I cannot express the comfort I feel sitting beside the fireplace at the end of day. Whether it’s with a book, my knitting, or a cup of something warm, my heart melts, and I’m warm all over. A dear friend told me that a fire is just like any relationship, especially marriage. It needs tending, attention, and sometimes a little boost, prodding and adjustment. I do think I’m pretty good at tending our home fires. I continue to be happy we switched to wood-burning, and I love the twinkle in my family’s eyes when we gather around the fire.
Sometimes we need a little jump-start to get the flames going, though. My dearest told me he heard about egg carton lint fire-starters. We have cardboard egg cartons. We have a constant supply of lint. We have old candles and/or could get our hands on paraffin. After visiting a clever site, I also realize we have a steady supply of pencil shavings, too (thanks to our electric pencil sharpener and some talented young artists). If you need thorough instructions, this site can be helpful. (Keep saving the t.p. rolls, too!) HOWEVER, I also read that if you’re using these starters for indoors, small bits of wax paper are much lessy than using wax. Perhaps we’ll start with those; it sounds easier, anway. 🙂
May you be inspired and not left in the cold on those rainy days. I’ll let you know how ours turns out!
For this project, though, I give thanks for 
I never thought I would cut my own hair, let alone my daughter’s, into a very short cut . . . using clippers. But this I have done. I continue to cut my own hair short for convenience, cost, and practicality. Cutting one’s hair isn’t a big deal, really, but I never imagined cutting and then dyeing my daughter’s hair blue, especially not just the little bit up front that we left long enough to tuck behind her ear. This, too, was done, and most likely will be done again.
