love for a wood stove

Though our wood stove is an insert with much less efficiency and whole-house-warming capabilities than that of a freestanding wood stove, I do so love it.  I love building and starting fires, love sitting in front of them, love hearing the blower fill our rooms with warmth and seeing the orangey glow bouncing off of the living room walls...... I'd like to be more involved in the chopping and stacking of the wood, and give it a (very brief) go from time to time, but Mike's chopping speed versus mine just makes mine seem so silly.

We had the same wood stove at our old rental house.  It was a gift from my dad.  His place came with the insert and a large freestanding stove and he chose the other.  Wisely, I'm sure.  You can't comfortably walk into his house in the middle of winter without peeling off several layers.

So this stove has been with us for a while.  Perhaps to some it seems a funny thing to get sentimental about, but something about it just makes me so happy and makes me feel so comforted.  I think a big part of my learning to fully embrace winter and the grey days it brings is that I spend a lot of time during those days happily parked right in front of that wood stove.  (Mike would say I'm a bit too in front of it- keeping the warmth from heating the rest of the house.  I think that's just ridiculous.  There's plenty of warmth to go around!)  That little stove is actually the source of a few fun light hearted debates in our household.  From my habit of "blocking" the heat from the rest of the house to what is the best way to build and start a fire, to when and how high we set the back up heat.... (one winter in our old house we were real troopers and didn't do so until one night we realized we could see our breath when we spoke.... we aren't that tough any more.  You know...... for Claire's sake.)

So, in front of the wood stove is where you can find me most cold wintry days.  With some tea, or a book, occasionally some knitting, maybe none of that.  This year I will probably be there most often with a pile of books and my girl.  I like to lay in front of it (laying down surely must lessen the effect on the rest of the house, don't you think?) and remember practicing yoga in front of it nightly when I was pregnant with Claire during a cold winter almost 2 years ago.  I spent a lot of time near the fire then and after she was born, and so I think it will always bring back sweet memories of both that special "before" time when you are still blessed with feeling those movements within and full of wondering about what is to come, and also of laying on the couch getting to know her as a tiny little newborn.  Gazing at that little face during those first few foggy and challenging weeks, bundling up near the fire and sleeping as much as possible, all wrapped up together.

Love that stove.