Hello and Seasons Greetings to all of you!  Hope you’ve all gotten through the Christmas holiday with a renewed sense of peacefulness and optimism.

I’ve just returned home from an incredibly enjoyable and relaxing family Christmas gathering at my sister’s home nearly 400 miles away.  Getting the whole family together seems to be more and more difficult every year as all the kids are growing up really quickly - I’m sure you can all relate in these hectic times we live in.

Part of what made the holiday so special was being able to spend it at a slower pace at my sister and brother-in-law’s turn of the century Victorian home.  There’s just something magical about playing games around the cracking and toasty warm wood burning fireplace with the family - it’s such a fantastic way to rekindle those all too stressed sprits!

Of course, my sister and her husband are the most gracious hosts possible to their guests.  All meals were totally savory and delicious.  With fourteen people all staying in one home for five days, quarters were a little tight from time to time, but then again, that’s what spending time with family is supposed all about, isn’t it?

As comfortable as things were, there was just one little thing that I vow to learn from.  As silly as it might sound, it was nearly impossible to get a good hot shower!  I’m sure the home’s hot water heater was probably totally over taxed with all fourteen people vying for those precious few gallons of heated water and there’s not much that can be done about it.

But it does have me thinking anyway.  While my home isn’t quite as large, there will be certain occasions that I’ll expect to have a house full of weekend guests in the near future.  I’m about due for a new water heater in my home regardless and I’m thinking if the best solution might be to go with one of the newer style tankless water heaters.

I don’t know all that much about them at the moment, but after this weekend, I really think I ought to look into them a little bit more to see if they just might be the solution.  I mean, I know they’re supposed to be more efficient, but can they really keep up with high demand?  How long does it take to recover the initial installation expense with money saved from reduced energy costs?

Again, right now, I have more questions than answers, but I’ll report back here just as soon as I can.  Until then, enjoy the rest of the Holiday season and stay warm!