I made tea and held my hands around it. Turned the living room heat pump off so that it wouldn’t blow on the oil burner thermostat. Turned the temperature on the thermostat up so the furnace would come on. After the gentle and consistent air of the heat pump, the air from my registers became too hot and too cold. I could smell a faint noxious petroleum smell, even though the oil company had recently checked the tank.

One space heater was left in a spare room even after the heat pump installations, but I never needed to use it last year. This year I brought it out and set it beside my feet, but the temperature also was inconsistent — too hot and too cold. I was spoiled by those heat pumps.

Sometimes when wrapped up in writing, I ignore the practical aspects of winter in Vermont. My thoughts emerged from my writing enough to become clear that I needed to do something — and then even what I could do. Call the heat pump company and ask for help. I spoke to an office person who called the original installer, Tom, and he called right back and was here early the next morning. He opened the top of the heat pump inside unit and politely mentioned that I could wash the filters. I looked at them for the first time.