Cozy

Last night I decided to wrap Christmas presents, so I fired up the wood stove (this one) and flipped the television over to TiVo to see what was saved. Apparently I haven’t watched TV in a while. There were 4 episodes of West Wing ready for me. What a bonus! I love watching it in bunches like that.

I have to admit that wrapping fell somewhat by the wayside as I grew more and more caught up in the West Wing doings. This is about the best season yet, and my tongue is hanging out for the next installment tonight. With Leo more or less back, and the addition of Alan Alda and Jimmy Smits—it can’t get much better than that.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening sitting down near the wood stove. It gives off such a cozy heat. And the flames dancing around behind the glass reflects off the walls and makes the ambiance pretty inviting. I keep forgetting how much I love wood stove heat. By the end of a winter of hauling wood inside every day, and maintaining a fire 24/7, it’s a relief when spring arrives. I’d decided not to burn wood this year and, fortunately, the weather has been relatively warm so that my gas bill has been reasonable. But last night made me rethink the stove situation. I didn’t have any wood delivered this year, so if I want to burn any significant amounts, I’ll have to go get some more. This would be an appropriate time to mourn having gotten rid of my SUV for the smallest car in existence.

Just before I went to bed, I threw on three more logs and closed down the damper. This morning, the house was still holding steady at 68 degrees and the furnace hadn’t switched on all night. It still hasn’t come on. Not bad for a total of 7 hunks of well-seasoned split oak. There is still a bed of glowing embers in there. Laying in a supply of wood for January and February is an appealing idea this morning. The lad even wondered if I could at least go get enough for the duration of Christmas vacation. He is a total fan of cozy wood heat. And being able to sit and read or watch television with the flames burning merrily behind the glass can lure him out of his room like nothing else. So I guess I’ll go get some wood today or tomorrow.