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Diary entries cover a variety of topics, some of which you may find triggering. These topics include self-harm, suicide and domestic violence.
7 Jan 2025
Q&A

Gabriel K

how are you navigating this cold snap?

Yeah, is super tricky with the heating costs, when the kids aren't in, there is no chance that heating is going on in the house, which is a big issue for me. I've got a mess. I'm supposed to have like an even temperature about 19/18 or else I have a lot of pain, like lots of pain in my legs. So, especially in my back.

Very kindly, my church last year, gifted me, electric blanket, which is amazing if you're sitting down. So, if I'm watching a film or something, or just sitting in the living room, I use that. However like my kitchen has got no heating whatsoever is horrific. You can see my breath when I was in there making tea, there's nothing I can do about it, it's just not possible or can't afford a refit of a kitchen.

I just have to wear as many jumpers as I can physically put on to go in there and I'm in and I'm out. And then the doors will be short. And I'm constantly saying, shut the door, shut the door, shut the door, to the kids. So that's it. We've got thermals a trying heat, the person rather than the house because we're in and out of different rooms.

I'm constantly, we've got curtains everywhere thermal stuff everything from the charity shop. Wherever I can find to mummify the house problem is it's a it's a Victorian semi with no cavity walls and stuff. So there is limits to what I can do. So I'm trying my best but I am worried about the bills coming in. I'm not going to lie, I'm trying to squirrel a little bit of money away and just be frugal as even more frugal to try and stop it.

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Use Gabriel K's words in your own research or editorial
Changing Realities (2023), Gabriel K. https://changingrealities.org/e/afPug (07 Jan 2025)
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