My lucky cricket

"To Find a cricket on the hearth is the luckiest thing of all."

-Charles Dickens

My husband has finally joined the world of e-commerce and has figured out how to order things all by himself.  For years he would find things online, and then count on me to finalize the purchase.  He was sure it was very complicated.  He has entered the world of technology with a lot of trepidation...that's putting it mildly.  I figured it was good that he didn't dare to brave finalizing an order on his own, so I didn't push the issue.

One good thing about his new ability to order things online is that we now have a safe full of ammo while the stores around here are empty.  Also, he can order his running shoes whenever he is ready to retire his old pair (with 70 miles a week, it's pretty frequently).

He and I have an understanding that we don't really do surprises.  As we have the same budget, it just makes more sense to me to have the person buy exactly what he needs or wants.  I'm strange, I know.  He also knows that I don't like him to buy flowers... I would rather use the money to buy a plant for the yard or something.

But sometimes we find little things that are just really cool, and if they are not too much money, we buy them for each other.

Sometimes I get awesome surprises.  Maybe some girls wouldn't get too excited about Weather Watchers or Aurora Borealis 2013 calendars, but I thought they were the greatest things ever!  He picked them out for me, and they were exactly what I would have picked for myself.

This week I got an awesome bronze cricket in the mail.  We have never had a hearth, but last month we had a wood stove and a hearth installed in the basement, and I love it.  For anyone who has ever been to Girls Camp with me, or if you have ever been to a summer evening party at my house, you know that I LOVE to build fires.

A few years ago when Mark was in a mood to try reading some fiction, I had him read "A Christmas Carol."  He loved it,  and I suggested that he read "A Cricket on the Hearth" next, as it was short and in the same book.  He didn't enjoy that story as much, but he knew that I loved the symbolism of protection and good fortune that a cricket on the hearth means.

As Mark was shopping for some fireside accessories, he stumbled upon this beautiful cricket and ordered it. 

I totally love it.