Crashing California

Those of you who know me well, know my afinity for clothing ... and even more so, my love for finding good threads, at incredible prices. Well, Carlsbad (to my utmost delight) happens to be home to one of the finest (I think it may infact BE the finest) consigment store I've ever seen. Not only do they have AMAZING consignment peices (we're talkin' designer stuff, like Anne Klien, DKNY, etc. etc.) at decent prices (jeans are no more than $40) They just happen to have a "loft", perched above the already amazing clothes. That feature sale items, at up to 50% off the ticketed price. (Can you see where I'm going?) So, today I ventured to this little jewel of a boutique and climbed the stairs to their loft, to find (yes, brace yo'self) a cute wee dress top, only to find that they were having a sale : 50% off the ticketed price (K, I could not contain myself) My deals of the day, you ask? I picked up a Silk Top, retail sticker reads $78, for (sit down) THREE DOL...

After a week of uncertainties, and glimpses of a Fire Hell on Earth, we come to this I walked home (from grocery shopping) along the coast. Enjoying the majesty and the mist of a clean ocean and skyline. We are enjoying unusually low tides (and high ones as well). But it made for a 'bejeweled' sand bed and beachcombing for treasures An afternoon like this almost makes me forget the hurts, trials and storms of this world, and if the rest of my life could be summed up in a picture, I hope that this would be it Till next blog ~ love ,a

Nothing like seeing Govenor Arnold S. and President George W. on T.V. right in San Diego at the same time. It seems that the worst is behind us now ~ Thank the Lord ~ the winds are now pretty much non-existent, which is great for fires, but bad for the air. It's been smokey and ashey here for days, and without wind or rain (which normally cleans all the particles out of the atmosphere) we're set to be stuck with this stuff for a while. The Good news is our good friends Bardy and Rene have been able to come home, to their home, which was not damaged by the fires (as from the smokey smell and soot). I think all of our friends have been able to return home, and although things are still burning, (out in East County, mostly away from homes) I think things are begining to be contained and brought to control by the fire-fighters. It's the end of the chaos, but the beginning of so many other things.

I just ventured out to snap some pics... The coast resembles a different planet. The sun casts orange light and there is ash floating in the air, dusting everything in black powder. The air is suffocating and very still. Ash washed up on the beach, marking the tides receeding

This morning, I awoke to an outside that was very different than yesterday. Yesterday morning seemed like every other, the sky was blue, the ocean, beautiful as always... the air, breathable, crisp and fresh. Today I woke up in the pitch dark at 6:00 a.m. After dreaming about constant news coverage and nightmares of being told to evacuate by a police man at my door, by 7 a.m., when our sun rose, the sky is grey. And not grey like the cold dull rain clouds that saturate the atmosphere with life-giving moisture. This grey is dirty, it touches the groud, it almost looks yellow and there are bits of ash floating around in the air. A small sliver of red-yellow bursts from the edge of the earth, where the sun can peak her head out, for now. It's eerie and suffocating. We're told to pay attention to the news today (which ~ has been non-stop since yesterday a.m. on our networks), as the winds are so unpredictable that anything could happen. It's really smokey here this morning, but...

(This photo is at our beach outlet, minutes from our home ~ the "clouds" are actually the smoke, from the area, drifting out over the ocean) I am almost really at a loss for words. From last night, when the brush fires were way out in Ramona, far from us and the ones that we loved, that we were so glad to have here, so they were safe. We awoke this morning to hear that the Fire had spread mercilessly into area's right into San Diego Area, including Rancho Bernardo, and the area where the home and the family that we stayed with when we first came down here. I can't get ahold of them, which means they've evacuated, I am praying like crazy for them, and our other friends who live in the area ... I haven't seen anything like this at all, ever in my life, it's insane, it's horrible ~ please be praying for us...there is so much loss and seeminly nothing that we can do about it.

So, today in San Diego we were witness to the Santa Ana winds, that hurtle themselves off the desert and whip through the mountain ranges east of San Diego. They cause the air temperatures here to rise into the mid 80's at the coast and cause a SERIOUS fire risk in the dry California brush. Amanda and her Boyfriend Justin were full witness to them as well ... they are currently driving here under a mandatory evacuation of the area. (They are well on their way, we've been communicating via cell phone) I've said my prayers and I await their arival, they will stay their last night in California before heading back home, at our home. Mother Nature, or God, as I call it ~ is a power that no man can harness. No sweet will can tame. No leash can ensnare and capture and cause to move to our human hands. We are at His mercy, always. I am filled with a sense of gratefulness and awe, and I am glad that Amanda will be spending the night here... and as I listen to the rage of the waves ...

So, we've had Jay's littlest sister Amanda here with her boyfriend since Sunday. We've mostly been hanging out with them, and we've been spending alot of time with a friend of hers as well, named Chris, he's an Albertan as well, but is currently residing in Oceanside (which is the town right next door to us). We celebrated her birthday on Tues. with a beach bonfire. Yesterday we drove out to thier (actually the boyfriend's) time-share in Ramona, and I was engulfed by the arrid beauty of the Southern Californian Mountains. Jay and I woke up early and went for a walk and found some great Cactus and NO rattlesnakes ~ which is good =) And this afternoon Jay and Justin (Amanda's Beau) went surfing, while I snapped pics like crazy and got my pants TOTALLY soaked. I have some down time at the moment, between the bussle of spending time with family and trying to work, so I thought I better jot down the first part of this week down before I forget!! I admit I'm s...

I didn't even realize it was the holiday until Friday ~ which, I admit made me a wee-bit sad! Unawares of Canadian Holidays, are my roots slipping between my sand and sea soaked fingers? I spent this weekend, in such a way that I am ever-thankful to be here. We had a baby shower for Laura on Saturday. I spent the night on Friday and got to meet Andy's little step-sister. We all hung out and painted nails and talked until late. Saturday was hussle and bussle, and thinking of details for the shower. All in all it went very smoothly I think... and I'm glad that we could be with Laura and think of little Mira. Laura is due Nov. 21st ... I can't believe it's coming up so soon!! (A photo from the shower of little Max and Caper ~ too cute!) I got home Sat. eve. and pretty much crashed at like 8! I had a bit of a headache and I was really tired, and I just wanted to sleep. I went to bed reading Ecles. and had that verse running through my half-asleep brain "... it...

So, when Jay said to me yesterday: "so, you've pretty much stopped blogging?" I thought to myself ... "self...perhaps you should try to make an entry at some point this week .. " so, here we are =) I think the reason why I haven't written as of late is because, well, everything is pretty stable, and settled right now, so my brain is calm ... nothing crazy is happening, so there's not too much to write about, but there is if I try =) I took the train this weekend for the first time into San Diego to spend time with Laura, it was pretty decent. Only 1.5 hours and I'm downtown, and it only costs $6.25 total...which I guess is better, (certainly less stressful!!) than driving! I stayed the night on Sat. and had my pottery lesson on Sunday, which was (always) good ... my only thought with the pottery is I wish I could do it more ... but there will come a day =) I've mostly been going to the beach ... I've become a certified (unofficially, ofcourse...