My sister says she has lots of stories about fire, and here I am racking my brain for one good one. I have always enjoyed a good camp fire. My Dad always used to make jokes about how you could always find men gathered around a fire. Moths aren't the only ones drawn to a flame. It's the flickers of different colors dancing in the dark. Banishing nothingness into shadows and bringing warmth along with illumination. I remember once my neice, Athena, while at my house (my first house, when I was single)came to me and said, "Aunt Sunshine, the fireplace is like a rich persons house and then you open the refridgerator and your like a poor man." LOL! She was right. A fire in the hearth does make you feel like a rich man. I remember listening to my older sister talk about an apartment they were looking into renting and being so excited that it had a fireplace. We have a gas fireplace in the home that I share with Big Red and it has been the center of many a cold evening. We have had some romantic moments and I have had some alone moments there as well. One such night was almost two years ago. My husband was out on the roads after pulling a late night for his company that was going through some legalities. It had been an enchanted evening. I had attended a Relief Society Christmas party with the soft snowflakes coming down. Which by the way is unheard of in Texas! The feeling of wonderment at such a miracle and peace of the still night stayed with me after I put the kids to bed and grabbed a throw off the couch to wrap up in, turned on the fire and the Christmas lights and like a little kid stared off into their lights feeling like a child again as I waited to make sure that my husband came home safely. Now that two of my children are coming of age to drive, I wonder if so many more such nights are in my future. Maybe we will have some talks setting in front of the fire. That would be pleasant :)
The picture is of Lil Red warming up after being out in the snow this last year making snowmen, here in Houston. Again BEFORE Christmas :)
3 comments:
I love when you said, "Banishing nothingness into shadows and bringing warmth along with illumination." Beautiful!
You wrote about such a cozy peaceful memory that I felt peaceful just reading it.
The rich man/poor man comment immediately sent Fred Astaire's song from Finnian's Rainbow into my mind... "When a rich man chases after dames he's a man about town, oh yes, the man about town. But when a poor man chases after dames, he's scoundrel, he's a rotter and a lotta dirty names." :D In this case, you were both - except the whole dame chasing part. haha
That's too funny about her - I can't wait to tell her about it. I'm sure she doesn't remember.
I guess I have a lot of stories that have to do with my pyromaniac husband..... ;)
Good story. I am with E. I felt comfortable and transported to your couch watching the fire with little Red. Good memories. My thoughts just don't go to peaceful.
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