Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Yule logs, y'all

I have logs on the brain. Specifically, those white birch logs that look so good in the catalog. Do you think they sell bundles by mail order? My nonfunctional fireplace needs something just for show.

When I spotted a pile of pear tree trimmings on our morning walk, my heart beat uncontrollably. There they were! The perfect gray green, lichen-ruffled logs, ready to whisper "mossy woods" into my living room all winter.

But I couldn't make myself walk past the carpool lane and start loading the double stroller with wet logs. (Wasn't it bad enough that I picked through the neighborhood brush piles for my mailbox decoration last year?)

All day long, I wondered if someone else was stealing my logs. My husband wouldn't even get them for me after supper. I waited until everyone went to bed, slipped a raincoat over my nightgown and Crocs, and headed out into the quiet neighborhood.

You have to admit, they were worth the trouble.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Those are so pretty and you can't beat free!! I would have loved a picture of you sneaking around at night in a robe taking logs!!
Elise

Anonymous said...

Becarefull of taking the bugs alond with the wood,L

Kylie's Mom said...

Oh, I'm so glad I'm not the only one in the world that sends her husband out after dark to get things that others would consider garbage LOL.

The logs are pretty!

Jeana said...

Love the title and the whole undercover aspect. Whatever happens with your finances, at least you still have your stealth.

Yeah, it's pretty corny.

Heather said...

ok,
How early do you decorate for Christmas? I usually decorate the day after Halloween... but some family members think it's nutts. I see it as, all that hard work and such beautiful stuff to look at. Why not keep it up for two months instead of one.
What do you think?

Anonymous said...

You know I am sure your fireplace will be beautiful with your logs. I have a fire place, it actually works (gas logs) and I would give most anything I own to get rid of the darn thing. I HATE the black hole that is the fire place. I live in central Texas. We have maybe 5 days a year when a fire place can be used with comfort, the rest of the time it just sits there...I am wanting to take the fireplace out and put in a huge window...I would rather have the light...
I know your fireplace will be beautiful. Roxie

Anonymous said...

You know I am sure your fireplace will be beautiful with your logs. I have a fire place, it actually works (gas logs) and I would give most anything I own to get rid of the darn thing. I HATE the black hole that is the fire place. I live in central Texas. We have maybe 5 days a year when a fire place can be used with comfort, the rest of the time it just sits there...I am wanting to take the fireplace out and put in a huge window...I would rather have the light...
I know your fireplace will be beautiful. Roxie

Anne Marie@Married to the Empire said...

*sigh* Why can't you live in MY neighborhood? Our Bradford Pear tree split in half and fell over a few weeks ago. We paid an obscene amount of money to have this tree cut up and taken away.

Shannon said...

The logs will be gorgeous in your fireplace - I can't wait to see a picture. The silvery green is a nice compliment to your color scheme.

Anonymous said...

Meredith, you are too funny! :D
Those are so cute, and free to boot! What a find!

I love white birch logs. They are so elegant looking. :)

Barb said...

I had to laugh when I saw your post. I did the same thing two years ago for Christmas! Someone had cut down a cedar tree, leaving lots of wonderful trimmings for the trash men to pick up. I went out at 5 am with dh's truck and filled up the back. The trimmings became a wonderful cedar garland that I used on my back porch along with strands of white lights. I didn't luck out so well last Christmas, but I'm hoping to luck out again this year.

Shelley said...

You're so funny and I could just picture you running through the neighbor in your crocs with your 'free find'! We have a wood-burning fireplace and use it all winter long ~ we love it! :)

Amy said...

I am jealous that you have a fireplace to put them in. That is awesome! I can't wait to see them displayed in there- be sure to post some pictures!

Meredith said...

Ours is not a working fireplace--it's the one we excavated from beneath the wall last year.

I have a big fern in there now and will keep it there as long as I can keep it green--or until after Thanksgiving, whichever comes first.

For now I'm going to store the logs in the garage to dry out and de-bug.

Mrs. Pharris said...

Meredith, you're so funny! I do believe we really are kindred spirits.

We have a pine tree that has gotten too large and is a bit straggly looking. PapaDew and I decided not to cut it until the holidays. It won't look so scraggly made into lovely boughs for my windows!

Anonymous said...

Definately worth the trouble! Those will look great.

Anonymous said...

LOL you GO girl! I have enjoyed your blog for a while now,
blessings,

Anonymous said...

What an awesome story - love it! Makes truth to the old saying... one man's trash is another man's treasure. ;)

Jane said...

Yes! They are worth it! I nearly threw out my back dragging some logs to my classroom. Six years of sitting on the "stumps" and I have to say it was worth it!

Anonymous said...

You gave me a chuckle imagining you
making your get-a-way to get the logs. And, yes they were worth it!

~elaine~

Anonymous said...

Those will look terrific! :)

TracyMichele said...

Alright.. DEFINTELY worth a midnight creeping in a nightgown, raincoat and crocs! Fantastic find!

Carrie J said...

Meredith,
You forgot the sunglasses and Fedora. All great covert operatives ALWAYS wear sunglasses and a Fedora.

Rmomof3 said...

Sooo funny Meredith! I was LOLin g by the end! As a woodcarver's daughter - I have many a story of picking up wood from people's yards!

Blessings!
Renee

~Babychaser~ said...

Found you through moneysavingmom.com. I've just spent 20 minutes reading through a large handful of your latest blogs. So fun! I'm adding you to my favorites list for sure. :)

Blessings!

Kathleen Grace said...

Those are fantastic logs! A little tip. If you take a drill bit that makes a hole about the size of a tea light candle and drill a hole about 3/4 to 1" deep ( or about the depth of the tea light candle) in the end of one of your logs, you can drop a tea light inside and it is really pretty. The tea light contains the wax and protects the wood from catching fire and is easily replaced. Rustic wood candles for a non working fireplace. My husband did this for centerpieces for a wild game dinner and they were such a hit!

Stephanie said...

saw a bundle of 4 white birch logs at Home Goods today for $9.99 and immediately thought of you! they were so pretty but not at that price!

Anonymous said...

You sure started me giggling reading your story!! :-) It is sure a good thing someone thought you were a burgler foaming about and your husband had to go rescue you and you out there in your nightgown under your rain coat and you rain shoes on {corcs}... Yes, I too would have done it!!...I have always been thought of a sort of a nut!! ;-)

Goslyn said...

Those are great! I am jealous of your fireplace.