P.S. to Getting Dirty

We have entered the stage with Wombles where he will walk around and spot new-carpet fuzz, lint, dirt, etc. on the floor (not uncommon). He then either picks it up or points it out shrieking "Dirty! Dirty! Yuck!" ("Duhrhdee! Yacky!") You'd never guess by his delight in all things muddy that he could be so persnickety. I would take it more personally if I didn't know by #3 that it's just a stage...and that he will stop noticing such things soon. :)

I also wanted to mention (as you may notice) that I've started using nicknames for the kids and their friends. I've tried to go back and sanitize earlier posts, as well, for safety's sake. I have enabled anonymous comments to the blog (not permitted before) but also enabled comment moderation. Please stick with our nicknames for ID purposes! Thank you, and thanks for checking in!

Getting Dirty

So, there's more than just dirt--there's soot a-plenty.

Saturday was a fabulously beautiful day. While I really can't justify just lounging around in the sun, there are plenty of excuses to get away from working on the house...like working in the yard! Pretty much all of it burned except for the part right in front. Amazingly, though, native plants around here deal really well with fire. Ceanothus, for example, apparently explodes seeds everywhere. We had about a dozen of those plants, and now there are several hundred tiny baby ones sprouting in the same area.

Also, baby Coyote Bush was sprouting up around the charred remains of its forebears. It was determined that the old skeletons had to go, preferably before the fresh green plants were completely entangled. So I attacked them with clippers. And a handsaw. Our neighbor to the North came and offered me a limb saw. I already had a saw. ("You can keep using what you've got if you want, but what I have is maybe 100 times easier"). He was right. Ah, the satisfaction of physical labor on a beautiful, warm sunny day! Poor J. was inside working and wishing he could be out, too. BUT...

That morning, he went to the hardware store with Bud and Wombles, and came home NOT ONLY with tomato plants and various seeds but SIX ARTICHOKE PLANTS! I did a happy shrieking dance in the driveway (not unlike when we had our electricity turned on) and then had to explain to the bemused neighbor.

We figure that artichokes are basically thistles, and what better to grow on the hill out back? The native weeds and thistles are certainly having a field day. Beating back the tohu has become a daily hobby. I weed while the munchkins play in the yard. Speaking of which--

Here are the first shots of my attempt to get a photo of Wombles this morning. When I called him, he shrieked with glee and ran, thinking we were playing chase:



He rounded the corner toward the back, passing the overstuffed green waste bin and pile of weeds that won't even fit:


While chasing, I finally held the camera out in front of him, although I was still behind:


And I caught him as soon as there was loose dirt to distract him (Ah, the better to play with!):

Somehow, the combo of his T-shirt with the mud-streaked face tickled me.

As far as life details, we are officially wrapped up with our cleaning & restoration company. Whether we hire another one to finish what remains to be done, or do it ourselves, is still an open question. It will probably be a little of both. We are so relieved, though, that it is done and amicably.

OK, I am off to fold laundry...and finish the amazingly auténtico glass of sangria that Jesse made for me! Hooray!

Oh, I forgot...my bridesmaid dress came and I LOVE it!!

Underway

This morning, more tangible signs of progress: this "truck" was chewing up the top level of concrete at the neighbors'! Bud and Wombles were enthralled. We were glad that everyone's up well before 7:20am, anyway. :) It is really going to be fun to have an up-close view of the building process.


We are hoping that our dealings with our cleaning/restoration company will be wrapped up today.

We are having a great day--one of those pristine, perfect-weather mornings (P & B are out with water guns right now, watering the grass and who-knows-what else) . We had a great morning of school. It is just a HAPPY morning. I'm really grateful! Wish I could send you some of our sunshine and soft breezes.

I'm also looking forward to getting my bridesmaid dress from N!! Whoo-hoo!!

OK, P & B are in for refills on the squirt guns...

Home, Sweet Home!

Ash in the flower

It has been two and a half weeks. We've been a little occupied. Wonderful as it is to be here, our homecoming hasn't been quite what we expected. When our things were delivered back from the cleaners (a day late), many of our belongings were still covered with ash and reeked of smoke. We are working on how to move forward from here. It is discouraging at times.

There is encouragement, too, and cause for thanks--not least the constant reminders (constant now that we are here) of how near-run a thing it is that we have things left to be ashy at all. The shot above is of Wombles in a chair that was J.D.'s grandmother's...we have a photo of her in it on her first birthday. Precious.

The more things and signs I find in our yard, the more impossible it seems that our house can be still standing. I do not understand how it can be. I know that the wind was somehow in our favor (Psalm 135:7: "He it is who ... brings forth the wind from his storehouses"), and that firefighters worked very hard to save it. I still don't understand. And am trying to be grateful. For our home, our saved belongings, the Westmont students who have tirelessly helped me unpack and sort and take care of children over their Spring Break, and the neighbor who came on Friday and took a MOUNTAIN of dirty laundry to return it clean and folded. So much for which to be thankful. So much generosity! And when it rains, the whole mountain smells of fire again. I think I still have a lot to learn about how to take the good with the evil (Job 2:10). What does doing that faithfully look like? Any thoughts you'd like to share?


On our first night back in the house, a gentleman from our church brought over some housewarming and other generous gifts from people at church (He and his wife took us in for the first 2 1/2 weeks, and again later). Among them was this collection of lilies (NOT the same bunch from Westmont!). It made me wonder...has someone local found my blog, or was this just one of those lovely little "coincidental" gifts from our Lord? (See 2.13 post). I have never been a big fan of calla lilies, but since the fire they have come to be symbolic of much and have lost their stand-offishness by being wildflowers.


