Dear Reader:

The truth (in the following Edna Ferber quote -below) really nails the reason for fireplaces in our homes today. We no longer need fires at the entrance of caves to ward off dangerous animals as our ancient ancestors did…nor do we need them in log cabins to ward off the cold as our pioneer predecessors did….Nope, with central heat and air today, a fireplace is a luxury for people, like me, who want it, who need it… to soothe the soul!

“We no longer build fireplaces for physical warmth. We build them for the warmth of the soul; we build them to dream by, to hope by, to home by.” Edna Ferber

“To home by”.…don’t you love that phrase? It is so true…a fireplace takes a house and turns it into a home…it does warm the soul, the heart… and we do build them to dream and hope by.

It has been a long time coming…weather cold enough to warrant building a fire. Brooke picked me up some fire logs  on the way home last Thursday from my appointment and Mandy added some more to the pile yesterday when she and Eva Cate came to visit.

The high yesterday was in the low sixties and last night’s drop in temperatures stayed barely above freezing. We are definitely getting a Canadian cold air blast. Warm pajamas, pinkie the robe, Doodle’s bedtime boots…it felt so good…finally I was feeling the same type of cold weather all the Christmas Hallmark channels show continuously….well, no snow…but still “Baby’s it’s cold outside.” 

Mother Nature is a fickle one….we have all heard it is “a woman’s prerogative to change her mind“…well after the endless summer…10 days into November Mother Nature decided to click her fingers and bring the cold to the lowcountry. With one exception, a prediction of one brief day returning to the 70’s….we are heading into the 50’s for highs most of this upcoming week with lows in 30’s and 40’s.

So until tomorrow…Let’s all get into something comfy…and just “chill” by the fire…for many of you it is a well-deserved respite from the crazy work week…. so just soothe your soul!

*I will be yelling for my Tigers tonight as they play Boston University in Boston…a chilly night but hopefully a “hot” performance from my Tigers. Go Clemson! *The ACC Championshp (Atlantic) hinges on this game.

*Well…it wasn’t exactly a “hot” performance….at least at first…more lukewarm….but the Tigers got the job done and won the ACC Atlantic Championship. It was worth staying up for the game with the exception of all those commercials…tries me batty. One play…commercial…one score…commercial. But still I love watching my Tigers play and win ….cause…

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

K.C. came over yesterday bringing me books and a homemade vegetable pie and also spaghetti! While she was here Eva Cate and Mandy arrived…K.C. had brought a cute teapot with frogs that she thought Eva Cate might like…she loved it! After K.C. left we played tea party until she and Mandy headed back to Mt. Pleasant….the hit of the visit! What a great gift K.C.!

A “Pop” of color while practicing “pinkie” up British tea rules…after all you never when you might meet a British prince? We must be ready!

I have not forgotten this is Veterans Day- 11-11-11…always a special day…especially when I was teaching…am already at work on this year’s Veterans Day story for tomorrow. And it is even more memorable this year since it marks 100 years since the ending of WWI.

Happy Veterans Day to my brother Ben! Thank you and the thousands of other soldiers who gave more than even lives to their country….they gave part of themselves!