BACK HOME SAFE AND SOUND!

A card I made for Kimberly's birthday at Crafty Me.

Thank you all for you thoughtful concerned comments and prayers during my evacuation from the Witch Creek Fire (appropriately named). We are back in our home and there is no smoke damage! We are very blessed with regard to the devastation these fires produced and the many lost homes of friends and neighbors on our mountain and in our once, soon to be again beautiful valley.

The exit was a harrowing experience with winds over 65 mph, ambers and ash and smoke made it extremely difficult to breathe, let alone drive down a mountain road! A huge tree branch broke off right in front of me while leaving, I though this could be my demise, as the road was blocked! No other way out either! My angels were working overtime, as there was just barely enough room for me to get around the huge branch that had fallen! At 2 AM in the morning, I was exhausted and sick from the fire smoke and ash, as I attempted to head to a safer spot to rest until what available daylight would come. I must have dozed off crunched up in my front seat for about 45 minutes or so, when I woke up to 20 screeching firetrucks roaring by me! I couldn't see further than 10 feet! The ambers were awful, and then I knew the fire had blazed all the way down the mountain/valley and jumped the 10 lane freeway and was again upon me! I got the heck out of there just in the nick of time and made my exodus like many inching along the freeway to the ocean. I found a safe haven at my girlfriend's home by the coast where me and my 87 lb doggie stayed for one week! Meantime, DH was in Los Angeles working while his DW is in survival mode! Whew...that just plum wore me out ladies! No worries, the stamps ALL were packed as was all of my ink, ribbon, punches and as much paper as I could grab and fit in car! Treasured albums, my wedding scrapbook album, I adore! And of course, my laptop and PC hard drive! I grabbed as many pictures as I could of the kids when they were little and my DH's classic Fender electric guitar (of course) and a few documents! That was it!

My health has been compromised by this ordeal, my doctors have been fabulous and are doing their best to help me, I have the very best in their respective fields and believe me the is very reassuring! I have had immediate and ongoing care with the Scripps ClinicI go to for medical treatment in La Jolla, CA..

We have a powerful generator running, so as you can see I am online and able to keep the refrigerator on, lights and watch TV in the evening. I am using my propane BBQ for cooking. The water is not good to go- yet, a treatment plant was severely damaged, so it could be another week or so. Power poles are being replaced by helicopter on the steepest slopes of the mountain here, they are doing a great job! Hope to be up and running with power in a week. My daily hot shower is a must! I drive down to the tennis and swim club and stand in the shower for a long time, not wanting to get out! We are so blessed, these are just mere inconveniences, we had a home to come home too! Thank the lord!

Now on to important matters at hand here...stampin' and making cards! I am going to be one busy bee, I missed my stampin' so much and all of your creations! I will do my best to catch up!

Thanks for stopping by and happy stampin'! Oh goodie it's Friday! Beate's challenge time! Deb