I was out this morning and am quite content to stay in this afternoon. It’s a dreary, rainy day and a perfect time to sit by the fire as I wait for the dryer to do its magic. Oh how I miss my lavenderia in Las Flores! It was so nice to drop off the dirty clothes in the morning and pick up neatly folded and freshly laundered clothes later in the day.

But back to the fire. Have you ever done a flame meditation? Very relaxing. And I find my mind wandering to fire pits and other fireplaces and conjuring up memories of happy times.

As a young child I have vivid recollections of cooking hot dogs over a fire. The venue was a fireplace in the rec room. I can still envision my Uncle Sam presiding to ensure that no-one burned themselves or burned the house down for that matter.

I remember campfires at Bnai Brith Camp and Camp Kinnaird in Lake of the Woods. Amazing that we never burned the woods down although sparks from the flames often attacked us.

When my kids were young we had a wood burning fireplace in the family room. They delighted in blackening hot dogs and toasting marshmallows. The challenge was keeping the dog away from the flames. No need to have his fur singed.

Of course there was that one time when the fireplace backed up and thick, black smoke quickly filled the house. But the fire department had those amazing fans that blew it all out in minutes.

We had a fire pit in our backyard in Oak Bluff. It was a popular place for my kids and their friends. I especially liked to sit by the fire in the fall. Once winter set in it was just too bitterly cold.

The gas fireplace soon became a favorite of mine. Flip a switch, no mess and no sparks. Instant ambience!

The featured photo in this post is an electric fireplace in the living room in Leavenworth. It doesn’t throw off heat like the gas one, but it’s instant on with the press of a button.

Sitting by the fire……..