The weather has closed in and the wind has risen.

This house is odd cold is OK but wind is a recipe for coolness.

The fire is in blast furnace mode which is great, I don't think I could be without a wood stove now.

Management has been out and about, she has been to a house that uses wood to drive central heating, water and cooking. I suspect we would need to get seriously organised on the wood chopping front though.

Thing is when we moved here and this is 15 years back mind we were using 1000 pounds worth of anthracite coal every winter. Then we went to oil and were using about a third of the value in fuel first winter. A combination of efficiency and cheaper fuel. Next leap was a new boiler in about 2000 which was even more efficient.

But of course oil prices went bonkers they touched 50p a litre at one stage, our heating bill was heading for 4 figures again, now we are heavily into wood.

This winter we have burnt about 120 pounds worth of wood so far OK add in a lot of hours and litres of two stroke.

So this being green thing is actually a good sound economic decision.

Today has been survived, I am coming to hate our shopping days.

Starts with a trip to bookers and a bread grab.

Kingsmill bread that retails at about 1.20 for about 15p a loaf is good value.

Then a trawl through Aldi in pursuit of value, or in English grab whats cheap.

But today was frankly GREAT.

There in their specials section was the dream Xmas presssie, a box with a recorder (ohhh yes) A harmonica (welcome to pain) a tambourine (yes yes) and castanets (awesome). The very things to give my step grand kids for Xmas.

Serenity may never speak to me again - all in all a win win situation.

Actually she is not a bad old thing.

Maybe I will suggest Perfecto goes there for Xmas, now that would really make sure she never speaks to me again.

R