When we set out to live this particular life, we knew it would be bare-bones, zero luxuries, do things the hard way. And we were prepared for that, and for 2 years we did indeed do things that way. Then a few luxuries crept in.

First, back a couple months ago we got a fridge. This has greatly reduced the amount of food spoilage. It is very very small, so we have to be cautious about how we purchase our food, but it has helped.

Next, we were given some Amazon money to spend, and as part of that purchase, we acquired a washing machine. Again, very small, but efficient and fast. Half an hour with the generator running, I can do nearly a basket worth, spin-dried to barely damp.

Then, the heatwave hit. And nights were straight-up unpleasant. We only have 2 windows in the house, and we can’t always have them open because the bugs find a way in somehow. So when the humidex is in the 40°C range, and there is no breeze, sleeping comes hard. And I started wondering if there was such a thing as solar-powered fans. And indeed, it seems there are. A full day of obsessively reading reviews, and we now own two, one for our room, one for the kids’s room. And really, they may be the best $40/unit we’ve ever spent.

In the meanwhile, I have finally begun refinishing the stovetop. This is what it looked like shortly after I started:

This is one pass with steel wool, an oiling, and half the surface sanded with 80grit metalsand cloth.

I still have 100-grit and 120-grit to go, and then a good oiling or two. Once the surface is in good shape, it will be covered by a flannel-backed vinyl tabelcloth to keep it from rusting again before the fall burn season. Then the large cutting board can go on top of that to create an auxiliary countertop, as I have very little in the way of a work surface.

I am also currently looking for a cheap futon or couch, as the one we currently have is rapidly dying. It was free with our house 12 years ago (had been their dog couch), so there is certainly no loss to us, but between the kids and animals, it is shredding and getting a bit odorous. It wont last us much longer. There’s a dead-ugly one for sale supercheap nearby. It’s going to be used hard and likely destroyed by the kids anyway, so ugly dont really matter. Throw a sheet over it.