Turning Off the Heat

I want to try an experiment this year. I'd like for our family to make a real effort to live off the land. I want to really think it through and look for ways to use our blessings more effectively.  I think when we analyze just how we've utilized the resources we have, we will be both happily surprised in some areas, and terribly ashamed in others.  So, during 2010 we challenge ourselves to do our very best to use the blessings God has given us here on this land. We'll start with a challenge this month, and more challenges will follow this one ~assuming we all survive and don't get too grouchy.

Now, I realize there will be some times that we just have to give in and use all the modern conveniences that we enjoy ~ For example, while I love the smell of laundry hung on the fence to dry, my ragweed allergies prohibit drying clothes outside for a couple months per year, so in the dryer they will go. Insect allergies keep some of my children from helping with the garden much when the bugs are bad, so we may be shopping for our veggies more during those times. And we do all love to eat garden-fresh broccoli, but just how much broccoli can we expect our children to consume (and even more importantly, at what level of broccoli consumption do children begin to turn greenish?) And although I know some Native Americans made a good living off the nuts, I believe that man cannot live on pecans alone, even here at Pecan Bluff. Nope, this won't be real pioneer living by a long shot. But surely there are ways to work a little harder and really use the stuff we have right outside our door, right?

We are starting off our challenge by nixing the use the our central heat for one whole month. We will use only our wood stove to heat the whole house. Of course, we decided to take this challenge long before the blast of arctic air came swooping all the way into Texas, bringing the coldest temperatures we've seen in a while. But, a deal is a deal, and we've already double-dog-dared each other, so the heat stays off.  Meanwhile, we are keeping the woodstove blazing, drinking hot tea, layering on the clothes when in the chilly back bedrooms, and peeling off those layers when we head to the living room where the stove keeps the temperature downright balmy.

Tonight we are expecting temps in the single digits, so we will see how we do in our little challenge. Obviously, no small children will be frozen in this little experiment, but they may have to wear socks around the house this month.

Let's just see how much of that good old pioneer moxie we still have here at Pecan Bluff!