Sketchy info still

Green Valley Lake appears to be completely surrounded by fire, this is very scary. i am sure it will be difficult to keep it from completely over running the town. i wish somone would drop fire retardent on the whole place and just give us some peace of mind, arrrrgghhhh!!! just one dc10 drop please! i am going to give some links for anyone interested in the blow by blow, it can be scary and reassuring at the same time, rollercoaster ride for sure.

rim of the world

there are google groups where you can read about home owners and apparently some people who are still up there reporting on things as they see it.

not sure if i mentioned this recently, but camp wintaka is on green valley lake road, that area appears to be on fire as is camp cedar crest and a gorgeous calvery chapel camp (huge log cabins, like the kind of camp you would expect to see in the movies).

we need some rain dancers out there, we need rain! i dont see any way to stop this fire storm with the limited resources we have.

ok, off to try and have a normal day.

Sick stomach, painting workshop day two

last night chris and i listened to the police/fire scanner in real time all night long and heard them say that green valley lake was too dangerous for the firefighters to stay and fight... they left for their own safety. all i can say is i was so sad, in so much turmoil i couldn't sleep. it was a really stressful helpless feeling compounded with all the sadness i was feeling for people with confirmed house loss, the numbers are staggering to me. running springs wasn't even involved at first and over one hundred houses have burned there, amazing! my poor michelle! still hoping her cabin is safe!

waking up today to the tiniest hope our cabin is still standing was an overwhelming relief but even now, this could change in a second. it is so scary how areas that are safe become unstable at a moments notice, wind changes or some unseen condition arises and dozens or hundreds of houses are lost. this is gut wrenching fear, definitely not as bad as the worry or fear you feel for a loved one, but the helpless fear something you really love may be just destroyed beyond repair. i don't recommend this feeling to anyone.

ok, enough of that. as i write this i don't have confirmation our cabin is gone, there have been houses burned on our street but we don't know the specifics yet. just hoping, hoping and thanks to everyone who has sent me comments of support, they really mean a lot to me!!!!

i missed the morning demo at my workshop (just too tearful and stressed out to leave the tv) but i managed to get to my afternoon student painting session and i like this painting better than yesterday. tomorrow we go to a new location, yeah!

i woke up to my lulu at the door, never have seen her do this, wonder if she felt over protective of her mama today... sure made me smile...

up all night

such a sad day, the news doesn't look good. i am so full of mixed emotions, not just for the possible loss of our cabin (yes i am still holding on to hope) but for all the other people who have lost homes today and my fear some may lose their lives (much more important). what a wipe out! just devastating.

how will we explain all this to the kids?

scary day

thanks to everyone who has called me today, our green valley lake cabin is safe as i write this... i can't believe i saw it on our local news today during a random news report! but the threat is not over. this is scarier than the last fire, which was miles and miles away. 20 homes have burned in green valley lake, actual houses. i can't tell you how much turmoil i have been in all day. i took the week off to attend a painting workshop, at the beach with fumes of smoke and ash flying through the air. my cell phone ringing off the hook with news that my cabin may be burning to the ground. what a strange day, so scary, so surreal. emotions whirling in all directions. i kept thinking about what i have left there, my belongings (my cabin itself is so amazing, a work of art). then worrying about my neighbors, people who live there year round. maybe everything they hold dear burning up.

i know if i read about someone's "vacation" home burning up i might think, well who cares about her? she has a real home and this is just a second home. i know, i know... i actually feel the same way sometimes (those celebrity's in malibu??) but let me tell you humbly, i don't take my cabin for granted. i know it is a luxury, i can't take a vacation because of it (granted i can visit it instead) and i have a way to "get away" from this claustrophobic city. i work weekends and overtime to pay for it, i cry over bills and worry many sleepless nights. for me, it is more than what meets the eye. it is a place to take my girls that is laid back, full of nature and has a feeling that reminds me of my own upbringing. it is a close knit community and quaint, something i love and am grateful for... i am so scared for all my womens club members who live there year round, neighbors who live and breath green valley lake. listening to the police scanner tonight ... hearing things like "need to abandon", "not enough help", "fire running rampant".... my stomach hurts! if my cabin survives this, i don't know how i will be able to thank my lucky stars enough.

so as i watch the news and worry worry worry... here is how day one of my workshop went:

on the way to the workshop, smoke rolling in

demonstration

stages

done!

lunch break...

my first attempt

gvl

Fall Halloween Carnival

last year our group had just started out (can you believe how scared we were that our group of four girls would never take off? we are at 14 girls and could probably add more if we tried recruiting! yippeee!) so the october carnival was our first event. we only attended it, weren't ready to host a booth. this year we were ready and what a blast it was!

kathleen was in charge, i only had to make a sign. here we are trying to get it together with maybe 1 hour to go before the carnival starts.

i wish i would have grabbed this before it went to mush, this is so cool and i would have framed it!

emily's first draft mummy costume

we finally arrive

our booth in full swing

quintessential carnival shot!

our booth

us

yes this was the most magical carnival ever, sorry, it was just that good!

When hubby gets the flicks

a few weekends back, chris did the movie picking. here was the selection:

the lives of others (in german)

and this (in korean)

and this

all i can say is that each was amazing in it's own way, completely different and great. i was thinking about the movie "the lives of others" for days after, it was so well done. (and i love virginia madsen, am i the only one who loved this movie?)

Banner blues

still trying to get a new banner up, i had a "practice" banner up since yesterday when i accidentally saved it? so you might have stumbled onto it and wondered where you were (i know i did!) i have about 80 percent of an idea of how to do it, just no time to polish it up. sooooo, i am stuck with the current one, which i do thankfully like. some ideas for a new banner:

ok, i am scatterbrained more than usual today. stay tuned for a banner... hopefully once i figure it out (or my web designer buddy flies in to rescue me) i can change it seasonally like all the pro bloggers out there.