....they came as Roofers

As you know, we have had extended company for quite some time. The Roofers.

They have been here since before the cold and wind of winter came and settled in.

To be honest, I do believe it has to be the longest roofing project in roofing project history :)

I truly thank God it has been. It was part of His plan.

A little history:

Our house was built in 1852. We have the original Abstract from when the United States Government gave the property on which our house was built to the very first owner in 1841. That gentleman then sold the property to the next owner, for $50.00, this owner, a Lumber Barron, built our home in 1852.

We have all the paperwork; Abrstracts, Deeds of Sale, Wills, and Titles for our home. Despite its age, it has actually had very few owners. One family owned it for a few generations. Another family lived and raised their family in it for nearly 40 years. It has been loved, well-maintained and cared for.

The house has had updates and renovations, but nothing that has torn up the home; like you often see in the older houses. It has had electricity and plumbing put in :). Has new windows but in the original frames, is amazingly insulated and a good solid house.

The house is 4 levels. It has a full basement, 1st floor, second floor where the bedrooms are and a 4th floor unfinished (except one room that was the maid's quarters). The house is heated with large radiators by a new "mini" boiler/hot water heater combo. (If you have seen some of the old boiler systems you will understand, ours has been updated from that). Our house, despite its age, was built to be and should be very energy efficient.

This brings me to my point.

We received a gas bill for this month of over $900.00. Yes, that is right. That is not electricity, which is what most of our home is run off of. We only use gas for the dryer and to light the boiler when it needs to kick on to heat the water to heat the home. Those of you that know and love me, know I am NOT using $900.00 worth of dryer time. The ignition in the boiler doesn't kick on very often because the house is pretty good about maintaining its temperature, but with the extreme cold weather and the kids being home and in and out of the house it has been doing extra duty, but not something that would justify that amount.

The roofers have nearly finished their job. They sealed up the main roof on Tuesday and packed up their gear to set out the cold spell we are in. They only have the porch to do now. On Tuesday, I had a terrible headache. I was feeling rather dizzy and light-headed. I have felt this way on and off all winter. Last week I had a headache I would have gladly chopped my head off for to get rid of.

Yesterday, when Dave told me about the gas bill, after I picked myself up off the floor, I told him he needed to call the gas company to make sure it was correct. He did. He called me back and told me they had told him we have the highest amount of gas usage for a residential property they have seen. He then told me I needed to turn something off. I don't have anything to turn off!! I explained that this did not make any sense. I mentioned my headaches and told him that people that have come into the house amidst the smell of gingerbread, cinnamon, vanilla and other assorted spices they have told me they smell gas. When my dad was here back in September he told me he smelled gas. He thought it was coming in thru a drain in the basement. Every time I heard this I got a few more air fresheners and candles, put a doily on it and called it good. All old houses have "their" smell. I guess my houses smell is similar to gas.

Well, in light of the bill, headaches, smell of gas, I told Dave we needed to have the gas company come and check for a leak.

When the man arrived, he walked in the front door and his little gas thingy midigy just about exploded from activity. His first words "there is a gas leak in this house and not a small one". By the time he got to the staircase to go down to the basement his gas thingy was rockin and rollin. He went over to the boiler and showed me the thingy's reading was 70%. The boiler was leaking gas big time. He immediately shut the gas off.

He was amazed that the house had not exploded. Asked me how I could be standing this. I told him about the headaches and that I thought they were from the roofers banging on the roof all day. "Roofers?" Yes, we have had roofers here all winter. "They have had the roof opened up?" Yes, bats have been flying in, snow has melted in our hallway, rain has came thru our light fixtures and ceiling, yes, they have had the roof opened up.

"It has saved your life".

He explained to me the process of the gas rising and, because the roof has been open, it has had a way to get out of the house. The boiler hadn't started to "pour" out gas until the weather turned real cold and the boiler needed to kick in more often (about the time the roofers started the roof in November). With the roofers closing the house up on Tuesday and the fridgid temperatures the house would have exploded at anytime. If they had not been working on the roof; it already would have.

God had whispered in my ear to explore everything further. I thank him and praise him that I listened.

Our gas was turned off. The boiler man was called yesterday, and of course, it is the main part of our boiler and the parts had to be ordered and overnighted. We didn't have any heat last night or today, and right now it is 22 below out. We are cold but we are alive. They are working on the boiler as I write this and hopefully will have everything up and running in a few hours.

