Life is truly good: The past week met us with some new challenges but we are all safe and fine. That is the important thing. Last Thursday morning at 4 a.m. we woke to the sound of our smoke detector. I ran out to find the dishwasher all in flames. We were able to go out the front door. Greg put the fire out with a blanket and I phoned 911 on the cordless phone which Greg brought to me from the coffee table close by. Greg was a bit perturbed with himself for not switching off the furnace fan as the furnace managed to spread the smoke throughout the entire house. It’s OK. The smoke detector worked. We are all safe including the pets and we had insurance. There is a cleaning crew that has been washing, scrubbing walls, packing boxes, using ozone machine and ripping out cupboards and flooring that need to be removed. We will get new flooring put in our back entrance, down the stairs and into the main room in the basement. All the replacement work and painting will be done by a carpenter. We’re getting bids for these jobs and then insurance company will choose.

Sorry to tell this almost by rote but the whole thing seems just another adventure in my survivor life series. I am trying as much as possible to laugh, to think of the good things that can come of this, Relationships of family and friends are being strengthened. I learn of kindness from people like Constanza, near strangers, who are offering help. I learn of people that don’t really care. I learn of how very, very strong I have become when a friend comments on how so many people would be very “pissy” (her word, not mine) about the whole thing. As I skip down the hallway of my mother-in-law’s basement where we are residing, I realize that life is truly good. As I shed a few tears of sadness, exhaustion, I realize that life is truly good,

The fabric photo shows a piece I had dyed brown, used a bleach resist on and then painted with white fabric paint. The photos are from before the fire.



The greens and flowers started as a small gift to myself late on Mothers Day. They were embellished by a dear kind soul at the nursery, florist shop. They smell so wonderful at this time where it often felt like smoke was curling about near my nose, inside my nose, in everything that I breathed in. Now I am reminded that my cell phone, which I have with me near constantly, was in the kitchen right in area of greatest smoke concentration. Oh well. I need it with me.
The pears and lamp with ribbon (I'll catch you up with these tomorrow) only show how I am trying to make our temporary abode into somewhat of a home.



Thanks to all who have offered support of any kind, especially of thoughts and prayers

Angels be with you,
Wendy