The miserable weather is back in New York.

Another storm, more rain and wind, and more flood warnings. Good God, enough already! Okay, well, at least we can make a fire, right? Not the crazy pyro-kind, kids, but the sensible lovely kind, the kind that soothes and makes all things right…for a little while anyway. First, you need your paper. Ball it up tight, page by page, and place those into the fireplace as your first layer. Then put in a layer of junk paper packaging things, whatever would be normally mounting toward more landfill. Next it’s the branches, the small and the big. And then a couple of small logs. The trick to a good fire is the oxygen. Make sure there’s gaps between everything. And then set it ablaze! Light as many places as you can without burning your fingers and make sure that the flue is open. Let it burn for a few minutes and then, once it has burned down, pile on another log or two cross-ways. Keep pushing the logs around. Make sure the oxygen gets inside. Once it’s going, it’s time to listen to the winds howl, the cold rain and snow batter against the windows or some favorite music. And, yeah, have a drink…ginger ale, tea, whatever. You deserve it. My goodness, we just made fire! Keep an eye on it. Stoke it. And get ready to do it all again soon. Another storm is forecast for Sunday.