One of the things I like about me (yes, it is going to be that kind of post) is that I get to stick to my principles and be pretty damn comfortable at the same time.
Because my first principle is flexibility.
I believe quite strongly that adapting to my situation is not just smart – it’s a necessity for happiness, safety, and, yes, comfort.
I bought an electric blanket.
Now, this might not seem to you a large thing, but I believe quite strongly that it is possible for me to live within my ability to create electricity. My boat has a wind generator (howling in these 45 knot gusts), two solar panels that are hooked up, and one that is not. Once I get the mount built for the third solar panel, I will be able to function in anything short of still gloom.
Or so I thought. Now I realize that there’s a new need in my life, and that need is for an electric blanket. It’s my own fault – I moved north in December, entered the Baltimore life in the middle of snow, and thought that we’d be able to stay warm by cuddling.
This morning, I woke up, sated with sleep, stretching my comfortable limbs and marveling at the fact that my hips didn’t ache. It was the electric blanket, for sure, because there was no portlight on my boat that wasn’t, literally, covered in a sheet of ice – on the inside. The sides of the trunkhouse were icy (and are still wet).
Last year, James and I returned from India on February 4th. We moved aboard our new boat a week later, and only a week after that, a cold snap hit. One night, we tried to go to bed and our sheets were frozen to the hull. That is not acceptable.
So, my belief in avoiding non-renewable energy whenever possible has bowed to my belief that pragmatic flexibility is first. Take care of now; plan for later.
Before another winter, I will have more natural sources of power available (at least that last solar panel). I will also have a method for distributing the heat created by my wonderful propane heater and a system for keeping spare tanks of propane full and at the ready.
I will adapt and always, always, I will head to a way, a place in my life, a road I can follow that will bring me into line with as many of my principles as possible.
The good life is self-respect, and I’ll have to strive to meet my own goals in order to respect myself. But in the meantime…
I love my electric blanket.
