I woke up yesterday morning and realized it was just a little too cold in my house. Granted, I am one of "those" people who keep my thermostat low because it is a big house and really, I have been seeing the oil man just a little too much lately. Like my mother, and probably yours, I tell my kids to put on a sweatshirt when they complain they are cold. I keep the thermostat at 68 during the day and 64 at night. This morning however, was different all together. I swear I could see my breath and the dogs were spooning on me. When I finally had the courage to get out from under the covers and the look at the thermostat, it was 51 friggin' degrees in my house! So I pull on my boots, coat, gloves, grab the flashlight and head outside to go to the basement. That is one of the things about old houses - you can't get to the basement from inside. I pull open the bilco door that weighs a ton - I go down the dark, creepy stairs into the dark creepy basement and head to the burner which is not on. I push the reset button and thank you lord it fires up and springs back to life! An hour later, it is only 54 degrees on the first floor. It is freezing but the radiators are on, it just takes a long time to get the heat everywhere.

I am lucky. My burner came back on though I will call the oil guy and have it checked. I know there are many people out there who aren't lucky - whose burner didn't come back on or who don't have the money to spend on oil or the burner man. Who maybe don't have a home to heat. So as I sat freezing yesterday morning in my beautiful house and listened to my kids complain about how cold it is - I reminded them of those who don't have and said be grateful for what you do have. Then I started to feel like my mother all over again - but I decided to say nothing about the starving children in Africa...

Hope you are all staying warm this weekend!