I Heart Fireman!

This photo is amazing. These are the homes just north of my school. They have an amazing view all the way to the ocean and back up against the Angeles National Forest. Each one was nearly lost yesterday. When the smoke cleared, the brush was gone and the houses remained unscathed!

The fire has now moved more in my direction but seems to be burning up the canyon and I live down. The sky is brown. The air is brown and thick with smoke. How am I going to have 20 little ones all cooped up tomorrow? Welcome to second grade, now don't breathe until after 3:00.

Waiting

As a child, I used to sit on the front lawn and watch the hillsides burn. My father was a Los Angeles County fireman and we knew he was up there working. It was an event. Now as an adult, it is an event with fear attached. I left school on Thursday night and saw many people out in the street taking photos as the fire makes its way down the mountain approaching multi million dollar homes and my school! This is a view up from school.

Friday morning when I came to work the campus was covered with ash and burnt leaves. My classroom was filled with smoke. I've lived here all my life and it has never been this close to so many people I know. Luckily I live 4 miles away, but I will have little ones start school on Monday who live in harm's way. We pray that the winds stay down and that the smoke lifts so the water drops can continue.

You Never Know

Having spent most of the summer sleeping in. I had to get up early yesterday to sit on an interview panel at school. Downstairs at 7:00 my cell phone was ringing. My cousin Bobbie, who never calls, is on the line. "Debbie (the name my family calls me), Steve died last night." Steve was 49. His wife is my cousin Joyce. They have a 16 year old son. Steve had a sore throat, took amoxicillin, and died. He was a lovely man. Steve was funny and optimistic. We are all just so sad that he is gone.

Perfection

We just came from watching Julie and Julia. Two hours of perfection. We go to the movies every weekend. The place was packed and at 52, I was one of the youngest in the audience. There was applause at the end and even a tear or two. I came home and hugged my autographed copy of Julia's baking book.

Lovely Alexis

I teach with a lovely lady named Lynley. She is pretty and calm and just has a sweet way with kids. When she announced that she was pregnant, I knew just what to make. I wanted this to look like something her grandmother had saved, an old fashioned pretty pink quilt. The quilt was made with scraps, except for the Peter Rabbit toile border. I quilted it with heart shaped leaves and daisies. Much to my surprise, baby Alexis' nursery is decorated with Peter Rabbit and pink toile. I nailed it! I also made her matching burp cloths. The burp cloths have been a big hit so I set up an etsy site, Caitty Baby.