At least 4 fires north of LA are very bad. Sorry your in-laws are/were at ground zero.
btw, "resources" are surprisingly not helpful in situations like this - when the wind is above 50 mph (it was gusting above 80 mph) you make like Forrest Gump - everyone must run away as fast as they can. No one talks of "fighting" hurricanes; instead one prepares and hardens the landscape and structures. It's interesting how "fighting" is an assumed part of all our vocabulary.
I agree … which is what makes it especially hard for seniors with mobility & medical issues like my mother in law …. also thank you so much for you tip in my tip jar, I appreciate your support.
omg, sarah, what a situation with this fire and its impact…I’m so sorry for your in-laws, and please give morgan a “hang in there” for me. The lack of resources to fight it in addition to the insurance bs for colly’s surgery must add up to lots of frustration right now. I’m scared to death of what could come down the pipe for us if there were to be a serious medical situation in my family. Being self employed, our insurance sucks big time.
I just read a great book called My Russian Grandmother and Her American Vacuum. So well written. It is a memoir by Meir Shalev (whom I found out just passed away last year) and seems like a simple book but there’s so much to it.
thank you, I appreciate that. Hope you can join the Jan 16 zoom for paid subscribers; it’d be great to reconnect with you, and Junko (profiled last week) will be a special guest on it. Yes, the insurance limitation is truly scary. We are able to help Colly financially but imagine if she were coping with this accident, and the geographic transition to get care, and then the fire on top of it without parents who have resources for support. So many self-employed people are in a precarious situation. She is now self-employed launching her own company, which is temporarily on hold now while she heals.
My heart goes out to you and your in-laws… truly hoping they didn’t loose their home. I have family both north and south of the current fires… today’s Santa Ana winds are going to be very challenging for any sort of containment efforts. PTSD from our big fire here in just Boulder 3 years ago.
Thank you. It fully burned. My husband is heading to LA now to help his parents see what they might be able to salvage once they're let back into the burn zone and to help them find housing.
So sorry for the rough start to the new year. Don’t get me started on insurance but I’m glad they found that fracture those can be tricky. I totally get the need to be in control but I agree with you that we can miss many small beautiful moments if we are in that state all the time. The horses and the dog and cat are great reminders for us all they all look pretty chill and happy. Seems they sense they have a pretty awesome human that has their backs. I’ll miss the posts but I’m still playing catch up so good luck out there and stay safe. On a pod cast once there was a meditation on worry that asked “ is this useful?” We can worry about whatever until the cows come home but if it’s not useful it’s just stress and misery. Great lesson hard to adhere to a times but still a great lesson. ❤️
Practice Maximum Enthusiasm is one of my favorite essays to read year-after-year.
I'm so sorry about your family and the impact that the fires are having on them. I'm curious, having some local ties, if you know of any reputable relief organizations to donate to? Thank you!
Thank you, Laura. I honestly haven't looked into it. Personally I tend to contribute to humane societies and equine evacuation organizations in disaster areas that take care of animals in wildfires, but I don't know the best organization to go to. I bet a news site like CNN would have some listed. I've seen many Go-Fund-Me funds crop up in the last 24 hours for fire victims.
I bandwagon with the group hoping the situation for your in laws resolves with the least amount of ... I really have no words for these fires that are so devastating...people's lives are the priority but the losses are very profound. And heartfelt best wishes for a speedy recovery to your daughter...this cascading of stressful life impacts/events is something I don't wish on anyone. Stay Strong.
Sarah, my heart goes out to Colly, and Morgan, and you. This must feel like such a scary time. I hope the Smiths will be okay, and you and Colly both recover fully. Insurance companies are evil, and now all of you (Morgan’s folks too) will have to deal with them. How awful. Hang in there. ❤️❤️
I have a "documentary" series to recommend. "Cunk on Earth" is on Netflix. It is a send-up of serious history/nature documentaries. I laughed out loud. Also "Detroiters" is a light, and funny comedy. I think it is also on Netflix.
Sarah, thinking of your in-laws and so many others affected by this. We have had to evacuate several times, and I know how scary and anxious that situation can be. I'm hoping for the best for them, for you, and for your daughter's surgery and recovery.
So much heartache and loss. I'm sorry you're so close to this right now. Like many, we have friends in the area and are hoping the best for them and everyone involved. This must be so heartbreaking for your inlaws and husband. And coping with the financial and medical stress from your daughter on top of that ... it's a lot.
At least 4 fires north of LA are very bad. Sorry your in-laws are/were at ground zero.
btw, "resources" are surprisingly not helpful in situations like this - when the wind is above 50 mph (it was gusting above 80 mph) you make like Forrest Gump - everyone must run away as fast as they can. No one talks of "fighting" hurricanes; instead one prepares and hardens the landscape and structures. It's interesting how "fighting" is an assumed part of all our vocabulary.
