When my grandfather Rex built the house I grew up in, he made sure there were fireplaces in every room. If 1960s fire code had allowed for fireplaces on the second floor, I'm sure he would have put them there, too, but as it was, the total count today stands at three. Never forgetting that the house was situated on the solid limestone bedrock of north Texas - a place that rarely saw sub-freezing temperatures, much less snow - he was infamous for jacking up the air conditioning on Christmas morning so that he could have all hearths blazing together when the family arrived for dinner.
In later years my parents added a chiminea in the side courtyard, which brought the active fireplace count to four on Christmas morning. To say my family has a fascination with the fireplace would be an understatement, as evidenced by this tableau on Christmas morning:
As if four weren't enough, the crisp, vibrant colors of the Yule Log in HD were on continuous loop during the festive gathering. This holiday tradition, once limited to the New York area, but broadcast across the nation in the wake of 9/11, is now something of a cultural phenomenon. InHD broadcasts the crackling fire along with two spinoffs - a snowman, and snow falling on cedars. It has its own fan website. And, for a mere $1.99, you can have the Yule Log on your iPhone.
Mostly I find it all pretty entertaining, but it also makes me think about the ways that we use our gadgetry to recreate the basic human experience of sitting in front of a fire.
What compels someone to film fire and put it on television?
In later years my parents added a chiminea in the side courtyard, which brought the active fireplace count to four on Christmas morning. To say my family has a fascination with the fireplace would be an understatement, as evidenced by this tableau on Christmas morning:
As if four weren't enough, the crisp, vibrant colors of the Yule Log in HD were on continuous loop during the festive gathering. This holiday tradition, once limited to the New York area, but broadcast across the nation in the wake of 9/11, is now something of a cultural phenomenon. InHD broadcasts the crackling fire along with two spinoffs - a snowman, and snow falling on cedars. It has its own fan website. And, for a mere $1.99, you can have the Yule Log on your iPhone.
Mostly I find it all pretty entertaining, but it also makes me think about the ways that we use our gadgetry to recreate the basic human experience of sitting in front of a fire.
What compels someone to film fire and put it on television?