Warming by the Fire
Deborah Venable
11/25/09
So, okay, “normal” human body temperature is 98.6°
F. I’m not sick or anything, so I
assume that’s what my temp would measure at this time. It’s late November in a region that
experiences “four seasons” – ya know, hot in the summer and cold in the winter
– so it’s getting cold tonight, folks!
Below freezing. That’s what the
predictions are. I’ve got a house –
four walls and a roof – so if it snows or blows, I’ll be protected. That’s a lot more than some folks can hope
for. But I’ve camped out a lot, so I
know what “weathering the elements” feels like too.
Even with four walls and a roof, I can expect the inside
temperature to get down close to or even lower that that “freezing” mark, so I
don’t intend to hole up inside shivering against the cold. Just doesn’t make any sense to me. Sorry, I’m looking for something to
BURN! I have a chimney, so expect to
see smoke coming out of it real soon.
Attached to the bottom of that chimney is a nice little fireplace that
will accommodate some of that perfectly chopped, dead wood I have stacked just
outside the door. I’m gonna really
enjoy warming by the fire!
If I was weathering the elements, I would do the same thing –
start a FIRE for gosh sakes! It’s
called, taking care of yourself, doing what you have to do in order to get by
and being as comfortable as possible.
It’s the American Way, baby!
When I get ready to go to bed, I’ll bank the fire in the
fireplace, (now if you don’t know what that means, God bless you, you are part
of the ignorance problem) and I’ll crank up the old thermostat on my central
heating and cooling system and sleep comfortably.
These are all personal decisions I can make because I own the
house and outfitted it with said amenities, and I pay for the fuel.
I also paid for the television set that has an on/off
switch. If I choose to turn it on, I
can hear at any given time just how selfish I am for taking care of
myself. I can hear how selfish the
power company that supplies my “fuel” for the heating and cooling system is,
(as well as the power to run the darned television and all the INCADESCENT
light bulbs that provide light in my house at night) and I can hear little
children talking about how my selfishness is killing polar bears, fish, and
raising seal levels the world over.
They want me to get my power from “green” sources and use poisonous
fluorescent lighting in my home instead of that “wasteful” Edison invention. They also want me to drive a car with highly
polluting batteries instead of the reliable, gasoline burning “clunker” sitting
in my driveway.
So, I turn the TV off, light a candle, (I guess that’s still okay
with the global warming crowd, but I’m not really sure) light up a cigarette,
(I KNOW that’s a no-no) take a sip of my steaming hot, (more power consumption)
coffee, and relax in front of my already glowing fireplace.
I thank God for my choices as I enjoy the smells emanating from
the kitchen, where I have a big, fat turkey in the oven, (more power consumption)
and where I will be preparing the feast for Thanksgiving in a few hours.
Such is the life of a self-sufficient individual, who has managed
to provide some comfort from the bounty of a beautiful world – and who doesn’t
intend to give any of it up on the altar of a fictionalized crisis.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Don’t forget to Whom you should be thankful. God made all the rules a long time ago. I’ll take my chances with His commandments and forego the godless
rantings of lying, cheating, mortals!
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DebV