SCORE!

We're at the laundromat and since we decided to go to the laundromat, we took sleeping bags (the dogs pulled them out of the bin and had been sleeping on them) and all bedding with us.  So we used quite a few of the machines.  After I got everything loaded, I went to the used book store next door.  I had Charlie come with me since he is an avid reader and he started picking out a whole bunch of books.  (I only had him put one back because I was not going to spend $5.00 on a comic book.)  Come to find out, the sweet lady couldn't make change and had me go to the pawn shop next door.

The lady at the pawn shop was really sweet.  There was an old gas stove there for $400.  It had six or eight  burners and a nice oven as well as several drawers.  I'm thinking to myself "if this can be used for propane...."  I get my change and asked a couple of questions and said I would send my husband over.

We go back to the book store and Charlie picked out a few more books.  I found some spectrum workbooks that had never been touched by the look of them for $3.00 a piece so I got one for Charlie and a couple for Bethany.

I get back to the laundromat and talk with Husband about the stove.  He goes to take a look and comes back and we discuss it.  Then I asked "can it be converted for sure?"  He goes back and looks more.  He takes it apart to see more detail and comes back.

It can't be converted and there are old wasps nest inside.  No.  But, there is a wood stove.  It is a six burner with an oven.  It is $300.  Our wood burner is tall and has two burners and no oven.  The only problem with the one we're looking at is that the wood burning area is small.  There is no stocking it to burn all night long.  We will have to keep it fed.  Hmmm.  Cedar burns fast.  Hickory and oak burn slow.  Keeping a 40 quart stock pot of water will keep moisture in the air which will hold heat better.  I'm up several times a night anyway.  So is Husband.  A friend of mine uses hot water bottles for her family and her children are thriving.  So, we fill hot water bottles and hand them out to sleep with as R has done for the past few winters (remembering that Indiana is colder than here) and we agree on an outdoor temperature.  If it drops below that at night, we will use an emergency heater so we don't risk the wood stove going out and us freezing.

So, after much discussion, we decided to get the stove.  I went back, looked at it, and told them we will pick it up either tomorrow or Saturday.  We then got to talking for a few minutes and I discovered that this lady I was talking with at the pawn shop is the daughter of the lady who runs the used book store.  We also got on the discussion of children and I mention that I homeschool.  So does she.  Wonderful!

By the way, I love her and the pawn shop's sense of humor.  On the door going in, it says "PLEASE REMOVE SKI MASK AND UNLOAD GUN BEFORE ENTERING PAWN SHOP." 

Anyway, laundry is done including blankets, sheets, sleeping bags.  There was a lady there that gave me old sheets and pillow cases since I am talented when it comes to sewing.  The employees and owner of the laundromat are sweet and gave each of the children a small toy.  The used book store has a policy of giving a child a free book.  Plus we found a bunch of other books for the children to read that Charlie picked out.  (He of his own accord picked out books for his sisters after he picked out some books for himself.)  I got some never used Spectrum books for Charlie and Bethany.  And, we will be getting a wood stove.