Preparing for cosy

Winter is sneaking up upon us and that means cosy nights in front of a crackling fire. But to enjoy those cosy evenings, I need fuel for the fire. So today, I combined my much-needed daily exercise with gathering fire-starters. (Also known as pinecones.)

I don’t normally have to worry about gathering fuel because my landlord normally takes care of it. However, between my still-recovering broken ankle, a busy life of PhD work, and the less-than-warm autumnal and early winter weather, I have been struggling to get enough exercise recently. And so I’ve decided I would take a more active role in gathering and chopping fuel.

An added benefit to this decision is that I will be getting out of the house a bit more over the next couple of weekends. And that means I will be getting a bit more fresh air, which is something that will help to boost my spirits, too!

I am hoping that I will be able to have my first fire of the season next weekend. Then, I can spend Friday evening snuggled up on the couch underneath one of my homemade afghans, sipping a nice, hot toddy. And maybe one of these days, I’ll be able to share the warmth of the fire with someone special.

On another note: I’ll be busy working on my PhD over the next few months, but I will try to be a bit better at sharing a bit of my life here. If for no other reason than to give me a break from the tremendous amounts of academic writing I have to do!