Sun is out - Cold day in Alaska

It is a lovely day out there today. The sun is shining. The snow looks lovely. There are small glimmers of sunlight refracting off the snow. And it is COLD.Until the sun moved around to the porch side of the house the temperature out on the porch was 13 degrees Fahrenheit and dropping. Now that the sun is on that side of the house, the thermometer is saying it is 16 and rising.

Inside... it is finally up to 69 degrees Fahrenheit in the living room where dad is. He's still cold, but it is a tolerable cold with blankets piled on him in his chair. The thermometer in the hallway, just around the corner from the fireplace, the reading is 65. I think over here where I am by the back door it is more like 63. I can at least take the sweater off, so I'm happy as long as dad stays warm. I don't even want to think of what it is in the back bedrooms with the doors closed. Think they're in the mid 50's or cooler.

I can't wait until we can get the heater fixed and the house can stay warm. I plan to start it at 72 degrees Fahrenheit, which is what dad needs to stay warm, and slowly back it down to where he can stay warm, but it is not kept so warm that the heater has to work hard to keep the house warm.