The Yuletide Fire

This afternoon has been fairly quiet. The kids have settled down to playing with their toys, with a bit of help from Papaw. We have called family and chatted about the joys of the day, the ice, and the kids. Nora is now preparing Christmas dinner, the etrée being a Christmas goose.

A week ago DC insisted that we have a "big fire" in the fireplace in the dining room. I don't think we have had a fire in there since before Kate was born. So that weekend, we went out to pick a Yule log. DC chose an 18" diameter log that I had cut from the maple tree that destroyed Kate's club house in the great wind storm this summer. It was appropriately decorated with pine bows, pine cones, and other approriate to-do. It has rested on the fireplace heath all week.

Today, this afternoon actually, I finally unsealed the fireplace, checked the chimney to make sure it was clear. (Chimney swallows do a good job of cleaning it every summer.) Then I prepared to lay the fire. Of course, being a 4-year-old, DC was not at all interested now. And Kate, being an 8-year-old, objected to going out to find kindling for what she considered to be DC's project.

Well, eventually the fire was laid, and Brian, being a 2-year-old pyromaniac, was more than happy to help me get it going.