Weather and coming plans

Our weather this winter is colder harder winds than any winter in the past 10 years, this makes my 11th winter in central Illinois.   But my old house has made progress, the utility bills have never gotten over $250 for the coldest month.  I now have at least 600 more feet of living space, that is not finished so I know the attic looses heat, the kitchen windows still need replaced so they loose heat and both front and back doors need work or replaced so I loose heat there.

So, I will not gripe about high utility bills, I make progress every year on the energy gain, and the old house makes a bit of progress.

The federal return has been accepted, I will know by 2/3 when to expect the deposit into my account and the paperwork has been sent off to the surveyor so he can work up costs for me.  I hope to see that property survey done before the end of Feb., and have some funds from the tax return to at least set the corner posts for chain link fencing for most of my place.

And I have started the work on my donation to the UFDC convention this year, it will be a 16" Kish Seasons doll with a wardrobe.  I don't know how many outfits she will end up with but panties, nighty and the first dress are cut out and waiting for me to start the machine work.

Finances are snug again this week but not impossible, I have bills paid that need paid, food for humans, food for the dog and parrots, but not the extra $25 for membership in AQS, which I plan to get back in.  My state taxes still need done and this year it looks like there might be enough refund to buy the scooter a wind screen.  

I hope for some extra money for drywall as I would like to finish the ceiling in the north studio area and both the north and south end walls.  I do have part of the north end wall done but none of the south end wall, and still have both sides of the ceiling slope on the south end to do.

The current sock knitting is a pair for Jake's girlfriend, will soon be doing heels in them, she picked the yarn from my stash, and the stash grew from the vacation days I was able to cash out when I went from hourly management back to production.  I spread that extra money around, a new, large, top quality frying pan, yarns, a bit on debt, a couple pair of new jeans.

Life here looks pretty solid, not perfect, not always easy but it works, I make some progress every month on debt load, some progress on projects, and am content, often happy.