Again. We are cold. We are alive. I couldn't be more grateful.

Angels............they came as Roofers.

Say a Prayer for the Roofers!!

Yes.....they are still up there!

We are in the middle of a blizzard with unbelievable low temperatures and they are up there on that roof!

It's Warming Up!

The temperature is now 10 degrees above zero.........a heat wave!

It has been sooooo cold. Today the sun is shining bright and it is actually quite a beautiful day. I am planning on finishing up whatever decorating I am doing outside today.

It has been real difficult working my Christmas decorations around the roofers. Yes, they are still here. They took a few days break because of the extreme cold. Saturday they came back and were tearing things apart and continuing on with their mess. Sunday morning I woke up early to get ready to go meet a bride and groom to look at flowers at the wholesaler for their wedding. As I was in the bedroom I looked out the window and noticed it was raining outside. Yes, pouring down rain. I walked out into the hallway and then noticed it was not only raining outside........it was also raining in the hall! The roofers had not covered up any of what they had been tearing apart on Saturday and now we had it raining on the 3rd floor and leaking down into the 2nd floor of the house. I got Dave out of bed and he began running around finding whatever buckets, pans, containers he could to stop the rain from hitting the hardwood floors. What a mess!!!

We finally got a hold of the roofers and over they came. The water got into the floor on the 3rd floor, which has (had) blown insulation in it. They had to begin tearing up the floor and pulling all of that insulation out of there. Now not only is the roof torn apart, horse trailer parked in our car port, ladders hanging off of the roof.........we now have the floor torn up, missing insulation and a ruined ceiling on the second floor.

Not only is it heating up outside..........our temperatures have risen quite a bit as well!!

We really have quite a mess on the 3rd floor!

On a lighter note:

It is nearly Christmas!

Theodore waiting for Santa

We are baking at my house tomorrow. Gingerbread Men and Rum Cakes. If you care to join us........be here by 9:30.....although we are telling Kathy 9:00 because then she will be here by 9:30!

I am really wanting to do a craft project for some friends, teachers, mailman, and yes....maybe even the roofers...........(they have had a hard week!!). I am in hopes of getting the supplies this morning, if I do, and get them done, I will post pictures and show you what they are. If not, you will have to wait until next year!

Although the cold can be quite miserable, it can also be quite beautiful. Kyle and I went down to the river and stood out in the elements (and believe me, that winding coming across that river was some serious elements at -45 degrees windchill). I took some photos and thought I would share some with you.

Roof Project

It's coming along. They are probably about 1/2 done.

I asked them if they would mind hanging the Christmas lights while they were up there.

Don't think it's going to happen.

'Zat You, Santa Claus?

No, it's the roofers!

Dancing and prancing, hammering and sawing...........and needless to say two wiener dogs in the house going nuts barking!

Oh the joy the season brings, when they decide to do home improvement things.

Forget the Christmas caroling, bring on the wheelbarrowing!

No time for baking and holiday cheer, too busy eating frozen sandwiches in the ice cold wind here.

I do feel sorry for these guys, it cannot be much fun. I just hope they have cleared away their mess by the time Santa and Rudolph are ready to come!

Day 2 of the roof project.

Stop the Christmas Decorations...It's Time for a New Roof!!

They were supposed to do this in August. But, why do it when it is warm and not snowy and icy? Makes perfect sense to me. Wait until December in Wisconsin to begin the HUGE project of getting a new roof on this house!

The house needs a new roof and everything has been chosen and paid for. Shingles were delivered in August and sat in the boulevard for nearly 2 months. I then received a telephone call that the roof was too difficult to begin this late in the season. I was told they were going to wait until spring, and I told them to come and get the product off of the boulevard. They did.

Today I look out my front window and a horse trailer is pulling into my driveway and soon thereafter about 5 vans pull in and men start jumping out hauling ladders, plastic, wheelbarrows, boards........you name it, it was coming onto my yard. Next thing I know they are on the roof and things are flying down. I went out there to find out what is going on.........."Well, no time like the present!?!"

I thought the little red tree looked crumpled before. Who knows how it is going to look after this! So much for hanging the Christmas lights and garland this afternoon.