Chit Chat (4)

[njsisterinChrist]

What cute idea. You can put a ribbon and bow around the door and let someone cut the ribbon.
Hubby's village grew from a very simple mantle top thing to a whole corner of our living room thing. We did want it in the basement, but our basement had a dampness problem. We put in a new pump so maybe next year we will set it up there.

I actually have a spare room in my house and I think I will make it my next Christmas project to build a Christmas village in it. I love to go garage sale-ing and picking up an item or two ever so often at a sale, I imagine I can put together something that will please the grandbabies, not to mention their parents! In fact, that might just be everyones Christmas present next year...I'll keep the door closed until we have our gathering at my house and then 'open the present'! Thanks for the inspiration!

 

[Ariel]

What a cute idea, Claire, a Christmas room for a village!

I have a friend who had an empty bedroom, and was tired of taking down and putting up Christmas--so she now has a Christmas room, complete with tree. Another lady I heard about put her Christmas tree on wheels. She covers the tree and wheels it into a closet under the stairs.

Alas, I have no such space. After a weekend of effort, my Christmas decor is now up in the attic in boxes.

Here we are, January. No more Christmas lights. And everything is brown outside... Sniff...

 

[leytonstones]

What a cute idea, Claire, a Christmas room for a village!

I have a friend who had an empty bedroom, and was tired of taking down and putting up Christmas--so she now has a Christmas room, complete with tree. Another lady I heard about put her Christmas tree on wheels. She covers the tree and wheels it into a closet under the stairs.

Alas, I have no such space. After a weekend of effort, my Christmas decor is now up in the attic in boxes.

Here we are, January. No more Christmas lights. And everything is brown outside... Sniff...

awwww....Ariel, Spring really isn't too far away and then the days will be getting longer and our gardens and parks will again be a riot of colour.

Here is a link which I hope will cheer you up. We go there every year about end of January to see the snowdrops.

http://www.rococogarden.org.uk/latest_news.aspx

Blessings

Ley

 

[Ariel]

Oh Ley, you are so kind. I went to the site, found the video and then viewed it--twice!!

Thank you so much! (((((((HUGS)))))))

 

[leytonstones]

you are most welcome.

 

[njsisterinChrist]

Good morning everyone.
I hope that you are all having a good day so far.
It is getting colder here. I am so looking forward to spring and working in the garden.
For now I guess I will be happy with the weather and cleaning out my closets and garage.

Well have a great day. God Bless
Lynn

 

[meblonde]

Good morning everyone.
I hope that you are all having a good day so far.
It is getting colder here. I am so looking forward to spring and working in the garden.
For now I guess I will be happy with the weather and cleaning out my closets and garage.

Well have a great day. God Bless
Lynn

Good Morning back at ya.
I'm in mIchigan and the high over the week nd is going to be in the teens.. It's coming your way!

Anyone have exciting plans for the weekend?

 

[clairefish]

I have plans! My youngest daughter is coming to visit for three days and I plan on basking in her warmth because the weather promises to be brrrr cold. But that's ok. We'll be together. We might bundle up Saturday morning and go garage sale-ing and on Saturday night we're having a buffet style get together with other family and friends, and then on Sunday I get to sit next to her and hear her beautiful voice in church.
I genuinely hope everyone here has as wonderful a weekend as I know I'm going to, and that's followed up with prayer for all of you!

 

[gratefulgrace]

I will have to check the links and read all your emails after work I must scoot off now. Just wanted to say Good morning and have a nice day. Jan

 

[Ariel]

Good morning all!

Here are my plans for the day: GET WARM!!!!!!

The temp this morning in West Texas was 19 degrees F, too cold for this transplanted Virginian.

I need to do something about our fireplace. It's the traditional type--log burning, although it does have a gas starter. The problem is it seems to suck the warm air out of the house every time we use it.

I've started exploring other options. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

In the meantime, I am bundling up!!!!!

Edit--reading through this, it sounds like we don't have central heat--we do, we just keep the thermostat low so that our heating bill doesn't skyrocket. I just wish that we could light a fire and actually warm up the house....

 

[davedajobauk]

how about installing a 'back-boiler' this would heat water for radiators
and also, provide a hot water system... In Summer, when you dont have a fire going
you can have an Immersion Heater in the storage tank going [for baths etc]



dave

 

[leytonstones]

Good morning all!

Here are my plans for the day: GET WARM!!!!!!

The temp this morning in West Texas was 19 degrees F, too cold for this transplanted Virginian.

I need to do something about our fireplace. It's the traditional type--log burning, although it does have a gas starter. The problem is it seems to suck the warm air out of the house every time we use it.

I've started exploring other options. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

In the meantime, I am bundling up!!!!!

Edit--reading through this, it sounds like we don't have central heat--we do, we just keep the thermostat low so that our heating bill doesn't skyrocket. I just wish that we could light a fire and actually warm up the house....

When we lived in Wales we had a range and that not only did us for cooking but it heated the hot water too. If we had stayed there long enough Rob would have connected radiators and we would have had central heating from it. I do love a range. We have a woodburner in the sitting room and we are very pleased with that.

