No card--Update on forest fires in Colorado Springs

Hello dear readers,
I am writing with a heavy heart today.  I don't have a card-- perhaps Kathy will have one--she sure is overloaded lately with card making.

At around 2pm today, I was evacuated.  Although I was packing all day yesterday, I still lost my mind today when I was told I needed to leave!  I was shaking like crazy and tears were flowing.  I didn't know whether I would ever come back to this home, ever sleep in my cloud of a bed, ever be able to cook in my kitchen, make my guest bed, ever get to pick from all my videos to watch movie night--and oh no...I left my laundry in the wash but I can't go back now and I wish I cleaned up more...the things that race through your mind.  I took one last photo, remembering when I first saw it when I was looking for a home to live here.  I was packing a big suitcase with stamps when this occurred and when that call came through I started just dumping anything and everything.  I still have about 75% of my stamps at home but at least the most important ones are with me.  :)  As stampers, you can appreciate that these are not just THINGS (many people don't understand)...these are a part of you--they define you, bring you so much joy...as well as the joy it brings to others when you make them a creation.  I already had my car packed with all my baby photos, videos, albums.  Even though I'm divorced, I also packed my wedding album so my girls can have it. Some clothes, some of my herb books, the girls' little comfort objects and some of the things they made me for Mother's day, camera, computers with a few key things from work,  and an heirloom down comforter passed down from my grandmother--it had literally come all the way from Poland on the proverbial "boat" a century ago.   (the thing with the down comforters is a Polish thing. LOL)  I left behind all my other beloved items: Other things the girls made, all my wonderful cookbooks, photos of the girls that were framed that I forgot to pack, the art on my walls that I so painstakingly waited and searched for...all my beautiful cards from the girls and Kathy, some of my favorite clothes--I just needed to get whatever I needed to have for the next few days.  I did't have that much room in the car because I wanted my dog to be comfy and I still needed to make room for her stuff and her body!  My poor Daisy was freaking out and I could not get this 100 lb of hairy love on the leash to get into the car!    She was freaking out and running away from me...downstairs into the basement, around the house...she just knew something was coming down.  Poor baby.

So needless to say...this has been quite an experience.  I guess at this point, knowing I am safe, all those "things" that were so very important at the time seem to have dissipated in importance.  If my house is still standing, then it will probably take me a year to unpack--but I will be going into that art room and purging the stuff I don't use, and reorganizing. And cleaning all that yucky stressful energy.

As an update on  the fire itself: 38,000 people have been evacuated.  2 people are dead.  360 homes are burned to the ground and 14 damaged.  15,000 acres burning.  And on the third day of this outbreak, only 5% containment.  In addition, there is another fire burning South of town in one of our natural scenic tourist areas, Royal Gorge.  That is about 20% contained and will have an impact on over 100 jobs and the homes in that area, not to mention tourism.

Keep praying for all of us in Colorado Springs.  This is the second year in a row our community has been challenged with these devastating fires (Waldo Canyon last year).   I am in awe of how generous and concerned people have been.  Friends, family have phoned and texted nonstop so that my mind wouldn't race away with me to other realms of panic and hysteria (I know Kathy is laughing right now since I'm such an overreactor).  People I work with offering places to stay.  It is at times like this you realize the value of true friendship and realize I work with very neat people too.  I was almost tempted to drive to Arkansas and show up on Kathy's doorstep. :)  I'm so happy to see that in times of such duress the best of people comes out.  Perhaps that is the purpose of it all?  An energetic cleansing so to speak?  Get people out of their ego and into their hearts?

OK, sorry this has been so long and philosophical--I appreciate being able to write about it here. :)  By the way--through all of this, I didn't eat much, but I did indulge in some major carbs and chocolate...and it really made me feel better!! LOL