California Burning...so I made a list

Another October, and California is burning again. As I watched the fire burning in Malibu and Pepperdine University last Sunday as this week of firestorms began, my mind automatically went back to 1993, when my son, Michael, was attending Pepperdine and the hills were on fire, and the students were keeping vigil at the Firestone Fieldhouse. That year, some students left...some stayed. Michael was one of the ones who stayed, and even designed the T-shirt, which proclaimed "I survived the Fire!" Then, 4 years ago, in October 2003 ... fire raged again, day after day, the fire devoured more and more houses, trees, acres of grass. Smoke filled the air and ash fell from the sky and covered everything. Now, here we are again...

The fire in 2003 actually came closer to home than this one, but now I live closer to a mountain, which could one day be on fire. And so as I was watching TV and seeing people being evacuated from their homes, I started thinking...how quickly you can condense your 'life' down to just what you can carry in your arms or pack into your car. (How weird - another blog about 'stuff.' I think it's my third one this year.) Anyway, I took pictures of every room in our house and I started making a list, in order of importance, of what I (we) would take in the event of having to evacuate. Alot of it comes down to the time available. Do you have 5 minutes or 5 hours? My list began with:

1. Medications
2. Important Papers/Cash
3. PICTURES and SCRAPBOOKS (most of you who know me are probably surprised that's not number 1, it did come before clothes - so, I had to think about it!)
4. Clothes
5. ? whatever else I had room for and time to get.

When you start making a list like that, you realize (again) how insignificant the trappings of this life really is. Don't get me wrong, I still love stuff ... and especially my stuff. I looked around my home as I took the pictures, and made the list - so many things I have a personal attachment to - antiques which belonged to my grandparents, and quilts my grandma made being at the top of that list. And I thought to myself, I can't imagine how hard it is for these people to leave behind everything, not knowing whether any thing will be left when you return. But knowing your family is together and safe is what really matters. I guess when they knock on your door and tell you it's time to leave - you just go...

For a week now, we've been looking at the world through an orange haze, as though we have on 'orange-colored' glasses. The air is so filled with smoke, you can't be outside. I've taken the pictures and made the list, but I pray I'll never have to leave my home because a fire is threatening...(By the way, my stepsons' list were different than mine. Theirs began with: number 1, Skateboard...)