Concord Grapes

Here’s a little peek at what will be happening in my country kitchen tomorrow 🙂

Heating with Wood

The woodpile is now stored and ready for winter.  Growing up with a wood stove, to me there is no better warmth.  I love the heat of the stove, the glow in a dim lit room of the flames dancing all around, and the smell.  I can relax just thinking about it!

Sadly, the cost of wood has now reached the point that the money spent is about the same as using gas to heat your house.  With the cost of gas prices (think chainsaws, 4 wheelers to tow the cut wood, tractors to haul down the trees and a truck to deliver) the days of saving money heating with wood are disappearing.

We live on 30 acres of land full of trees and dead wood.  Our schedules with work and life do not allow for all the homesteading dreams I have in my head and lumbering our own wood just does not fit into the schedule for a full winters heat.  We do enough for our bonfires and fires outdoors in the burn barrel at our ice skating rink and that takes a good amount of time.  So we have to purchase our wood.  I am not sure this will be an option much longer for us with the high price of split wood in our area now.

We burn 13-16 cord of wood from October through March.  Some months our gas bills are less than $50 because we do not use the furnace as much as possible.  I am hoping next year prices will remain the same but I’m not banking on it.

My kids have never known a winter without a woodburner heating the house.  They run to it in the morning and warm their clothes by it before putting them on for school.  They stack wood on the porch so we can “kick it up” when they want it warmer.  They spend the time in the house in the winter in shorts and t-shirts and God forbid they have to put on a pair of socks!!

I am already picturing the stove all stocked up, the smell outside of the wood, and the glowing games of Yahtzee on a snowy night!

Melville Reuben Bissell

Melville Reuben Bissell was born today, September 25, 1843.  Melville Bissell created the first carpet sweeper.

Following a financial breakdown which caused the Depression (Panic of 1873), Melville realized inventing something would offer financial security and set to work on creating the carpet sweeper.  He patented his product in 1876.

                                           

In 1884, a fire destroyed his plant.  But he rebuilt and actually expanded his business.  Sadly in 1889 Melville died from pneumonia.

The Bissell name and business was carried on by his wife Anna.  Anna Bissell became the first woman to hold the position of Chief Executive Officer in America.