I agree … which is what makes it especially hard for seniors with mobility & medical issues like my mother in law …. also thank you so much for you tip in my tip jar, I appreciate your support.
omg, sarah, what a situation with this fire and its impact…I’m so sorry for your in-laws, and please give morgan a “hang in there” for me. The lack of resources to fight it in addition to the insurance bs for colly’s surgery must add up to lots of frustration right now. I’m scared to death of what could come down the pipe for us if there were to be a serious medical situation in my family. Being self employed, our insurance sucks big time.
I just read a great book called My Russian Grandmother and Her American Vacuum. So well written. It is a memoir by Meir Shalev (whom I found out just passed away last year) and seems like a simple book but there’s so much to it.
I’m glad you can focus on Colly right now 🩵
thank you, I appreciate that. Hope you can join the Jan 16 zoom for paid subscribers; it’d be great to reconnect with you, and Junko (profiled last week) will be a special guest on it. Yes, the insurance limitation is truly scary. We are able to help Colly financially but imagine if she were coping with this accident, and the geographic transition to get care, and then the fire on top of it without parents who have resources for support. So many self-employed people are in a precarious situation. She is now self-employed launching her own company, which is temporarily on hold now while she heals.
Oh Sarah! Sending you lots of love and patience and good vibes navigating such a challenging time in life.....
My heart goes out to you and your in-laws… truly hoping they didn’t loose their home. I have family both north and south of the current fires… today’s Santa Ana winds are going to be very challenging for any sort of containment efforts. PTSD from our big fire here in just Boulder 3 years ago.
So grateful for your weekly posts. Thank you.
Thank you. It fully burned. My husband is heading to LA now to help his parents see what they might be able to salvage once they're let back into the burn zone and to help them find housing.
So sorry for the rough start to the new year. Don’t get me started on insurance but I’m glad they found that fracture those can be tricky. I totally get the need to be in control but I agree with you that we can miss many small beautiful moments if we are in that state all the time. The horses and the dog and cat are great reminders for us all they all look pretty chill and happy. Seems they sense they have a pretty awesome human that has their backs. I’ll miss the posts but I’m still playing catch up so good luck out there and stay safe. On a pod cast once there was a meditation on worry that asked “ is this useful?” We can worry about whatever until the cows come home but if it’s not useful it’s just stress and misery. Great lesson hard to adhere to a times but still a great lesson. ❤️
Practice Maximum Enthusiasm is one of my favorite essays to read year-after-year.
I'm so sorry about your family and the impact that the fires are having on them. I'm curious, having some local ties, if you know of any reputable relief organizations to donate to? Thank you!
Thank you, Laura. I honestly haven't looked into it. Personally I tend to contribute to humane societies and equine evacuation organizations in disaster areas that take care of animals in wildfires, but I don't know the best organization to go to. I bet a news site like CNN would have some listed. I've seen many Go-Fund-Me funds crop up in the last 24 hours for fire victims.
I bandwagon with the group hoping the situation for your in laws resolves with the least amount of ... I really have no words for these fires that are so devastating...people's lives are the priority but the losses are very profound. And heartfelt best wishes for a speedy recovery to your daughter...this cascading of stressful life impacts/events is something I don't wish on anyone. Stay Strong.
thank you, I appreciate that
Sarah, my heart goes out to Colly, and Morgan, and you. This must feel like such a scary time. I hope the Smiths will be okay, and you and Colly both recover fully. Insurance companies are evil, and now all of you (Morgan’s folks too) will have to deal with them. How awful. Hang in there. ❤️❤️
Thank you, it's so sad.
I have a "documentary" series to recommend. "Cunk on Earth" is on Netflix. It is a send-up of serious history/nature documentaries. I laughed out loud. Also "Detroiters" is a light, and funny comedy. I think it is also on Netflix.
Sarah, thinking of your in-laws and so many others affected by this. We have had to evacuate several times, and I know how scary and anxious that situation can be. I'm hoping for the best for them, for you, and for your daughter's surgery and recovery.
So much to deal with! I have friends in west LA who are okay so far. So sorry for your in-laws and all the stress in general! Thanks for the post.
Haven't read the essay at the end, but I will. What an immense tragedy for your family this fire is. Sending love to all of your family.
A tragedy for thousands. My father-in-law sounds remarkably stoic and is not complaining or freaking out.
I’m so sorry Sarah! My thoughts are with you and your family. Hang in there. ❤️
Ugh. That's a lot. Good luck in the days and weeks ahead.
So much heartache and loss. I'm sorry you're so close to this right now. Like many, we have friends in the area and are hoping the best for them and everyone involved. This must be so heartbreaking for your inlaws and husband. And coping with the financial and medical stress from your daughter on top of that ... it's a lot.
Wow. Good luck and best wishes to all. Hopefully not as bad as it initially seems …