This morning I was taking a pan of muffins out of the oven. I set them on top of the stove and started to close the oven door. I changed my mind and just left it open for a bit, letting the oven pour its heat out into the kitchen. I backed up to the open door and let the heat rise up my back. I would be hard pressed to find anything else that feels that good!
It reminded me of winters when I was growing up. We had a floor furnace in our house. Don't feel bad if you have no idea what that is. I just explained it to El. In the hallway of the bedroom end of the house, there was a metal grate in the floor. Below that grate was a big heater. And the grate got hot when the furnace was going. I remember winter nights (and mornings) standing above the furnace (careful not to stand ON the furnace) in a long night gown. The warm air would billow up the gown, ballooning it out, surrounding me with warmth. On cold nights, it gave me a head start on warming up the bed.
When our eldest was young, we lived in a mobile home with floor vents. I taught her the joy of standing over the vent in a long gown, too.
I can understand why floor furnaces were replaced with other heat sources. The little boy who lived across the street from me all those years ago had a grid-pattern scar on this chest and stomach from a fall onto the hot metal. I never thought about how dangerous my position above the furnace was until I saw what could happen if one got careless.
I remember the winter (and morning), standing over the oven (do not stand in the oven), has a long night dress
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