Feature
October, 03 2008
Ah, Fireplace
by Lisa's Pieces
I've owned my own house for a few days over a month now! It's been an interesting experience, to say the least. Money becomes all the more important. Little things that you may have allowed yourself when you were renting suddenly become luxuries that you can't justify spending on. When it used to be okay to run the heat or air conditioner all day, it is now a strategic financial decision. Those hot showers suddenly get labeled "too long". The Friday night pizza becomes the once a month Friday night pizza. But these are all things you expect when you make a huge financial purchase.
What I've been loving, in addition to having my own property, space and things to decorate, is the fireplace! I've never had a fireplace before. I lived in ten dwellings and so far, this is the first one to give me a fireplace. I am mesmorized by the thing, I tell ya. It's an amazing force.
I don't know if anyone has ever sat in front of a nice raging fire on a freezing cold night and got lost staring into it, but it's a very relaxing, calming feeling. It's something I've always wanted to do in my own place and it's probably my favorite thing about the house right now.
We closed on the house the last week of August -- not exactly fire weather. The part of New Jersey we bought in is traditionally colder than the NYC suburb we were in before (usually between 4-10 degrees colder), so with it being early October, we've already used it quite a bit. The nights are dipping into the low 40's and so far, the fire has done a sufficient job of heating the downstairs (which allows the heat to rise to the upstairs). It has prevented us from having to use our heat, which is good because we just realized we don't know how to turn it on yet.
Anyway, it's a comforting, relaxing place to be, the front of the fireplace. It's a place that I love to sit at by myself or with loved ones. Even our dog has taken a liking to it.
What I look forward to the most, though, is my very first Christmas with a fireplace. I'll have our stockings hung by it. The kids will take pictures standing in front of it. The mantle above it will be decorated with Christmas decorations. The wrapping paper will get thrown into it (you know that's happening) and best of all, I won't have to tell my kids that Santa will just have to come in through the front door.
