04 April 2014

needful things II

always, i've loved to burn candles - candles everywhere, all over the house! i like the light, the ambiance, the scent, the way a flame quiets the soul. but over the years, i've cut back on candles a lot. they sometimes leave soot on the ceilings. so much of the candle is wasted after the wick is gone and wax remains. and most candles have a link to petroleum products which feels wrong to me. i've replaced lots of candles with the newish battery operated ones and, from a distance, they'll suffice. but the one candle i won't give up is this soy one that i found years ago. heavily and heavenly scented, clean and slow burning, no waste, and i reuse the jars after they're cleaned. it's my other needful thing, my guilty pleasure. i allow myself one candle a month and burn it mostly at night, after the dishes are done and the kitchen's cleaned and dark. while i write or read or work nearby, the scent drifts out to me and the flickering light calms me. 

my order had arrived when i got home too late last night, and i waited until this morning, until i had my tea, to open the carton. i unpacked my april candle first and lit it, and the scent of a maple filled the kitchen. there were other candles as well - lavender lemongrass, chamomile, basil & berries, lemon drop, and for september - indian summer. before i stashed them away, i opened each surprise and i sniffed, a heady preview of the scents of my summer nights! 

3 comments:

Linda said...

What a beautiful post! I can 'see' the scene in my mind's eye.
I, too, love candles! I keep them trimmed and push that precious melted wax down so every drop of it gets burned. My one splurge is my Morenci candles. They are hard to find but a shop in Fort Worth carries them - sometimes! They sell out fast! These candle are made here in Texas by a family based company and they smell so GOOD!! The candle burns down and doesn't require anything but a trimming of the wick when I relight it. ONE candle can fragrance my entire home.
I can smell it now as I write....

JMD said...

Candles are my weakness! I went to the site that you listed and checked it out, next candle purchase and I will try it out. Thanks for sharing about them and keep enjoying candles. I always tell my husband they are good for my soul. :)

Tabor said...

Yes, candles can really change the mood of a room. I had not thought about wax candles being a petroleum by-product, but I know that Targee' sells soy candles and maybe I will go that route.