"Every house where love abides
And friendship is a guest,
Is surely home, and home sweet home
For there the heart can rest."
~ Henry Van Dyke

Saturday, December 12, 2009

The warmth of the fireside....

Saturday evening and it is cold outside ... finally. It has been far too warm in Holland but our temperatures are now dropping. I hope it continues to become winter. It was wonderful to go out today to get our groceries in a very thick wool sweater. The sun was shining so we did not need coats as we were kept warm by our natural wool. Now if we would only get some snow...


We sit inside with our Christmas tree lights burning gaily, our first two advent candles burning and a warm fire in the woodstove. I have been quilting and sipping a cup of hot cocoa. Bliss!

It needed to be a relaxing weekend after my mishap yesterday. We decided to go up to Cranberry Cottage after originally not planning to. We were about half an hour on our way when I realized I forgot to bring my most important medicine with me. So we had to turn around at the next exit and drive home. Needless to say, we no longer felt like going and went out to eat instead.

So I leave you on this lazy Saturday evening to contemplate the words of America's famous fireside poets, James Greenleaf Whittier...

"We watched the first red blaze appear,
Heard the sharp crackle, caught the gleam
On whitewashed wall and sagging beam,
Until the old, rude-furnished room
Burst, flower-like, into rosy bloom;
While radiant with a mimic flame
Outside the sparkling drift became,
And through the bare-boughed lilac-tree
Our own warm hearth seemed blazing free."

~ from Snow-bound by James Greenleaf Whittier

13 comments:

Elizabethd said...

So sorry you didnt make it to the cottage, but perhaps it was nice just to relax.

Auntie sezzzzzz... said...

"...after my mishap yesterday."

What mishap?!? -sigh-

I'd say it was a weekend to stay at home, after the business of forgetting an important medicine. Things like that, I take as.... As some sort of gentle nudge, I guess. :-)

And it sounds like a lovely weekend,which you are having. Beautiful poem...

Gentle hugs...

Carolien said...

Hi Heidi!

Well, my first thought would be thinking of Moley really ...
I honestly think that we are a bit of all of them, don't you think? But my marzipan part was definitely a Toad part, sigh :)

I will make some pictures of the tree, but you should come and see it of course! ;) Pip is having a great time and is singing loudly. He found himself more friends: St. Claus, a-kind-of-St. Claus and a little gnome. At midnight I send them to bed because they can chat on forever on that window-sill ... Pip even found another bird in the tree and they sing their duets of Christmas Carols already!

Would be lovely to see each other again. I am feeling better, thanks to the chiropractor and my DH, so that's no problem. After this coming week (still working then, also on Thursday morning) I have 2 weeks off, so maybe we can meet then?

Anyway, enjoy your fire and have a great weekend! Hugs, Carolien

Carolien said...

O gosh, I am tired: first thought would be thinking ... sorry!

Bye, Carolien

Nancy said...

I know how cozy that fire is. It feels so nice on a cold day or evening. The hot chocolate sounds good too. I was Christmas shopping today and I am almost finished. I just need something else for Bill. Now, I have it all to wrap. ahhhhh.
I just told you goodnight on Skype, I will talk to you tomorrow.
Love you, Mom

Maggie said...

Heidi, sorry yu didn't make it to the Cranberry Cottage, but a nice hot chocolate by the fire sounds good. It's gone colder here in the UK too, although i doubt we will have snow, we have had fire on too all this week (although we burn coal)and it's so cosy, there really is no substitute for a real fire is there?

Have a good week

Simple Home said...

I'm sorry you didn't get to make it to the cottage this weekend. That was a nice little poem. I was born in Whittier, CA, a town named after that poet.
Blessings,
Marcia

Rhonda said...

I hope you are enjoying your time at home - even though I know Cranberry cottage would be lovely.

Jeff is on vacation for 10 days and we were going to take a trip, but we have decided to just stay home and do things in our state. We looked at the Christmas lights in our town last night. Today, we drove to Ponca City to shop, eat dinner and see their wonderful lights in a park called the Festival of Angels.

Brigitte said...

Your pictures look so cozy and inviting. And I'm sure the wonderful atmosphere they show is also felt in reality so that it makes up for the missed weekend at the cottage. Enjoy your Sunday.

Brigitta said...

Wat jammer dat je terug moest, maar ik herken het wel hoor! Gelukkig hebben jullie toch nog een fijne zaterdag gehad. Ons Winterhuis was trouwens een groote succes en de formule is zeker voor herhaling vatbaar :-)

Fluitenkruid said...

Lekker dat het wat kouder is geworden, ik vind het wel gezellig om de warmte binnen te zoeken. Jullie zijn maar mazzelaars met zo'n fijn kacheltje! fijne zondag, Jannet

Saskia said...

I't is almost like a good Dutch winter.Cold and sunny! Loved the walk this morning with Rover, and my cup of latte at "de Generaal" in Baarn. My christmaspresent is put in a giftbag, so I'm ready for wednesday.
I,m doing knee and eye excersises, so i'm ready....

Sonja said...

Het ziet er heel cozy uit met je houtkachel. En dan zo'n beker warme chocolademelk erbij, heerlijk voor zo'n koude zondag!