Day Seventeen: Today I'm Thankful for Central Heat

I was really hoping that today's post would be all about having a snow day, but no such luck.  I should know better than to get all hyped up over a "potential" of 1-3 inches of snow.  We barely got a dusting of the white stuff.  I'm sure I jinxed myself by being one of those people that rushes to the grocery store to stock up on "essentials" just because we're going to get a couple inches of snow.  But, it is what it is, and there's no snow day coming for us.  Yet.

What I am thankful for today, however, is my central heat.  We may not have got enough snow to get a snow day, but the temperatures are BITTERLY cold.  Right now, for example, it's 18 degrees with a windchill making it feel like 9 degrees.  The high for today isn't even supposed to get above freezing.  And it's on days like this that I'm so thankful that I have a good, working heat source for our house.  

In our old house, we weren't so lucky.  We had central heat, but it took everything that old unit had to get our house in to the "warm" bracket.  We usually just had to rely on bundling up in layers and using extra blankets to stay warm.  We did have a fireplace, so that helped, but when we weren't burning a fire, we were piling on the extra clothing.

Right now, I'm in a sleeveless pajama shirt and feel totally content.  Our heating bill won't be pretty this month, I'm sure, but the cost of warmth is worth it.

I am thankful for my heating today, but it also makes me worry about some of my kiddos who don't have heat.  Or those that have to stand out in this frigidly cold weather in order to wait for their school bus.  It never fails that we have several kiddos that come to school on days like this without a coat or not dressed properly for the temperatures.  But, then I'm also thankful that I work for such a great school that does everything in it's power to make sure that every single child that comes to school without a coat gets one.

I keep telling myself that I'm going to work through all of this yarn I have and make a surplus of hats, gloves, and scarves for my kiddos.  But, with such a shortage of time, it's almost impossible to make enough for every single student.  I know that sounds like a cop-out, and it is I suppose.  I could most definitely work harder to get it done.  I think that I'm going to set a goal for myself that over that Thanksgiving break, I'm going to make a hat for each one of my students.  At least that will keep their little heads warm while we're outside or while they're outside waiting for a bus or walking home from school.  I am going to put away everything else that I'm working on and just focus on 18 hats.  I should be able to get those done over the course of five days.

I'm getting off topic....

So many take for granted the little luxuries that we have, such as working heat, and I'm one of those people.  But, I also know what it feels like not to have it, and I easily remember those nights that I shivered in my bed or woke up and could see the breath coming out of my mouth.  I remember piling on blankets on top of my kids' beds or having them climb in to bed with me so that we could all keep each other warm.

Today, I'm thankful that I have heat.  I'm thankful that my family can stay warm during this arctic weather blast.  I'm thankful that everyone in my house can sleep comfortably, without having to pile on extra blankets.  It hasn't always been like that for us, which makes it that much more meaningful.

Now I'm kinda sad that we didn't get a snow day, because that means I have to leave my warm home and go out in this FREEZING weather.  But, then I get to be thankful that I get to come home to a nice, warm, cozy house tonight.

And that's something to be VERY thankful for.

Have a great Monday, everyone!