At the Hearth

I determined in my mind, a few weeks back, to spend more time this winter in front of our fireplace. It has been a rarely used feature of this house, because it is in a room we rarely use in our day-to-day life. And yet my favourite thing is to curl up in there and read....fire or not! This weekend would have been the perfect time to have indulged that determination, but alas it has ended up being busier than I'd imagined it would be.

Perhaps a slightly romantic notion, but somehow the idea of reading ... or studying ... in front of a warm, embracing fire warms the depths of my soul as much as it does the body. It is something simple, yet speaks of days with a slower pace and more deliberate focus on what is truly important.

Tomorrow is the first day of winter here, so I have pulled out my 'Maggie's Harvest' book and begun to delve into all the food treasures of the season. Perhaps next weekend will be slow enough for an afternoon of fireside reading. Or studying. What a shame our wireless capability doesn't stretch that far!