Blessings

Ley

 

[leytonstones]

Ariel, Rob is asking if it is an open hearth you have or a cast iron woodburner?


He is suggesting if you have a stove that maybe you need to fit an index plate in the chimney, thus blanking off the flue and helping to retain the heat in the room.


I hope this helps


Blessings


Ley

 

[Ariel]

how about installing a 'back-boiler' this would heat water for radiators
and also, provide a hot water system... In Summer, when you dont have a fire going
you can have an Immersion Heater in the storage tank going [for baths etc]



dave

An interesting idea, Dave, thanks! Would this be in my fireplace?

I went out the other day to look at ceramic logs. Wow, these are pricey--about $400. And they are not really what I want. We have a lot of wood we can burn because we have tall trees which need trimmed from year to year.

So I am looking for a way to use the natural fuel already available to us, so far unsuccessfully.

 

[Ariel]

When we lived in Wales we had a range and that not only did us for cooking but it heated the hot water too. If we had stayed there long enough Rob would have connected radiators and we would have had central heating from it. I do love a range. We have a woodburner in the sitting room and we are very pleased with that.

Blessings

Ley

Ariel, Rob is asking if it is an open hearth you have or a cast iron woodburner?

He is suggesting if you have a stove that maybe you need to fit an index plate in the chimney, thus blanking off the flue and helping to retain the heat in the room.


I hope this helps


Blessings


Ley

Thank you so much for the ideas, Ley!

We have a traditional brick fireplace. Interior dimensions in inches are about 42" front width, 35" back width X 28" depth, 29" tall (in centimeters, 104 front width, 89 back width X 71 depth, and 74 tall). The hearth is open. I have a grate to hold logs. There is a gas outlet with a pipe with holes in it which goes under the grate, which we use to start our fires.

It is always cold in winter, even with the flue "closed."

 

[leytonstones]

Ariel, Rob is thinking that you might be better off with a cast iron woodburner in the hearth like ours. If you had a woodburner then you might need to have an index plate fitted just inside the chimney.

Do you have insulation above your ceiling Rob is asking?


I could try and pm you a pic of ours if you would like?


Blessings


Ley

 

[Ariel]

Ariel, Rob is thinking that you might be better off with a cast iron woodburner in the hearth like ours. If you had a woodburner then you might need to have an index plate fitted just inside the chimney.

Do you have insulation above your ceiling Rob is asking?


I could try and pm you a pic of ours if you would like?


Blessings


Ley

Ley, would this stove fit into the fireplace? That would be awesome--

Yes, our ceiling is insulated. We have an unfinished attic above the living room, and there is insulation, although probably not as much as there could be. I think the problem is more with the flue--it is never really shut.

I like the idea of a stove fitted into that space. Yes, a picture would help!

 

[leytonstones]

Rob says a stove would fit in your fireplace. They come in a variety of sizes from little diddy ones upwards.

Do you have carpets or rugs in your sitting room? We have pine boards and a large rug so we tend to get a few draughts, but mainly from under doors. Just a thought.


Blessings


Ley

 

[mommysue]

I have plans! My youngest daughter is coming to visit for three days and I plan on basking in her warmth because the weather promises to be brrrr cold. But that's ok. We'll be together. We might bundle up Saturday morning and go garage sale-ing and on Saturday night we're having a buffet style get together with other family and friends, and then on Sunday I get to sit next to her and hear her beautiful voice in church.
I genuinely hope everyone here has as wonderful a weekend as I know I'm going to, and that's followed up with prayer for all of you!

Oh Claire! What a fun time you will have. It is so amazing how our children warm us up! I know you will enjoy every minute....and may the next time she comes be very soon!

 

[Ariel]

Rob says a stove would fit in your fireplace. They come in a variety of sizes from little diddy ones upwards.

Do you have carpets or rugs in your sitting room? We have pine boards and a large rug so we tend to get a few draughts, but mainly from under doors. Just a thought.


Blessings


Ley

Thank you so much, Ley! All of this is helpful.

We have wall to wall carpeting throughout most of the house. Some years ago I tore the carpeting out of the kids' bathroom, kitchen, washroom and front hall (imagine--carpeting in a kids' bathroom--what an AWFUL idea!). We put down tile instead, and I have area carpets in some of those places. But the living room is still carpeted. The hearth of my fireplace is raised, and I usually keep the glass doors of the screen closed--not that it helps a lot.

Texas homes are simply not built to hold heat. Our home is all one story, sprawling over the property--not as energy efficient in winter as a multi-story home would be. But this does make sense in summer, when the temps can be over 100 degrees F for weeks at a time. It is definitely cooler then to have a house which hugs the ground.

Another problem I could address, of course, are the drafts we get under doors. Together with the flue, these probably accoount for a good deal of our heat loss.

Ley, thank you again, and tell your DH thank you as well.

And tell him I am praying for him, and for both of you.

Thanks!