A Chilly Morning

Christmas carols play softly in the background, old New England versions of the beloved songs. The music fits the moment so perfectly. We woke to a cold stove, just a few small hot coals buried under a mound of ash. Some paper, a few pine cones and the kindling from the wooden bucket with a match and my careful stacking had flames leaping up in no time. Emery brought in armloads of wood just in time. The floor is so cold and realistically you need a jacket on in the house in the morning, but we don't mind. In an hour or so, the house will be toasty warm and a log put on the fire in a timely manner will keep the house perfect all day long....oh there may be a bit of time when the house reaches upwards of 90 degrees in the living room, but that is the nature of heating with wood. We laugh about it and know we can just open the door for a minute or just let the moment pass.

Heating with wood convinces you that in winter, you don't shower first thing in the morning, but later in the day or in the evening when the house is warm and cozy. Heating with wood makes you warn your friends to dress warm when they come for an early morning visit. But oh how wonderful it is to sit by the fire and read, knit, spin wool or just watch the birds at the feeders.

I would not trade my wood heat for any kind of other heat. This morning as I sat in the rocker, my warm shawl wrapped around my shoulders, the smell of cedar burning in the stove, smoke wafting past the window in curls and swirls as the north wind pushed it around. Wool passing through my fingers as I spun the last of the Shetland, tea kettle hissing and spitting as it heated up for my morning tea. Candle still burning in the window, although the sun is now up and the candle light doing nothing more than looking pretty. Buckets of wood next to me, promises to keep me warm the day through. This is the life I love so well. It is filled with peace and a kind of harmony that I cherish. There is time to think, time to pray, time to just look out at the wonders of nature through the window and wrap up in the knowledge that my life is full of love.