A Lucky Escape

We had a very lucky escape this week. Since Hannah was born, there's been a strange smell developing in our lounge. Now, plenty of jokes come to mind involving new baby and bodily functions, but it wasn't that kind of smell.

We had three bunches of flowers plus the display from Church last Sunday and we were beginning to just think we had a strange smelling flower. We'd got rid of the lilies as they affect my breathing, but it wasn't them that smelled. It was a stale kind of smell but there was nothing lying around that shouldn't have been. So what was it??

We got back from the Corps on Wednesday having helped at the Cafe and attended Playgroup/Parents & Toddlers and the smell was strong but this time had a gas element. So I went to the boiler which is behind the gas fire in the lounge and switched the supply off just in case. Still had a bit of the smell around so switched the boiler back on ... well, I tried too! It wouldn't relight! So, a quick trawl through the latest Glenrothes Gazette to find a "man who could" and an hour and a half later he appeared. Wondered if I had a "Rogue Trader" cos he had that look, but turns out I was safe. Safe from him but not it seemed from our boiler. It was caked in soot which creates Carbon Monoxide otherwise known as the silent killer. But its odourless so why did we smell something. Well, it was the flowers...not bad smelling in themselves but they picked up the Carbon Monoxide and radiating it on as a dodgy smell. What's frightening is that we don't always have fresh flowers in the house - and certainly not so many at one time. Once again, God had perfect timing. He was protecting us from serious injury or worse. The Heating Engineer came back the following day to give the boiler a thorough clean up, repair and service and, while we had to fork out £100, its a small price to pay considering what could have been the alternative.

So thanks to our neighbour, Margaret at Church (and me) for supplying the flowers; thanks to McEwan Enterprises of Kirkcaldy for their expertise and for not being too expensive; and thanks to God for his perfect protecting timing.