feeling lucky

Incredibly.

We spent the day up north with Jay's parents. It as a good time. My mother in law is an excellent cook, and the gang all played cards. Alicia and Dan were there with b.g. and y'all know how I feel about that little nut.


The most popular toy of the day was Great-Grandpa's cane. He was obsessed with it, carried it, waved it, knocked stuff down, fell and couldn't get up with it. Honestly, it kept him entertained all day. His cute Curious George monkey? Pah. His books? Boooring. The cane. YES.




On the ride home, we had a call from John. He was on the phone with Heidi when her house caught on fire.

"What? Say that again."

"Heidi's house is on fire. They're all safe, but the fire department and police are there."

We called Heidi and she confirmed this, "Yeah. I'm sitting in a police car with the dog, and my roof is on fire."

John called my parents after he called us and told them to GET OVER THERE. What they could do, I have no idea. Moral support, my mother said. She and John understand each other, always have.

And honestly, while I was in the car a couple hours away from Heidi, I was really glad to know my parents were there with her and Joe, even if they were just sitting in the snow with them, watching the house burn.

We drove straight there, and the road was blocked by emergency vehicles. It was hard to get through. I found Joe outside the house, walking around, and Heidi in a car with their pets. The firemen had shoved the guinea pig cage at them, "Here's your hamster."

In the dark, Jay went to talk to her after I did. The headlights from our car shined forward to where they were. He crouched down in the space of the open door for a long time, the two of them talking, heads close together.

She took it well. They did. There was a long pause when she heard her wedding dress was destroyed. Then she said, "I have lots of pictures. It's only a dress."

Sigh.

They're in our guest room now, Joe in Jay's pajamas and Heidi's in mine.

It's a mess, but it's okay. The firemen were even cheerful, Joe said. No lives were on the line. It's just a job then.

Perspective, yes. Lucky, lucky, lucky us. love, Val