lines and cover the cement wall. It is not going all the way down the wall--obstructions are keeping it from going through. In addition to the obstructions, the line is tight against the wall and it is difficult to push the mat. He tried using a number of different things to get it through. Nothing worked.

Today Andy went down again, this time he took Kathleen with him and with pulling and pushing they got it to finally fit flatly against the cement wall...a perfect fit.

Today was a good day in spite of it being so cold. We had a new blanket of snow last night and the land was all very pretty and white. A good day to bake. I had gotten some dates that were on sale yesterday even though I have never had a recipe for using them. Last night I went on-line and found a recipe for date bars. Today I made them and they were delicious. (mmmmm) Date bars and a glass of ice tea....a wonderful treat. Both Kathleen and Andy said they were good too. The recipe was found at: www.tablespoon.com/recipes/date-bars-recipe/1/ As we get closer to Christmas I will bake the mincemeat bars.

Tomorrow we need to create some Christmas cards. Eleven days until Christmas Eve! The time is starting to go quickly. Kat and Andy have been busily filling the space under the tree with many beautiful presents--they are going to be ready--it will be fun!

Victoria and Nick took Madison to her meet this weekend. Victoria told me about a wheel on her car "wiggling". She said a mechanic had looked at it and said it was her tires. I just had a problem with the pickup vibrating badly, even after I got new tires. It turned out to be some very bad u-joints. I pray the Lord will keep her safe. Perhaps it IS just a need for new tires, although that is dangerous enough!

I can't tell you how many times the Lord has brought me through danger on the roads. One time, I was driving from Shelby to Cut Bank, on a winter day a number of years ago. The highway looked clear, however, as I hit the shade, from the interstate passing over it, the road was solid black ice. Before I had a chance to realize it, the Scout did a complete 360 degree spin and then with a "thunk" the wheels hit dry pavement and continued on down the road. It happened so fast, there was no time to react. If the ice had been longer and my speed slower or faster, I would have wrecked or at least gone into the ditch.

There are miracles all around us, all the time. As I walked back from the roadway today, it seemed amazing that we can breathe air that is -9 degrees and not freeze our lungs -- whether we breathe through our nose or our mouth. What about the eyes...how is it that they have enough salt in them to keep from freezing and yet not enough to burn the eye. How could anyone believe such wonders happened by chance? Not just by chance, but billions and billions of chances that turned out perfect! Our God is good!