[msdz]

I read the article about the 99? Escort heat and did some searching around but nothing really covered my problem that I found. Anyway, my problem is my Escort takes forever to heat up. I have not had it to awfully long, slightly over a month maybe but yesterday and today when it was the coldest days we have had so far I noticed my temperature gauge hardly moves at all unless I am idling for a long period of time.
The when the gauge started to move I had to drive about 1 mile down the road at about 35 MPH and the gauge went back down to showing nothing. So, I am wondering if I even have a thermostat in my car. I drove it this morning at 16*F for about 8-10 miles and it never moved at all plus I let it idle at least 5 minutes before taking off in hopes to clear off some frost on the front window. Of course it didn't remove any frost, I had to use my windshield washer fluid(Rain-X bug & de-icer) and wipers. How long should it normally take for most Escorts to warm up to a normal operating temperature?
I have only seen my temperature gauge at about the 1/4 mark on my Escort once but that was also when the temperature outside was about 70*F and I had drove it for maybe 20 miles. Is that about the right spot(1/4 way up) on the gauge for the normal operating temperature as well?
I plan on changing the thermostat just to be on the safe side, I am afraid the young boy that owned it before I did may have removed the thermostat completely. Also, would 195*F be right to use, what do most of you have for your thermostats temperature?