Anyone who knows me very well knows I hate the cold. It has become slightly less problematic in recent years as my body temperature has risen a great deal with menopause. However, I still hate it. It is more the gray than the cold. I maintain there is no place grayer in the winter than the state of Kentucky.
In my humble opinion, there is really only one good thing about cold weather: a roaring fire in my fireplace. This gives me joy. My dogs also love it. The crackling and popping give me life. Many people in my life have told me I need to ditch the wood-burning fireplace and go with a gas one. Fuck that. I had a gas fireplace once, and I do not enjoy it nearly as much as wood. Before you start, I don’t care about the mess. I love the sound and smell and will always choose wood over gas.
Last week, we had our first real cold day here in Kentucky. The high was 30. I know that is nothing for some of you northerners, but that is cold by Kentucky standards—especially when it was 70 just the week before. As they say, if you don’t like the weather in Kentucky, just wait a few days.
Anyway, I got home from my Monday morning knitting circle and decided to start a fire. It was actually snowing. Snow in November is crazy talk. Horse shit, if you will.
I proceed to carry several armloads of firewood upstairs and set about building my fire. Hey, I even remembered to open the flue. I’ve forgotten that before. It’s not good. In short order, I had a roaring fire. It was a delight.
Hazel, my oldest dog, gave me a look that said, “Thanks, Mom.” She has always loved a fire. The other two hounds came into the living room and proceeded to cuddle with me hard as we all enjoyed the fruits of my labor. The only downside was my wood was dry. So, I had to keep adding wood and didn’t get a good nap in.
Curling up on my couch with three dogs and a crackling fire may be one of the best things on earth. We sat there most of the afternoon and just cuddled. It was a slow work day for me and I was happy to have the time to rest and regroup. October was a busy month.
I kept the fire going until bedtime. I even stayed up later than normal just to enjoy it. I contemplated sleeping on the couch. Alas, I gave in and went to bed, letting the fire slowly die out.
I guess the real point here is, find something you love even amongst something you hate. I hate cold weather, but I do love a good fire. It’s just good for the soul.
So, over the next few months of winter, I hope I have many fires to make the cold more bearable. If there also happens to be a nice glass of red wine involved, all the better!
Angela Traver
What is this blog about? Well, it's a general blog, but it is also a very specific blog. If you get that reference, you get a gold star! I have been a public relations professional and writer of press releases for more than 20 years—primarily in the booze biz. I decided to do some writing for fun and embrace the humor that gets me through most days. Hopefully it will make you chuckle—or at least smile. I’m a certified crazy magnet, and more than a little nutty myself, so buckle up. Also, I have two vices—profanity and red wine/whiskey. You’ve been warned. It should also be noted, that I’m a HUGE Bob & Sheri fan. I’ve been a listener for more than 20 years. This opportunity is a dream come true and it may have made me cry. That being said, I cry at everything. If you are into booze, dogs, food and/or knitting, hit me up on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter (although I’m terrible at Twitter and it scares me) @kyspiritsgal. You can also find all my previous blog posts at www.kyspiritsgal.com.
