topic Re: MY CALIFORNIA BURNING in Community Chat

MY CALIFORNIA BURNING

qvcaddition — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 16:53:18 GMT

I live in NORTHERN CA. SONOMA COUNTY. I HAVE VISITED THESE PLACES MANY TIMES IN MY 40 years here. I cried and still as I write this For Those poor people, FIREFIGHTERS and Animals. HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE. THE NEWS MEDIA IS JUST SHOWING THIS FOR THE LAST TWO DAYS.. THEY WILL NOT LEAve these people alone. One news caster asked an evacuation HOW DO YOU FEEL AND HOW BAD IS IT? The lady looked at her and said,SERIOUSLY, LOOK AND SPREAD HER ARMS.

PLEASE PRAY FOR THESE PEOPLE. Sixty one acres , 20,000 evacuated and thousands of homes, not to mention livestock. Thank you.

Re: MY CALIFORNIA BURNING

qvcaddition — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 16:58:04 GMT

Sorry for double post, but having trouble with the Q online as usual. Jumping pages, wouldn't,t take first post.

Re: MY CALIFORNIA BURNING

Mistic — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 17:00:14 GMT

One news caster asked an evacuation HOW DO YOU FEEL AND HOW BAD IS IT? The lady looked at her and said,SERIOUSLY, LOOK AND SPREAD HER ARMS.

This is beyond sad. Some people "just don't get it!" Such a stupid question!

My family had survived 2 house fires. Lost most of everything in each one. We had questions and comments like this. One person said how "lucky" we were to be able to go out and get all new stuff!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!!

Re: MY CALIFORNIA BURNING

Krimpette — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 17:34:49 GMT

I'm on the East coast and have been praying for all those involved in these dreadful fires. It just sickens me to see the news reports. How absolutely tragic. When will it end? I can hardly bear to watch the news, so i can only imagine what it must be like to be involved or to know someone who is. I can only hope that people will continue to pray and that the fires can somehow get under control, and that no more lives will be lost. I'm so sorry.

Re: MY CALIFORNIA BURNING

shoekitty — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 04:33:09 GMT

When I was 10, we moved into a new home. I was watching Hopalong Cassidy on TV. He was chasing "rustlers on the range" in a horse race. They set a fire in front of Hoppy's trail to get him off their trail!. The fire grew, as it raged , I could smell smoke. True story. I thought wow, this TV is REAL!! Then there was smoke under the door ...coming into the family room a few feet from me. My Mom came opened the door to look, we ran as the fire was raging. The fire destroyed all but last room in 6 mins. The fire started in garage where most of our stuff was, as we were still moving in.

It was really hard. I went to a family friend, my brothers (they were little) and Mom and Dad another, as they dealt with finding new place. In those days , in our family, no one talked about anything. It was just something you got over, and went forward.

We were really lucky, as my parents had a rental. We had to wait for tenants to vacate for a month. But my Mom said, they were kind enough to move . She gave them the month free. We lived there for a year while our new home was built. No animals or any of injured! My dad refinished the car that had heat from blistered paint (it was outside) and he refinished their bedroom set. Other than that we had nothing. Clothes and such that could be salvaged smelled so bad, you cannot clean them to get stench out.

We moved into the rental with basically nothing. It is a lonely, odd, eerie feeling. Mattresses on floors, no furniture but kitchen set and mattresses!. Embarrassing when you are a kid when friends come over. We didn't even have a couch!. Our Christmas that year we had a huge tree, we covered it in ribbon bows, as that is all we had.

But we were lucky, Parents were able to save, we moved to a great home, and got all new furniture. My parents owned the rental we stayed in, so no mortgage payments.

I know what it is like to loose a home. It is lonely, it is desperate and deeply sad. It is an eerie feeling you just can't shake. You feel cold and alone. You reach for something, and it is not there. Every time you think you have it together, you remember something else you have lost. Yes, it is material stuff, but it is home and what you are used to. Imagine this very minute, you had to leave your home with just the clothes on your back. And then imagine from that moment you can never go back, or have anything you had ever again. Lots of sentimental items are lost, and that is the hardest part.

But you get through it. Life goes on. It does leave lots of little scars and scabs that rip open, over and over your whole life

Re: MY CALIFORNIA BURNING

NoelSeven — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 05:11:24 GMT

Shoekitty, you have written such beautiful and moving posts here tonight, thank you

Re: MY CALIFORNIA BURNING

foundinlv — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 05:29:06 GMT

(((((shoekitty))))) "Lots of scars and scabs that keep ripping open" really got to me. Phrase applies to so many others I'm sure and me too.