Brrrr....

By Alicia

Okay. It's officially cold here. The temperature was 13 degrees this morning when I walked. I didn't walk long because my eyes kept watering and I almost slipped again. Time to take the 10, 000 steps indoors on the treadmill.

At our first house, we had a pot-bellied wood burning stove. That thing put out an immense amout of heat in a relatively small area and was messy. I hated it and swore never to have another wood-burning appliance again.

Never say never. After enjoying the fireplace at my in-laws over the years and REALLY enjoying the fireplace we had at a cabin we stayed at last year, I've decided I want a fireplace again. A real one.

However, they cost a few more pennies than what we've got to spare. So, Rob and I promised each other to have a real fireplace in our next house but for now, this is what we have to settle for:

As corny as it sounds, I absolutely love the fact I can watch a fire on my tv, complete with fire crackling sounds. I've read by it, fell asleep by it, and even have written fiction by it. Except for the warmth and the occasional getting up from the couch to poke at the logs, it's pretty close to the real thing.

Okay, I'm going outside again to finish my steps. Altthough it's only 24 degrees,  the sun just peeked out and the wind has died down a little, so I'm going to take advantage of it while it lasts.