Everyday is like Sunday

Sunday we went to visit Gram in San Marcos, driving by the fire lines. I understand now why the freeway was close. On the East side of the road, there was nothing standing. Just little white piles of ash where chapparel used to stand. San Onofrey got licked, just grazed really. Hardly anyone on the freeway. Quiet and gray.
We ordered in because Gram wouldn't go out. Restriction because of air quality are still in place.

When we came home, we went on a nice long ride through Irvine. We found a park called the Incredible Edible Park--interesting. Food plants throughout. We took home some zucchini and oranges. Yummy! We rode to JE's future work. He goes from 1.4 miles to around 9. So much better than most commutes in this area. I just wish Irvine would figure a way to make a better bike trail over the freeways.

Monday I started working on a quilt for Tia for Christmas. I actually started it 5-6 years ago, made all these great patches, put them all together and realized that they created a swastika. Nope none of that, so I pulled them apart and sewed them into long stripes of stripes and put the whole quilt together in 2 days. I will eventually make another for Lou, but will have to ship it.

M&D's 40th anniversary, I bought tickets for them to come to Portland. I will be going Saturday and am excited. I love Portland, I love my Sisters. Hurray!

Last night we went to visit Swantje for her birthday Halloween party. We went as grape apes, space monkeys, Disco yeti, purple people eaters, people wearing cheap purple fur costumes. Funny and Fun! Didn't realize most people wouldn't be dressed up. We stopped and picked up some sangak bread, which was a hit because she had a Middle Eastern Feast. Yummy! We went to a neighbors house that was all decked out, no really really decked out, like thousands and thousands of dollars decked out for Holloween. So much stuff! The question on the evening was where do they store all that stuff? I don't understand that kind of thinking, why so much?

Strange light

Wierd day, and I am done with the fires by the way. So much"stuff" happening.Just thinking about that Julian effect or what ever it is called that describes a minute particle that appears to have the same pattern the further and more encompassing it is. A crystal has microscopic particles that look like crystals. the crystals are in a pattern that resembles the particles making the crystals, on and on into infinity. Apply it to this region on an individual basis and speaking of things much more obscure such as personal tragedy. So much personal tragedy becomes communal, and even global. I work in a space with people from Sweden, Germany, Taiwan, Mexico and all over the US. Each person has received a phone call from a loved mother who was concerned for the safety of the individual here. There must be a huge amount of worry and concern out there. Collective prayers, I wonder what Heaven is hearing. I pray for the animals.

When I woke this morning, the smoke was rising almost straight up. An amazing sunrise through the smoke of the Santiago Canyon fire. That was swept toward Costa Mesa, while the Pendelton fire smoke loomed huge in the sky directly overhead. We have had a strange calm yellow light. The color of Devastation. So much displacement of birds. Ash falls like snow flurries, but we have 90 degree heat.

The show opened tonight. Hurray!

JE's dad is not doing well, and Mom is worried to get a family portrait.

October heats up

Sunday. Dress rehearsal. JE stayed to watch. It was a nice show, not too much to alter. Fire was on everyones mind and everyones monitor. Several people gave notice that they may have to leave at anytime to go fetch loved ones and or animals. A bit touchy. Outside the wind was obscene. There were branches and garbage floating everywhere.
I worked all day and could smell fire as we were leaving the theater around 9:30. A bit discomforting, theaters and fire really don't mix well. As we drove home past Irvine we could see huge raging fire on the hills above Foothill ranch. Really really big fire and a whole lot of it.
Monday I woke up at 6am and peeked outside. I could see the smoke, but couldn't smell it. I walked JE to work at 8, but turned around after 5 minutes, the wind was shifting. After I dropped JE off, I got ready for my day but was halted when I looked outside and saw the light coming in was deep dirty yellow. The sky was so thick with smoke and ash was falling from the sky. I went outside. no cars, no birds, no people. Burnt offerings falling from heaven--3 inches long. Like the last woman standing after a nuclear holocaust, really eerie. My neighbor showed up wearing a dust mask. He was just returning from work, where he had let all his people go for the day because their building was full of smoke. My other neighbor came outside on her porch to smoke--go figure. We talked and I was very late for work. I was so rattled by that it was hard to concentrate, even though as I left Irvine, the smoke dissipated.
JE called to tell me he had the day off, a "smoke day."
Today was better. Still a lot of ash, but not so much smoke. the fires are not quite so visible.
My grandmother in San Marcos may have been evacuated, I can't get in touch with her. If I know her she thinks of this as an adventure.

Dastrup wake up

I think today will remain vivid in my mind for a very long time. It started out by waking up and knowing it was raining, which in my book is grounds for a great and shining day. JE and I meandered around a bit waiting to hear from our friends--the Dastrups, visiting fro Utah.
We all went for fish tacos and nachos at Baja Fish Tacos and then went to the bakery near there for a treat to eat down on the beach which never actually made it out of the shop.
We then headed for the beach, it was a sparkling day with patchy clouds and brilliant sun. the color of the water was amazing and it was so perfectly clear. We watched the kids play in the surf and throw sand and scream. They loved it and loved it and loved it! JE and I sat on the beach and talked with Ben and Amy and found that bittersweet understanding of how far we are from friends, really amazing and wonderful friends.

I'm Back!

Went to the beach today and saw whales spouting off the coast! Amazing, So big!!!
Seems like when I sit to write lately all the thoughts in my head sort of go away and leave me with nothing to say!