It is so good to be home. We love our neighbors, and can't wait to get some more of them back home! We were the last folks back into the neighborhood that still had a house standing, so now we're waiting on the rebuilds. Early signs of the process have begun--and with the neighbors to the immediate south and west rebuilding, the children are very excited about having an up-close view of the process! Bud in particular... here's a shot of him sharing a doughnut with Wombles on one of our first mornings home. Now that I look closely, maybe he's just sharing the sprinkles...



Last week J.D. walked the children over to the citrus grove to pick some lemons and oranges. Pixie stopped to enjoy the azaleas. Ah, how the sight does my Southern heart some good!

Thanks for wading through some of my processing...

Week O' Mayhem

Maybe it won't be. But we are planning to move home Thursday...Exactly 16 weeks after we left. I am very excited, and wanted to let you know.

The electricity was connected again on Saturday, and when I found out I did a jump/shout routine outside that made me think the neighbors just might think twice about welcoming us home ("It was so quiet while they were gone...") By the way, our phone number should be "live" again on Thursday.

J.D.'s parents drove down for the weekend, and there are now amazing shelves in the garage. There are also a couple of pieces of real furniture added to our collection (Thank you!).



On Friday, we took the day off of school and did a field trip. We took a nice long walk down to the breakwater and had a picnic. I got a real workout; there's a reason they call this part of town "the Mesa." I admit that I required P & B to walk the grade uphill on the way home (maybe 100 yards of nearly 2 miles).



Earlier in the week we watched Obama's speech. I took this shot of Wombles (who applauded every time Congress did) just after Pixie told me "Mom, we're mostly listening to President Obama" (= "Stop talking about the train, already!!").




These photos have nothing to do with what's going on...it's just late and I thought I'd add them to the update...especially for you grandparents out there.

Off to the park on a Sunday afternoon

Looking for whales...or neverland

Pixie's graph will make it up soon. It's done except that I have to add an extension because too many of you liked cucumbers, celery and cherry tomatoes. They couldn't all fit!

I'd love to hear from you.
Thanks,
F.C.

Happy Valentine's Day!

The Valentine Project

Early in the week I abandoned all hope of the lovely, homemade valentines I had hoped to create with the help of my darlings. No paper lace doilies retrieved from the craft closet at home; no rubber cement; and the scissors didn't even make an appearance. In the ongoing battle to not let the perfect be the enemy of the good, though, we bought pre-fab Valentines and decorated them. This worked well enough that next year I might even mail Christmas cards. (Since we prefer to do a letter, with pictures and decorations, etc., I am 1-for-5 on a Christmas letter as far as the last five years go. If it hasn't been abject morning sickness, it's been a debilitating flu or being displaced by a fire. OK, one year J.D.'s parents took us to Hawaii.) I'll take this moment to thank those of you who keep sending us your Christmas missives anyway. We love love love to get them.

Going with the holiday vibe, Wombles switched from his usual favorite of purple to red:




Earlier in the week, Pixie lost tooth #4. She was understandably excited. We started the "The Tooth Fairy's Comin' tonight" song almost immediately. (Sorry, folks--not available on iTunes.)








For nearly every weekend we've been in the rental we've heard the ice cream truck drive by. Just once each day, and at what seems 35 miles per hour (making us wonder whether they are actually interested in selling their wares). Last Sunday, though, we heard the music (?) blaring just as we finished lunch--Pixie and I raced out the door and up the sidewalk, where we could hear J.D. bellowing "STOP!" from the back yard. Now, that's a heroic Daddy! We FINALLY caught the ice cream truck!! I really wanted P & B to have the experience--it's one I remember fondly from my own childhood, but we don't have a truck visit our real neighborhood here. Mission accomplished--they were tickled beyond my wildest expectations. LOVE when the parental plan pays off.



Finally, another of those all-too-rare "sleeping baby" shots--this one of my first baby. :)

Three Months Later

Three months ago today, the Tea fire swept through and changed so many things.

Some of you will recognize these shots, which were taken the morning of the 14th when we walked back to the house to gather some things. We mourned the loss of the lush vegetation, the animals, the birds, the homes of friends and neighbors.


Today, I was over in the neighborhood between rain showers--yes, rain!--and took these "three mesaversary" shots. Note the two small oaks in foreground above? They are in the one below, too.


It is amazing to see the green coming back. We are not living there yet, but a neighbor has emailed with updates when the birds returned, and the frogs. There is a light dusting of green starting to cover the whole mountain range! Santa Barbara snow, maybe :)



When J.D. and I walked this road at 3am after the fire burned through, the trunks of these eucalyptus were glowing. There were literally columns of red lighting the woods, as the flame was gone but the live coals remained inside the trunks.


But some of them have made it. From the inside out, these trees are shooting out the means of getting energy for themselves. It is a beautiful picture of life springing from something that was apparently, and should be, dead.


As my friend Shannon reminded me, He gives beauty for ashes.

I'll just quote the whole chapter. This is from the ESV.

The Year of the Lord's Favor

61:1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
4 They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.

5 Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks;
foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers;
6 but you shall be called the priests of the Lord;
they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God;
you shall eat the wealth of the nations,
and in their glory you shall boast.
7 Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion;
instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot;
therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion;
they shall have everlasting joy.

8 For I the Lord love justice;
I hate robbery and wrong;
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 Their offspring shall be known among the nations,
and their descendants in the midst of the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge them,
that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.

10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to sprout up before all the nations.

In those early photos, I mourned the calla lilies that grew in the wild down by the rainy-season creek bed.

There is one clump back already. I look forward to the rest coming back.

I also look forward to the day when I am done with sin and the death that comes with it. Please, Lord, cause righteousness and praise to sprout up in me.