:Ah! Warmth!

Like Lawrence, Laura was one of mom’s cats. Mom had three groups of cats. Her house cats. Her grooming shop cats. Her barn cats. The house cats lived 24/7/365 in the house. The grooming shop cats were free to come and go. The barn cats lived outside 24/7/356.

Laura was a house cat. She’s been my house cat since mom died eleven years ago. Our house is heated with a combination of things, the ratio varies depending on the year and our mood. It’s a pain-in-the-@$$ to heat with a wood stove. It’s labor intensive. It’s messy. The indoor pollutants are probably really bad. But there’s nothing like the warmth! Roasty! Toasty!

Our house is small and simple. The main living area is open and includes the living room, dining room and kitchen. The wood stove sits in that room. The master bedroom, the only bedroom these days, has french doors which open to the living room. These rooms are all easily kept warm with the wood stove.

Sitting down a hallway from the main living area, the bathroom and library are another story. A bit chilly. Last year we incorporated two small space heaters; one for the bathroom, one for the library. Last Sunday I found Laura basking in the heat. Ah! Warmth!