Answering some comments...

Great thoughts, ladies, thank you.

Kristi...LOL, yes "that grill" was a Father's Day gift. He wanted a large enough grill to cook for the entire family, and maybe something worth taking to church for fellowship meals in the summers and such. That's the biggest I could find for him. It's certainly large enough and we've used it quite a bit -- well, he has used it quite a bit. I'm very much an novice with the grilling. Of course, I suppose if I can't manage using a grill, I probably don't deserve a cookstove.

Insulated curtains won't help us really...maybe something along those lines for summer with the heat, but we really don't have much in the way of windows at all in this trailer. And what we do have are covered with thick curtains now. I swear the cold just walks right through the walls in a trailer. The double windows are on the north side, yes, but they are under a large expanse of porch roof, and the porch is wrapped closed right now. Not even enough light for day use coming in those.

Trixi...as far as I'm concerned, I DO live in a tin can. Trailers in Mississippi with the storms and the intense heat just don't make sense to me I guess. It's a solar cooker in the summer and an ice box with a bit of cold and wind in the winter.

We are going wood heat. By this next week I plan to have the cookstove moved out of the way and a woodstove in place. I already have all the piping, I'll put in the cement board on the wall and floor and if Dewey can make it home next weekend, it will be installed. If he can't, I'll go desperately begging the men at church to lend a hand in my time of distress :o) With all the children looking suitable pathetic for effect :o) One way or another, it will get put in. I can manage the piping well enough myself, but I can't frame up this window we're taking out and get it set up for the thimble. I don't have clue one as what I'm doing when it comes to wood and tools I'm afraid.

I'm looking at small and basic...a woodstove like the Boxwood or something similar. They are inexpensive for the most part, and for no more heat than I really need here, I think they'll work decently. I'd have to check into them more as they do have some sloppy workmanship in some and are not air-tight without some work. We just need something on the compact side...there isn't a lot of space in here, and once you start moving things for proper clearances...we'd most likely be climbing over a stove.

I can get a pick-up load of seasoned wood for about $45 right now. I could probably go better than that and scrounge the homestead for all the downed trees. Wood will be the least of my trouble I'm sure :o)

I'm going to make some trips this week and check out what's available locally. I know Scrugg's sells several stoves this time of year, but they tend to be rather over-priced. Of course, I need it, so I can't really quibble about prices too much.

Ann'Re...out electric company doesn't do budget billing. You get one bill each month, with the disconnect date included on the bill. They show up on that disconnect date and pull your plug if you don't have the bill paid in full. Electric companies, water companies, even some phone companies down here are totally different than what I'm used to. They are private companies down here in many counties, more like co-ops. When we first set up electric here, we had a huge deposit ($375). I immediately hit the office wanting to know why I had such a large deposit...we left no outstanding bills back north, I had never in my entire life stepped a toe in the state let alone ever had service in my name, so why such a deposit? Down here, the 'service' is connected to the address, not a person. Apparently this place had a history of no pay, hence the deposit to get any power turned on. Miffed me beyond measure. I have no problem paying my own failings, but to get stuck footing the bill for someone else?! One time, when Dewey changed jobs, his pay period changed. My billing was due on Tuesday and we wouldn't have a check until Thursday. They refused to hold my check or make any arrangements, though we had already been her a year, showed we were paying on time, etc. Told me if they made exception for me, they'd have everyone expecting it. We had to go to a church down here and get money from them, giving them our check to deposit 2 days later. It's insane.

Laundry is already done totally in cold water. We never use hot water, not even warm. I think a new hot water heater is in the plan here as well very soon. Until then, heating water on that grill sounds like a good idea. LOL....I could totally freak out the olders and set up the porch area as an outdoor bath area :o) It's already been wrapped in a blue tarp (it looks byond hillbilly, but it's what I had and the wind was really whippin' at the time!). A nice sized wash tub, heat from the grill and the hot water...I can just see Jennifer's face now :op

During the day here, we are in the living/dining room and kitchen area. It's all open, so there's no way to effectively close off any area. We have a door up on the hallway to the bedrooms, just a bi-fold style, but it's better than nothing. I need something at the laundry room...it's not really easy to put up a door there, or a curtain, as it's practically on top of the stove, but we need to do something. The laundry area is basically an open closet in the kitchen, with the back door located in there as well. It's a tiny space, but set up odd as far as being able to close it off really. I need to think on that some more.

We dress about as layered as we can stand here...bloomers and slips, dresses then arpons, usually a sweater over that. Nighttime is thick quilts on the beds and flannel jammies and socks ;o) Up north, I could well layer and insulate nicely, but down here, not long into the day you're shedding layers like mad. That's why I think a small sort of heat stove would be perfect for us. I'm not looking to supply the heat like we did up north, just basically keep the chill out. LOL...with the way we heated up north, I could bank that fire and keep it nice down here for days.

We don't do overhead lights much at all in our rooms. There is a single bulb fixture over the sink, and it's basically all we use in the kitchen as it is. We do have overhead lighting in the living/dining room, but it's rarely used...maybe when I vac the floors so I can spot those Legos ;o) Other than that, we have 2 table lamps when more lighting is needed than the oil lamps. I like the Alladin lamps, and I've seen them work -- so much more light than my oil lamps here -- but there's the practicality of fuel for permanent use and storing it. We talked about trying a couple of the Colemman lanterns...either can or liquid fuel style. They offer the light, the tanks are a bit easier stored...but still, not reallly a perfect option. I think we need to simply flow with the natural seasons. Up with the roosters, down with the hens ;o) Of course, our chickens are leaving for the coldre climate of the freezer (until I get them canned for the pantry, that is) so we'll have to use an alarm clock, but the idea is the same -- work while the day is dawning :o) When it gets dark, working is finished for the most part. That will limit our lamp oil usage down.

Time to go woodheat hunting....