Friday, December 26, 2008

Light My Fire

A light connected and sparked to life in my brain the other day. It was an epiphany; the cartoon version of the light bulb that goes off in the brain. An item appeared on TV the other day that opened a floodgate of nostalgic memories. My synapses hadn't even fired before over this hot story but it ignited and crackled across the media. CBS was consumed with thousands of complaints and worried emails about it dying out or worse yet, update it. It sparked a center page article in the New York Times.

Was it because it was normal for me; a part of my growing up, as common as trees? Was it because I took it for granted and assumed it was ongoing? Was it because as an adult I no longer needed it because I already had a real one?

But I am on a burning mission now. I must have one. A "real" one. I MUST have a Yule Log DVD. It MUST be as "original"as possible. Only the burning log with the old classic songs by Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole. Not that cartooney updated version with the old holiday radio programs playing underneath.

You see, I grew up in New York. Since 1966 I watched the WPIX Yule log burn away on my TV screen, at first in black and white and then in color, every Christmas. As a teenager I was the night owl that turned off the TV in the family room after my mother had long fallen asleep in front of the burning log.

I grew up, moved away, bought a house with a fireplace and never thought of it again except to wonder at the foolishness of people who were buying roaring fire DVD's; until this year.

The CBS Morning Program did a story about the WPIX inspiration for the Yule log. I think the juxtaposition of the words WPIX and YULE LOG is what fired up the synapses. So a warm wave of memories wafted over me. WPIX cancelled the show in 1989 amongst a firestorm of complaints but in 2001 they fanned the embers and brought it back to life. After CBS aired the story the other day, panicky New Yorkers were woried that there were plans once again to exstinguish the fire. CBS put a damper on their fears but as the New York Times says, "Still, if the current financial crisis has taught us anything, it's that it is wise to hedge bets."

So hedging my bets I am. Unfortunately, WPIX never produced an authentic version on DVD but there are others that are close, namely "The Original Christmas Yule Log Fireplace".

So I'm on a mission. Anyone have one they want to dump? Anyone know where to get one?

4 comments:

Jeanie said...

They did a whole segment on this on CBS Sunday Morning! I was wonderful! Mentioned WPIX, which has now abandoned its Yule Log and people are mad! (Mo Rocca did the feature -- he was great!)

Wendy Fleming said...

Well Janie...I know that you might find this hard to believe...but I DO have a DVD of a burning fire place...complete with the crackling fire sounds. Now whether this would be considered a Yule Log...I am not sure. But one of the things that I loved about the house in Michigan? The two fireplaces. Although they were both gas, I loved the sound. Need a copy??? xoxo Wendy

Wendy Fleming said...

Well Janie...I know that you might find this hard to believe...but I DO have a DVD of a burning fire place...complete with the crackling fire sounds. Now whether this would be considered a Yule Log...I am not sure. But one of the things that I loved about the house in Michigan? The two fireplaces. Although they were both gas, I loved the sound. Need a copy??? xoxo Wendy

Jane said...

YES! But how Vegas is a DVD of a burning log?