I have to admit that winter is my least favorite season, with the exception of jeans, boots and big sweatshirts. But there’s an exception to every rule, right? Getting the kids all bundled up and into the car, then taking coats off in car seats, then putting them back on once we get to our destination is a task all in itself. When it snows, the mud gets tracked in the house, and puddles of melted snow adorn the floor and must be cleaned up. Winter means runny noses and cold/flu season, days of finding indoor entertainment and my constantly cold hands and feet.

But one thing I’m thankful for is gas heat! Don’t get me wrong, I like to curl up in front of a fireplace in my slippers and sweatpants, but my fireplace requires the flip of a switch and the “logs” are crackling (it’s a gas fireplace!). I’ve never had to go out and chop wood, get the fire started, then monitor it all day to make sure it stays lit.

My grandpa, on the other hand, spent countless hours out in the cold chopping wood with a two-man cross-cut saw. Bringing enough wood back to the house was a big chore, not to mention the lighting of the fire. Listen as he recounts his experiences as a boy having to build fires in the wood-burning stove.

Each time I flip that fireplace switch, I smile at its ease and am thankful for modern conveniences!

Until we walk again …