Heat is my friend...

One of my favorite things in the world is heat. I don't want anything to do with it until the temperature outside drops below 50 degrees, then it's my best friend. During the summer months, however, I despise it. I loath the sticky, sweaty, hot, uncomfortable combination that comes with the months of June, July, and August. But when that cold air enters my life, so does my love for heat. I'm not sure if it's the actual feel of warm air, or if it's the sound. Call me boring, but I find myself in my most comfortable and relaxed place when I can cuddle up and listen to nothing but the sound of heat pouring into my home. This love affair with heat and the sound of heat goes way back to when I was small. I remember cold winter days at home, waking up early while there was still frost on the ground. (Keep in mind that I tried to avoid this sounding like a story you may hear from your grandmother, but I simply could not avoid it). My mom always had breakfast on the table for us. At least 4 boxes of cereal decorated the "breakfast room" table along with 4 bowls (soon it would be 3 bowls when Sarah would pack up and head to college) and of course a gallon of milk. On these mornings I would choose my cereal of the day, pour myself a bowl, and go sit on the floor by the kitchen sink. This is where the heat came out; from a 3x6 vent under the sink. More often than not I would bring a blanket in there with me, just to add to my comfort. This was a hit-or-miss location, though. The furnace would run for about 10 minutes straight before shutting off, and basically telling you it's time to move along. I remember sitting there, dreading it turning off, dreading moving from that warm spot and into the cool house. Another favorite place that heat often showed up was by the fireplace. We (and when I say we, I mean my sisters and I) would lay on the floor with our feet perched up next to the glass doors, allowing our feet to get warm. Once in awhile our feet would touch the glass, warning us to not get too close. Not only did we enjoy the natural heat that radiated off the burning fire, but we also got to enjoy the sound of heat coming from the vent above the fireplace as it blasted warm air down onto us. Sometimes we would even try to "dry our hair" by this vent, although it usually failed us as a blow dryer. Oh, and we had our space heater in the upstairs bathroom. Looking back, it was probably the most unsafe appliance to have in a household, especially in a bathroom with 4 girls. But luckily they've come out with newer models, as I'm sure this one was from the '70s. Surprisingly, these newer models don't have exposed coils like the one we had did (yes, you could literally grab the flaming hot coils). 

So looking back, there is something about heat that has always brought me to a different level of comfort. Something about that sound that relaxes me and allows me to sleep easy. It has been a huge part of memories growing up, and I'm sure will be in my future.  It has always been one of those things that must be enjoyed while it lasts, but has also been taken for granted. I may not always be able to enjoy what heat has to offer me, but for this moment right now, I can. And I am. 

This picture was taken during my vacation at home. Almost every night was spent in this spot.