Heat is Cool

No, the title isn't supposed to be poetic; it is a sincere expression of my sentiments. Go a couple of days in March, in Minnesota, with a broken furnace. You will understand. Heat totally rocks. I love central heat. As a teenager, who read wa-a-ay too many Bodice Busters, I thought it would be terribly romantic to travel back in time. I was an idiot. As a middle-aged woman who has a real life, I have to say I love now. We live in an amazing place and time. Imagine life without central heat and indoor plumbing. Eeek!

People living in the Southern half of the U.S. might not properly appreciate the beauty of central heat. My friend, Joy, has long believed that those of us in the North ought to be able to deduct the cost of heat, winter coats, etc. from our income taxes. Her rational is that we spend a lot of money to live here, thereby saving the strain on the Southern infrastructure. Imagine if all of us became "snowbirds." It is expensive to stay through the winter ~ and darn chilly. I'd like to know when my share of global warming is coming. Can I have it now, please? After a few sub-zero days, one starts to think about Al Gore's broken promise. Next time it hits ten below, let's gather every available copy of An Inconvenient Truth and have An Inconvenient Bonfire to get warm.

I feel extremely fortunate. After all, I am far too outspoken and opinionated to live safely in an earlier age (or now, in many parts of the world). For that freedom, I thank every vet and all the brave women, like my mother & grandmother, who got jobs and tried independence before they settled down. It is those women who quietly entered the workaday world who made the greatest inroads for us. Suffragettes made noise, but the quiet ones got men accustomed to women who think and do. Thank you, Ladies. Thank you, Vets. God bless you all.

If you'd like to thank a vet for all they've done for us, might I suggest Operation Homefront. They earned a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator so you know the money goes where they claim. From their website:

Mission Statement

Operation Homefront provides emergency assistance and morale to our troops, to the families they leave behind and to wounded warriors when they return home. A nonprofit 501(c)(3), Operation Homefront leads more than 4,500 volunteers in 30 chapters nationwide and has provided critical assistance to more than 45,000 military families in need. Operation Homefront also operates an online magazine for military wives and women in uniform. Through this community, we reach the newest and youngest military families, instantly alerting them about our programs and other information to help them succeed in military life.


Stay warm and enjoy the weekend.