So Cal Fires

I plan to post a few pictures later (we took hundreds), but I'd like to let you all know that we and our new home, are safe here. If you have been watching the news, four fires were blazing on Saturday, and one of them was just a few minutes driving distance from our home. Kinda scary, I won't lie. We first discovered the huge billows of smoke to the east of us while helping a friend move out of her apartment and to a new place a few miles away. Almost immediately, Joaquin tuned into the radio news station. As we heard the name of our city being reported, we semi-panicked. Okay, I did. And then I prayed and prayed and... You get the idea. My mind lept into all sorts of directions. After we dropped off the furniture, we headed homeward to see what we could see. The freeway near us was closed, which meant the driving was slow. I read fear on most of the faces of people we passed. It was an eery feeling. We passed homes where families were packing up their precious possessions into their cars. And then we saw the flames. Its one thing to see smoke. Living in dry areas of California, I have seen more than my fair share of smoke-filled skies from local fires, but actually seeing the flames nearing buildings not too far off from your own home, well, its an awful thing.

Once we reached our place, I rushed inside and started darting from room to room like a crazy person. What will I take if we had to be evacuated? Before I knew it, my hands were grabbing things off bookshelves and tabletops and even the walls. I pushed clothes around in my closet. I grabbed my laundry basket and started filling it. Joaquin put his hand on my arm to slow me down and asked, "Baaaabe, what are you doin'?..." To which I responded, "Its okay, this just makes me feel better," as I handed him a filled basket to be taken to my car. He smiled like he does when I'm being silly but did not protest. He is a good husband. And you know what I learned? I filled two baskets and an overnight bag, and I was good. It felt satisfying to know that I was not too terribly attached to my things. I have often wondered at what it would be like to give up all that I have, all of my earthly possessions... For sure, it would have been hard to get over it if I had to to lose it all... and I may have had some regrets regarding what hadn't been tossed into my basket if something were to have happened... but the things that really mattered to me were small and few enough to fit in the back seat of my car: my Bible. my picture albums. my precious Mac. wedding jewelry and a sapphire necklace that Joaquin bought me in India. an address book full of all the people I track and love. a few small wedding gifts that remind me of "home." a decorative metal cross that we purchased on our honeymoon. my favorite skirt that I found in a thrift store years ago... All these things and Joaquin would have still fit too :). As I headed out to my car onto the next activity of the day, I will admit that I hesitated as I saw my blue kitchenaid mixer out of the corner of my eye. But then I looked back at Joaquin, and not wanting him to think he married a completely foolish girl, I continued on out the door.