Nudged: Enjoy a fire in the fireplace

This is a tricky one for me because of the directive to “enjoy” this experience. Anyone who has lived in California during the past couple of decades can’t help but be triggered by the smell of wood burning.

But I love the idea of this: the sounds of the fire crackling, the beauty of the colors in the flames, the warmth it gives off. A good book, a cozy companion, and something lovely to sip, and I’m all in.

P.S. If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area, before you light up, be sure to check Spare the Air for any alerts.

What Happened: Wasted no time. Sunday afternoon, while Thor was at work, I pulled a big chair next to the fireplace, invited the dogs to join me, and settled in with a good book and a mug of hot mulled spice cider. It was perfect — until it wasn’t. I made sure the flue was open*, but I still got a house full of smoke. (Time to schedule a chimney sweep.) Had to open all the windows to try to air things out, which made the room cold, and the mood was completely ruined.

But I wasn’t ready to give up on this Nudge. A book I had on hold at the library came in, and I remembered there’s a small sitting area with a gas fireplace. I scrambled to get work done early so that I could take a little extra time beyond my usual dash in to drop off returns and check out new books.

It was lovely. A comfortable reading chair, a new story to get lost in, warmth from the fire, and…wait…when did we stop teaching teenagers to be “Quiet in the library!” Ugh. I didn’t want to be “that old lady,” so I packed up and headed home. Well, it was nice while it lasted.

BUT! I am persistent! Yesterday I remembered an article I read a while back about local pubs that have cozy fireplaces. A bit of googling and…guess what Thor and I are doing for date night. 🙂

The Ah-Hahs: This Nudge felt a little frustrating and disappointing. It should have been so nice! It should have felt like a treat. I still love the ritual (or should I say “memory”) of stacking and burning a good fire and taking it in with all my senses — without getting smoked out of my own home. Fingers crossed the pub offers a good alternative.

*Well, that was a funny typo! Of course I made sure the flue was OPEN, but my brain typed “closed.” Thanks to the reader who called me out on this. 🙂