When the romance is gone, build a fire.

Today is another crucial day of being home in the warm comfort of my home, with two sick children. Fevers. How my children have the gift of sharing so well it is beyond me. One get sick and feels the unreserved right to cough, wipe and spread those germs in the same manner I dream of the world sharing love. You go children.

In the meantime fall cleaning is happening around here. Time to clean out the wood stove from last winter. One trash bag full of ashes, I could swear that we hadn’t cleaned the fireplace since we installed it. But the truth is, that only 12-15 fires. My husband and I have an infinity for building fire in a wood stove. Yes, propane is so much simpler. Press ON and let the heat begin. But I love the simplicity, the stillness, the smells and the smack, crackle, pop, of a real wood burning. Perhaps it takes me back to my childhood, where winter’s meant the house was cold. It meant actually wearing pants and socks in my warm Southern California childhood. It meant I was freezing until I stood 6 inches away from that huge wood burning stove.

Fast forward to my parenting and adulthood, and I enjoy the same toasty wood burning fires of my youth. Paul and have become such advanced fire starters, I watch Survivor and say in my mind “I know I could win that challenge.” We don’t write love notes often, but he builds a fire at 5:45am is his way of saying “I love you.” And my way of saying I love you back is feeding the fire, which is always hungry and rebuilding fires when I’m gone for the day and the house gets cold. Ahhh, love. How do you and your loved one show each other you care?