Friday, November 13, 2015

A campfire just for two


Last Friday night, Mr. T and I enjoyed a simple and cost-free date in our own back yard -- a campfire just for two! 

A few weeks ago, we had hosted a fall fellowship here at our home for our church family.  We planned to end the evening with a campfire and s'mores, and I thought it would be a neat idea to string up some white lights so people could see their way out to our fire ring in our back woods.  I hesitated to bring up my idea, though, because Mr. T has plenty on his plate already and didn't really need anything else to do.  But I did suggest it that day,  sort of in the vein of "I know you don't have time; wish I had thought of this earlier" and so on.   To my surprise, he took the idea and ran with it!

He remembered some white LED lights he had purchased for 75% off after Christmas last year and thought they would work really well for this purpose.  Our grandkids were visiting for the afternoon and evening, and they gladly assisted him with the project.  He and 11-year-old Sam even tested out the idea of turning the lights on from inside the house with a small remote ordinarily used elsewhere.  It worked!

The lighting was perfect for our fellowship and making s'mores.  it was light enough so people could see what they were cooking and eating.  And, at that time, Mr. T and I both had the thought that the lights would facilitate a campfire any time ... even for just the two of us!  We decided to leave them up.

Last Friday night we needed to do something relaxing and so I suggested a campfire for two.  We did find that the lights, while helpful for getting our chairs out to the fire and getting everything settled, gave just a little too much light to be truly relaxing.  Next time, we will utilize our little remote, using the lights to get everything arranged and then switching them off to better enjoy the campfire ambiance.
Lights against a smoky sky
 We had some mulled cider left over from our fall fellowship.  I had kept it in the cider jug in the fridge and it was still fine.  This seemed like the perfect time to reheat two mugs of cider!  I balanced one on the arm of a camp chair to get the photo below.

What a wonderful way to unwind after a busy week!

7 comments:

  1. Both evenings sound like fun. You have a keeper who responds so well to a suggestion. =D And a good one it was, too. Love that mug! Perfect for just such a time or any time in fall and winter.

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  2. Thanks foe stopping by, ladies!!!

    Yes, both evenings were fun. At some point I'd like to blog about the fellowship. It worked out very well. Always nice when things work out as one hopes they will!

    Yes, Vee -- he is indeed a keeper, and I would say that your John is as well. He seems always ready to tackle a project!

    The mug ... yes, I love those mugs. Got them for $1.99 on a Christmas clearance at Kohls.com. I also got several dinner plates for the same price. They are huge and square and work much better as a small tray than they would as dinner plates. But they sure are pretty. I think the pattern is called Snow Valley. I gave away several of the plates filled with Christmas cookies; there are several ladies I do this for each year. I find pretty Christmas plates or trays on clearance the year before and then fill them with that person's favorite Christmas cookies as part of their Christmas gift. Always fun to see what I find for plates!

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  3. Oh how delightful! I love the idea of a campfire for two! And we have strung up LED lights outside as well, as they help a lot to be able to see until the fire really gets going. We will probably be having a bonfire this weekend as we are clearing lots of brush around our place. Isn't it wonderful to be able to sit and relax and enjoy the beauty of the still night sounds over a cup of hot cider - precious moments indeed!

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  4. What a perfect thing to do!!! We have not had many campfires outside this season and NOT ONE in our den fireplace yet!!! I am so ready for one! Louis Dean did make one last Saturday outside by the gazebo before my Cousins arrived for the afternoon. It SMELLED good and I love that fragrance!!

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  5. I enjoyed reading about your cozy evening! Glad your fellowship went well, too. Just reading your comment about the Christmas plates made me wonder why I never thought to do that! :) Great idea!

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  6. Hi ladies! What a treat to see you all here!

    SpicingUpIdaho -- Yes, it was delightful indeed! That's neat that you have strung up LED lights as well and that you find them useful until the fire really gets going. Great minds think alike, I guess! Ours were after Christmas buys -- the kind of thing you sort of wonder why you're buying. But now we're thankful that we did, for the price was very reasonable!

    Linda -- we got our campfire permit in June, I think -- it is good for the entire season -- but I believe this is only the third campfire we've had. Must try and have a few more before snow flies!

    Mrs. Smith -- glad you enjoyed the post! And now are you going to look for some pretty Christmas plates in the clearance this year? Hope so! It has worked out pretty well for me in the past, but I don't think I found any in 2014. I'll find something to use though, as it's pretty much a tradition by now!

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