Walnut Oatmeal Patties

In the wee hours of the morn, I was up making a fire in the woodstove. The house was warm when we all went to bed but the north wind picked up in the night and brought cold temperatures. It was 4 am now and the house was dark and cold. I wanted to have the house toasty warm for the family when they all got up. My dear husband works hard even before he ever heads off to his job. Bringing in firewood, doing outside chores etc. so I wanted to have a warm house for him to wake up to. This man is the joy of my life and I want to do anything I can to make things pleasant for him.
As I sat before the stove, billows in hand, coaxing a fire to come alive in this cold stove, I thought about this old house of ours, so well insulated now and rooms added on from its original design to accommodate our family and our way of life. Its a shot gun house, built at the turn of the 20th century, 1 x 12 " boards horizontal, bat and board design. Almost no 2x4"s in the original construction. Window frames thin and a miracle they stood.
Tar paper over the boards for insulation. One room after another like a train car. There was no bathroom in its beginning. Cold air must have blown through the thin walls in winter. Perhaps even snow falling through the cracks and making small heaps on the floor. One can only imagine a small family huddled around a woodstove, freezing cold.
After a few minutes the fire blazed bright in the stove. I closed the damper down a bit, and climbed the little step stool into my feather bed and pulled up the down comforter. Thankful for the warmth and with a smile on my face knowing I will have surprised my husband with a warm house when he wakes up in an hour or so.
I love that we live so old fashioned. It gives me a great sense of accomplishment each and every day. No day is dull or boring. Simplicity of life makes you feel connected to history and to the rhythms of the seasons and of nature. You learn to depend on God for so many things. Its now 10 am and on the stove the kettle is bubbling with hot water for a nice cup of tea.
There is no worry about what the gas heating bill will be this month. I can have soup simmering on the stove all day long and no concerns about the cost. Simple life, simple ways, lots of contentment !