When we woke up yesterday it was in the mid-forties and this morning we were greeted by this…
I don’t know about your part of the world but March in Minnesota is referred to as Fool’s Spring. Mother Nature inevitably lures you into a false sense of security with a few forty degree days and then Boom she delivers a blizzard. After thirty years of living in this state I’ve learned to appreciate those occasional warm days this time of the year but never to let my guard down or put away the snow shovel until May.
Finally!
As I was doing my daily curation today I noticed my Hive reputation score finally hit 80. Yes! I’ve been at a 79 for what seems like a year and a half. After nearly nine years of curating and creating content on this platform this feels like a major milestone to me and I think I’ll find a way to celebrate today.
Memoir Monday
I wanted to thank you all again for the support and participation you’ve shown with this initiative! It was so much fun. A few ideas are beginning to gel about how to continue it and I’ll be reporting more about that really soon. I'm leaning towards a new, self-sustaining community that doesn't rely on weekly prompts that's a repository for important memories. I'm thinking of calling it something like Memoir-able. Does that sound like something you'd be interested in?
I Forgot…
…how much work it is to own a home! After a decade of being an apartment/condo dweller it had slipped my mind how much physical and mental energy is required to maintain a home. Believe me when I tell you we hit the ground running with this new house.
Our latest dilemma is a constant ten degree temperature difference between the upper and lower levels of our split-level home. We bought a new furnace–that didn’t solve it. At the advice of our HVAC contractor we had a new cold air return cut into the lower level wall–-that didn’t improve the situation at all.
After hours of research I think I found a full-proof solution: a wood pellet stove. These wood/pellet stoves are a literal rabbit-hole of subjectivity.
Freestanding, fireplace inserts, cord-wood burning, wood pellet burning.
There are actually many brands still made in America. After sorting through all of the different options I think we’ve settled on the Harman P43. The P43 is a good balance of performance without too much technology that could cause issues down the road. It seems even wood stoves have become hi-tech.
These are very clean-burning, run for a couple days at a time, and you can even set a temperature range on them. Unfortunately, by the time we get it installed Fool’s Spring will likely be over and we’ll have to wait until October or November to try it out but it’s Minnesota so it’s anyone’s guess.
Does anyone have experience heating their homes with cord wood or wood pellets? This will just be supplemental heat for us when we’re hanging out downstairs or if the mercury dips below -10 degrees. The 30% tax credit makes this a much easier decision.
Solfeggio Frequencies
Now that I finally have a dedicated office to write in I’m finding myself trying create a vibe that helps to coax out the muse.
A few years ago I started listening to Solfeggio Frequency tracks during meditation. As I was telling @owasco last week, I’ve begun streaming these tracks on the bluetooth speaker in my office during writing sessions. I don’t think I’ve ever found anything that has helped me focus as much as these. It’s making a real difference in my writing sessions. Maybe this will be the thing that will give me that extra push I need to get some of my work into The New Yorker magazine. We’ll find out.
Be well, make the most of this day. Thank you for reading!
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Congratulations on your new reputation in 80!!!! It is a moment to celebrate. It must be said that those sounds are doing their job: because you are writing more often! Well, the new house and writing office also take credit for awakening your muses. As for creating a community, that would be great. You should connect with people who already have the experience of creating communities, so they can give you suggestions and advice. As I was saying, you have my humble support, my friend. I send you a hug from this country that does not know about stove, but about inclement sun.
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Congrats!
I have three rooms downstairs that don't get enough heat, the three most recently added rooms to boot. You would think those would have the most efficient heat, but no siree they do not. I put a small wood burning stove in the middle of those three, and only use it on the coldest of days. It seriously reduced my electric bill! And the heat is just yummy as can be. I have to feed it a log every hour or so, a bit of an inconvenience, and where am I supposed to keep all that wood? Your pellet stove is an excellent idea.
Thanks! I've learned that these split-level homes are a nightmare to heat. I really wish we knew that before buying this place. Our furnace was thirty years old so it needed to be replaced anyway but it sure was a kick in the pants when it didn't solve the problem.
The ambiance of a wood-burning stove or fireplace beats a pellet stove any day in my book! There's something so comforting about them! It seems to warm you from the inside out. A pallet of 40lb wood pellet bags run around $300 and I think we should be able to manage most of the year with one pallet. The only issue is where to store them. No matter what I'll be getting a decent workout in the wintertime. : )
I think I feel happier when I am in wood-generated heat. I love the way it smells, too. My animals congregate around the stove when it's hot. Unfortunately, my neighbor does not feel the same way about the smell, and I can only light it when he is away. Luckily, that is most of the winter.
And yes, I do get a bit of a workout, mostly having to get down on the floor and back up again.
Oh, and I think the community is a great idea. Perhaps a prompt a month? Every week wore me out.
First, congratulations on reaching 80 HP.
So it took about a year and a half to reach that number.
And I thought I had been standing at 71 for a long time.
As for the Monday memories, I find it interesting to keep them somehow because it is a connection we have with the me of yesterday that we miss so much. Any idea will be welcome and you can count on this server. You can even propose a contest in which they suggest variants of how to continue or what to do. Although, it seems to me that a new community is also interesting.
I can't tell you anything about the heating because I have no experience with it, since the temperatures here are warm.
Congratulations again.
Happy Wednesday
Cheers and greetings.
Congrats my friend!
We woke up like that last week. Fortunately, it is warm and will be warmer incoming days.
Wow great post
We have always struggled to keep the upper and lower levels of our house at a reasonable temperature. Because the lower section is below grade it is always cold down there. We bought one of those infrared fireplace heaters that worked pretty well, but you can't really use it upstairs where the thermostat is because then the heat never kicks on. Having something in case you lose power is always a good idea. We can hook that heater up to our generator and be good to go for a while. Those frequencies sound interesting. I might have to check them out. I usually just listen to music. Congrats on hitting 80! I think the snow you got turned into rain for us!
We maybe got 7 or 8 inches in the western burbs. Hard to tell with all the drifting we had. Probably a foot and a half on the hood of our car this morning, barely an inch on the back deck.
We just moved and, for the moment at least, own two houses. Double the shoveling fun!
Congratulations on turning 80! 😅
You live in the snowland:)
I think I need something that sounds softer than that.
That stove sounds like something to have. We are going to drop back into the fifties and I hope this is the last time.
Looking forward to seeing what you come up with next.
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