The Hottie
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Cottage tales | 14 comments
I feel the cold.
As a child I used to question my mother closely.
“What happened to me when I was a baby and couldn’t speak? I must have been freezing.”
“It’s easy to check if a baby is cold. If you felt chilly I put an extra layer on you.”
This was before the days of central heating when people could go to see a movie, eat fish and chips on the way home in a taxi and still have change from sixpence.
I have used a hot water bottle on and off since I could indicate that I needed some extra warmth and comfort at night. When I am ill, Danny is dispatched to the kitchen to find and fill a hottie. We have a stockpile of three. Each has an individual cover knitted by my mother.
Two with motif – a cat and a Min Pin. Both without eyes as these were eaten by The Contessa when I was not on red alert.
The third, flamboyant in its holly and berry colours has no motif. It’s the newest addition to the pack. All have old fashioned buttons to secure the cover to the bottle.
Tonight I’m exhausted. I’ve had a long and frustrating week and now I’ve come to a complete and utter standstill. So I’m going to bed early with my new hottie and the Min Pins.
Danny will join me later. Usually I tiptoe into the dark bedroom and feel my way to the bed and a somnolent D. A warm nest where, in extremis, I can defrost my feet on his as he is usually deeply asleep. Now the Christmas hottie that my mum slipped into my stocking is going to be christened and carried ceremoniously to bed.
I know what will happen. A hottie attracts the Min Pins. If positioned at my feet I’d miss out on the comfort of both. So I will place the hottie in the middle of the bed so all living beings can enjoy its comfort and warmth.
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Hi Michelle
Dan sounds like a good guy.
I’m lucky that Danny doesn’t mind providing heat at night. He does object to being forced to the edge of the bed when the Min Pins join us!
Hi Clare
I reckon everyone needs the Easter weekend break if only just to catch up!
That sounds like a great trade you have with Craig.
Happy Easter to you both!
Hi Magic Cochin
It is sleeting hard as I write this. We are enjoying our new hottie!
Happy Easter to you both, pretty hens and cats.
Hi Sophie
The baby sleeping bag sounds like a cosy idea. Love the idea of a™ nuclear reactor husband™. He must generate a lot of heat. Shame that he doesn™t enjoy being cooled down though.
Hi Kate(uk)
Great idea to have downstairs and upstairs hot water bottles. I must remember that trick!
I think that I need a Bagpuss. Andrew and the Min Pins have a lot in common.
Hi Helen T
A hottie is such a comfort. A selection with reviews would be great on your site!
Hi Louisa
I love the knitted covers “ they feel good when we are toasting out toes. I™ve got a wheatie but no microwave!
Hi Pamela
Before D arrived I had an all night electric blanket “ it was a joy! As D generates massive heat it was cast aside. Love your tale about sex and socks!
Happy Easter.
Hi Toffeeapple
I agree with you, if D is away I often curl up with a hottie whatever season is is.
I could not live without my hotties. Last year I even had them in my bed in July. There is one beside me as I write…
As a child I had a brown velour bear hottie cover which I distinctly remember dropping over the banister every morning. Said bear has lost most of his facial features and his zip doesn’t work but although I no longer use him I can’t bear to part with him. 6 years ago, following a discussion about cold feet and an admission that I wear socks in bed most nights my sister bought me an electric blanket for Christmas – one you can leave on overnight. My nephew, who was about 8 at the time, delightedly announced as I opened up the parcel that I wouldn’t need socks in bed any more. I did a swift double take then had to work very hard to stifle the giggles as I realised that he had said socks and not sex as I had heard initially. I don’t use the electric blanket any more as the flat I live in now is much warmer but I still wear socks and on a really cold night it’s socks and a wheatie. Happy Easter!
I’m always cold, he’s always hot. I bet that sounds familiar. I couldn’t survive without my hot water bottle. I’ve also got a wheatie which I microwave for my feet. I wish i had a lovely knitted cover for my hottie though. Unfortunately I can’t knit. :.(
This sounds like our household! I always have cold feet and think its time for the hot water bottle to make a return to my bed, as Dr T objects to me warming my feet up on him! Think going to have to go out and track down some great hotties!
This is a four hotwater bottle household:all have home-made, button up,jolly patterned fleece covers lined with quilted brushed cotton…just looking at them warms me up.Two live downstairs to be hot cushions for aching muscles and joints on the sofa on cold evenings/afternoons, then, if my very warm husband is away, they join me and the upstairs hotties in bed- one in each corner and me in the middle. Nearly forgot the fifth, a gift from my daughter, which is Bagpuss.Bagpuss is deeply comforting on REALLY cold nights- I suspect tonight may be a Bagpuss night…hotties are just the most comforting and versatile inanimate warmers- Andrew agrees!
Our wee one is lucky enough to have a baby sleeping bag, because she kicks all the blankets off otherwise 🙂
She has her mum’s circulation: freeeeeezing fingers and toes. Sadly her daddy (a nuclear reactor) reacts badly to being subjected to either in bed, no matter how asleep he is 🙁
Happy Easter Fiona, Danny, Min-Pins, hens, gfs, bees and other residents of the cottage smallholding!
Have you seen the weather forecast? :-O
You’re going to need that hottie!
Celia
Sorry to hear you’ve had a bad week, I think it’s maybe been one of those weeks cos we’re all stressed out up here too.
Craig and I have a nice arrangement – he is allowed to warm his cold hands on the back of my neck, and I get foot-warming privileges in return… It works quite well as I never get cold hands and he rarely has cold feet.
Hope you enjoy your new hottie, and have a lovely Easter!
Hi Fiona,
I’m right with you on feeling the cold. My Husband Dan always teases me that he doesn’t remember the wedding vows saying “love, honor, and allow my wife to stick her cold feet on me in the middle of the night”!