"Home is where the Wi-Fi connects automatically"?  Too often, I am finding myself sitting on the couch, connected to Wi-Fi, browsing the latest news stories that Google tells me I want to read. All the while I have a beautiful crackling fire on the hearth and plenty of good books to read.  A good book would be easier on the eyes (and of greater lasting value) than a story about the latest miracle weight loss plan.

This time of year, I could forget reading anything at all and just get lost in the beauty of the fire. I have one of our newest wood stoves, the Cambridge LE and I am amazed at the burn dynamics of my stove.  The glowing coals, the flames rolling down over the glass and a light show of secondary combustion as the smoke is re-burned. Who knew that clean efficient heat could be so beautiful?

I have burned a Kuma wood stove for over 15 years but I always viewed it as a work horse, a functional appliance rather than a thing of beauty.  Today I find that i can have all the heat output, all of the efficiency that I need and have something way better to look at than squinting at a tiny screen full of mostly useless information.  You do not need the latest iPhone, what you really want to look at is a Kuma... or grab a good book and re-establish the truth that, "Home is where the hearth is".