The snowy cold days have given me a lot of time to question things I do and wonder if I should change some things in my country life. I've had to say to myself many times this winter, "Cheer up Buttercup! There have been days I've felt like Eeyore with that dark black cloud following me as I go about my day. Let's just say, it's been a challenge to be positive as I go about my routine with the freezing temperatures that seem relentless.
Here's some questions I've asked myself this winter.
1. Do I really want to live in Ohio?
2. Do I really want to live in an old farmhouse?
3. Why does it take two wood pellet stoves and a fuel oil furnace to heat a house?
4. Why isn't this house insulated properly?
5. Why do we wait until the coldest day of winter to call the guy to clean the fuel oil furnace?
6. Why does fuel oil cost so much?
7. Why don't I have batteries in the radio and flashlight during a power outage?
8. Why don't I have power when my neighbors lights are on?
9. Do I really want to keep chickens when they don't lay eggs?
10. Why haven't I learned to roll up a 50' heavy-duty extension cord?
11. Why do wood pellets for the stove come in 40# bags?
12. Why do the wood pellets for the stove spill on the floor every time I put them in the stove?
13. Why do automatic generators cost thousands of dollars and why can't I have one installed?
14. Why doesn't my car start in freezing weather. Oh, I need a new battery? Why do I wait until
winter to get a new one?
15. Why does the pellet stove motor blow-up in February?
16. Why does my dog shed more in the winter and why doesn't he want to stay outside awhile? Oh, that's right. It's twenty degrees everyday!
17. Why can't my car be parked in the garage in the winter? Oh I forgot, seems its a storage building.
18. Why can't cows drink from the pond? Oh, it's frozen! That must be why they have to be watered twice a day. But thankfully, that's my husband territory.
19. Do I really want to stay in my house all winter? Maybe this retired teacher should get a job? Oh, teachers aren't working much lately....snow days continue. Maybe I could do some other job?
20. Do I spend too much time on Facebook?
21. Should I cook more meals?
22. Should I clean my house better?
23. Why don't I like to shop? That would get me out of the house.
24. Why don't I read more novels?
25. Why don't I write a novel?
26. Why don't I read the Bible more?
27. Why are my feet always cold?
28. Why don't I exercise and eat right?
29. Why don't I sleep well?
20. Why is Jay Leno leaving The Tonight Show?
21. Why do the women on The View talk all at the same time?
22. Why do real estate taxes come at the same time as house insurance?
23. Why is my retired teacher's salary $110 less? Oh right, the crappy insurance went up!
24. Why do my sweatpants keep falling down? Maybe I should go shopping and buy some.
25. When will it be Spring? I thought Punxsutawney Phil was a quack, but it looks like Buckeye Chuck was the quack. Bah!
26. When am I going to get a new house? What am I waiting for? I'm certainly not getting any younger!
Some of these questions may never be answered, but I've got to remember this:
~God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.~
Oh, and one more thing, "Cheer Up Buttercup! :)
