Snowflake Hearts
written by
Jeannette
Zink
January 31, 2016
The snowflake hearts were beginning
to twirl downward just slightly east of full moon’s glow. It was definitely the beginning of a theatrical
stage-setting and mystical venue for a historic blizzard. The nice weather people had succeeded in
forecasting the approximate time for the arrival of the first snowflakes and their
anemometers were primed to measure the howling winds that were promised to
reach the criterion for blizzard conditions. Most of the weather reporting viewing
community had abided by the expert guidance to stock their shelves with enough non-perishable
eatables to sustain a hearty soul for at least 3 days or more. The acquisition of water, milk, toilet paper,
chips, hot chocolate, batteries and hand
warmers were all on the “must-have-to-make-it-through” this historic Blizzard of 2016.
I was as prepared as I could be for
history to make its dramatic entrance in my little part of the world on the
east coast of North America. In fact,
the nights and days to follow were best described by the great literary connoisseur
and author of the simply stated descriptive opening sentence to any story – Snoopy of Peanuts fame … “It was a dark and stormy night.”
The fear of losing power, a literal
and emotional prospect, was my big psyche monster under the bed. If the snow drifts were to accumulate up to
the levels of the predicted 30 – 40 inches, how could I possibly keep myself
warm for several days until my power
had been restored? The variety store
hand warmers would not be enough to make it through this monster of a
storm. I would have to face my other
fear – fire – and test the fireplace
in my home, a perfectly fine fireplace that had never been used in 13
years. My brother, who lives a mere
1,800 miles from me, was so kind and supportive to give me the step-by-step
instructions on how to check out the fireplace.
So, putting on my be strong and be
brave armor, I began my expedition to explore the safety net of power
alternative, if needed.
My strength in opening the fireplace
flue damper was surely tested, but I did finally manage to open the
damper. I could almost see the glimmers
of light from the heavens, which was the indicator there were no bird nests
obstructing the escape hatch for uninvited smoke vapors; and, the cold chill of
blizzard winds definitely invaded the confines of the fireplace – another sign,
I determined, that the fireplace was ready for use, if I absolutely… back
against the proverbial wall … kind of moment arrived, and I needed to touch a
flame to the simulated firewood gathered for such an occasion.
The next opposition to surmount was
the closing of the fireplace’s damper. I
am now going to share with you a key mental note from my fireplace checking
experience… use your Smartphone camera to take a picture of the “before opening
the damper” setup. To be more specific, the
camera must capture the image of where the vital “lug” goes in the essential bracket. Because
it will be at this decisive moment when you may question … how does one know
with unquestionable certainty that
the damper is closed? … that you will save yourself a lot of grief and valuable
home heat by just taking a refresher view of the camera’s photo of that
precious “lug.” I was not so clever to
employ such strategy, and my mental camera was a bit foggy. Thus, I did not return the lug to its proper
position and the night’s cold chill found its resting place in my
fireplace. However, the next morning
upon my check of the blessed fireplace, my instincts told me something was
amiss. The thought of flue dampers and
lugs were twirling in my anxious minds-eye.
I turned to modern day technology and search engines to explore the
possible mishap in my fireplace checking adventure. Thank you to the people of Google-land for solving my dilemma. I was able to find a picture of what
constitutes a successfully closed damper and exactly where the royal “lug” goes
in the bracket. I am so proud of me and
I am so grateful to Google-land!!! With this drama now resolved, it was now time
for a hot bowl of gluten-free quinoa and a cup of hot apple cider.
The Blizzard of 2016 did indeed arrive, all 24 – 40 inches of snowflake
hearts with the winds of 40 – 60+ gusts; and, blessedly, few people lost their power … literally and/or emotionally. New skill sets were developed … fireplace
check-up and lug placement. But, most
importantly, the love and support of my family 1,800 miles away were never as
close to me during these monster-under-the-bed-scary-times
as they were during this historic Blizzard
of 2016. Thank you, my dear and
beloved family, and thank you gods of
power for never leaving my side!
Stay warm, my kindred spirits, and be
of encouraging heart … it is now just 7 weeks until the astronomical spring
will come tap dancing on our souls and refreshing signs of renewal will set in
motion our hopes and dreams of boundless warming possibilities.
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