Flower Friday : : Achillea

Three weeks ago we were evacuated from our home. OilMan was obsessing about watering his newly planted plants, including this achillea. I was making black jokes about how ironic it would be if we wound up with a new front door and no house....

We seem to have come full circle now. We are back in our home. OilMan's plants not only survived three weeks of toxic smoke and no water, but they are blooming! We have no idea where our front door is. We were told it was shipped from Los Angeles and arrived in Benicia, but have heard nothing more...it seems unlikely that anyone could lose a two ton metal door, but it also seems increasingly unlikely that we will be able to find a contractor with time to put it in....

It is cold and raining today. City workers are blocking all the storm drains with wattle...long tubes filled with hay...to keep the toxic ash from washing into the creeks and rivers. Park rangers are spreading hay and planting grass and wildflower mix to try to prevent erosion of the burned off hills on all sides of us. 

Of course on the first cold day of the year, we have discovered that our fireplace isn't working. We are calling to try to get somebody who can come fix our fireplace before February. I keep thinking of all the people who have nothing left but a chimney. It will be quite awhile before there is any such thing as 'business as usual'. I think we are just beginning to find out all the ways in which this reality will manifest itself....

I received a lovely surprise in the mail today from Blippers CaliforniaGirl, Carolinav, and TLDE . I have put a picture of some of the goodies they sent me in a special care package...handmade cards, calming pictures a book on how to relax and chocolate. I still haven't been able to get through a day without crying, but at least this lovely gesture elicited tears of gratitude for such thoughtfulness. A heartfelt thank you to all three of you....

I already ate all the chocolate....