When the snow on the deck melted a few weeks ago John and I were sad to realize our chiminea had, well, for a lack of better words — it’s bottom had fallen out.

We knew it was coming as it was beginning to show wear, cracks, and chunks flaking off the last two years. We are actually surprised it made it this long. But we looked for two years to find a replacement and couldn’t find one. To think of not having one someday was more than losing the chiminea.

If that chiminea could talk, oh the stories it could have told! Many hours around that fire we spent, hanging out on the deck each year.

Which almost didn’t come to be!  I remember when my mom donated the chiminea to us and John didn’t think we needed it. And how it sat in the garage for two years. Until one year John had this brilliant idea!  “Wouldn’t it be grand to put on the deck and enjoy,” he said?

I held my tongue which wasn’t easy. But I didn’t want to jinx what I knew what would be a good thing and was relieved he had finally come to his senses.

The flames of the fire in that clay pot helped us speak our truth, provided laughter when needed, and opened channels of great discussion.

Seeing the bottom laying in a heap on the deck meant no more fire. But I began with earnest to find one as close to what we had as possible.

And I was so happy to have finally found one!  It’s coming from North Carolina by freight and we can hardly wait to welcome it to our deck….just in time with longer days and spring around the corner.

But it will first have to take a solemn oath that whatever happens around the chiminea stays around the chiminea!

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