Grandpa Hunter, Life Saver

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Frank Paris  "Grandpa" Hunter (1879-1950)

The new heater/artificial fireplace with a mantel we bought the other day is relaxing to watch or just have in the background.  It has the illusion of fire leaping on  logs.  You can turn up and down or you can turn it up to a roaring fireplace.  That is just the illusion, which puts out no heat at all.  On another switch on the remote ou can  adjust  the heat high or low.

On Facebook or my blog I jokingly said the good part is you don't have to chop firewood.

And I am adding, not jokingly, another good part is the  little red hot cinders that sometime pop out a fireplace are non existent .

True story:  When my Grandma Hunter died we moved in with my Grandpa Hunter on Manget Street.

There was a fireplace in the living room.  On cold mornings in the winter Granpa woke up before of the rest of the family and start a fire in the fireplace.  I I remember correctly, that was the only heat source in the house. 

We did not have kindling or any kind of wood logs.  We had a good supply of coal under the front porch.

After Grandpa got the fire started he would go to the kitchen and start making toast putting butter on slices of loaf bread, ready to put in the oven when the family started stirring around.

I was usually the second one to get up.  I would stand by the fireplace and get warm by the heat.

One morning I was backed up to the fireplace when a cinder popped out of the fireplace and landed on my pajamas.  My pajamas instantly flamed up.  Grandpa grabbed me and threw me down and rolled me.

And saved my life.

I don't remember being taken to the doctor about my burned legs.    They were covered with blisters and I was miserable in pain for a week or so.  We didn't seek medical help often, Daddy was our doctor.