Staying warm

It is getting cold around here and this week I had Tetsu bring out our kerosene heater.  Here it sits in our living room with Callie's chicken potholder on top of the kettle.

 

For years and years we have had kerosene FAN heaters which means that the tank has to be filled with kerosene but the heater is run by electricity which operates a fan.  The fan blows out the hot air and keeps the heater itself from getting hot.  The cats loved sitting ON the fan heaters.

But last year after the earthquake, we (and all the rest of Japan) realized that without electricity we were without heat too.  Last winter the stores quickly sold out of these free-standing kerosene heaters.  They can double as a simple cooking element too for stews or just hot water for your tea.  Going back to basics is what I call it.

What I'd really like is a wood burning stove (as I don't really think breathing in all the kerosene fumes are good for us...) but for the few months that it would be used, it would take up too much space in our small living room.  And besides, firewood has to be bought and is considered a luxury for model houses with wood-burning stoves. 

I worried that our cats would not realize that the free-standing heater top is HOT and that they would jump up on it like they did with the fan heaters but cats are smarter than I give them credit for.

Of course Mi finds the warmest place of all.  Relaxed on a quilt... on top of sleeping Tetsu...