Good Morning, my Friends,
You have probably all heard about the fires in Southern California, by now. We are in the San Diego County area and fires are burning all around us. My MIL and BIL came to our home last night, as the town they live in, about 20 miles up the road, was completely evacuated last night. This is a town of 40,000 people!
There are evacuations all around us and as soon as I'm done here, I'm going to pack up important papers, photos and clothes for a few days and have ready to throw in the car in case we get an evac. call. Both my daughters live near us so we can keep in contact easily and have arranged to call each other with any evac. news, so we can all be together.
I would just like to ask for your prayers for all the people here who have lost their homes and for those of us who are preparing for the possibility of evacuation. The area I'm in is not being evacuated yet, but with the winds, there is no telling which direction it will take next.
Also, please think positive thoughts or pray for our wonderful firefighters. Some are out fighting to save the homes of others, while they don't know if their own home is still standing.
Thank you so much. Be well. I will let you all know when anything changes. Hopefully I will be able to say we are out of danger. I'll be back on when I can.
Love to all,
Nini
Good luck to you and your family, Nini. Don't forget to pack up the photo's and other irreplaceable things.
I didn't even realize SD was burning until this morning. We're all concentrating on the Malibu fires. They interrupted Mass last morning with updates on the fires. A lot is lost there already including a church, a retreat, homes etc. So far it looks like it's not 'coming over the hill' to the Santa Monica/West LA area.
Hubby is freaked.
Pip
Nini, my heart goes out to you and your friends and family. Consider yourself prayed for! Please stay safe. Everything is so messed up right now with the bizarre weather patterns and droughts.
I hope Brisen is doing okay also - are you listening Gale? Let us know you are okay!
Sendng positive thoughts your way...praying everything will be ok.Nini, I hope you'll be back in your home soon. Will say a payer.....Dear Nini, I understand the fear of these wild fires. I lived in Carson City, Nev for 12 years and every summer there would be fires. So much damage, people's lives are threatened, and everything they've worked for destroyed. Insurance only pays a portion of the financial losses.
I'm glad you and your family are safe and please know we feel for you. How scary for everyone.
Love and good thoughts for getting it under control.
Lynda
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Nini...you, your family, and your friends and neighbors are in our thoughts and prayers. The firefighters are also. Please stay safe safe and update us when you can. A quick update, my Friends... We are still home but evacuations are all around us. So far, the winds have blown around our little area. We are glued to the tv, have boxes packed and ready to throw in the cars. A side note, the surgery I had scheduled for tomorrow, has been cancelled. They will reschedule. Most elective surgeries in the whole county have been cancelled due to dreadful air quality, and the unpredictable road closures. May have to wait til mid Nov., since they are all booked up til then. But this is the least of my worries at the moment. The waiting and watching the coverage on tv is terrible. No way we can afford to take our minds off it for a moment. Just gets worse and worse! Thank you all for your warm thoughts and prayers! I can't tell you how much it means to me! I knew I could count on all of you. Many warm hugs to everyone
I will let you all know what happens. Probably won't have time if we get evacuated, but I'll check back after the danger is past. Much love to all, Nini Hi all! I'm still here! I can't believe that we haven't had to leave our home yet. My Sweetie says with our luck, we'll get the call at 3am. Celena, Thank you so much for the beautiful passage. How very appropriate! Mary B.,My prayers are also with you and your family. Don't be too worried, yet. There are many evac centers set up, including our Qualcomm Stadium. Many evacuees and people wanting to help them have gone there. Also, he may have a hard time getting through. They are asking people to limit their cell phone usage, so emergency units can get through at any time. Last I heard, only 1 person lost their life. There have been 250,000 people evacuated! Isn't that incredible? Feel free to pm me and if I have a chance, I will let you know what we know, about whatever area he is in. There is an evacuation center 2 blocks from me, so we feel pretty safe for now. Cathy, thanks for the kind words. The National Guard is there as help for the many, many people who have had to leave their homes, as far as I know. Thanks, again, everybody. You warm my heart and my spirit! Love, Nini
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Has anything been set up for out of state people to do donations whether it is money or that everyday stuff that we all need for the people that have lost everything? Can we take things to the Red Cross?? We lived in Tucson for 5 years and I know what it is like with the fires. Nini - So sorry to hear about your situation, but glad you haven't had to leave yet. I'm also in So. California but not in any danger at this time. I just got a call from my daughter in Carlsbad, and she was evacuated from her place of employment this afternoon, and is being evacuated from her home now. Please keep us updated on your situation, and know I'll be keeping you and your family in thought and prayer. Hang in there! Liz, Thanks so much for thinking of the shelters. The news has said that supplies have been brought to the shelters, especially the stadium. They just have to get some of them to the other shelters. But it's just so great to know that the people of our county have come together to help one another. They have even had to turn some volunteers away...they just didn't need anymore. How great is that? An excess of help? But I'm quite certain that once people see if they still have a home, or if it is damaged, there will probably be more of a need for some help for those who have lost everything. We just have no idea how many yet. Thanks so much for your generous thoughts, Sweetie
Gale, I hope your daughter is safely in a shelter or with friends or family! I know you must be frantic. Please let me know how she is, okay? You will also be in my prayers! Katie, Thank you, too for the kind thoughts. I know you have your hands full at the moment. Hope Justin is okay and that you are not getting yourself run down. I haven't had time to read any posts but this and one other, so I don't know how anyone is tonight. I hope everyone is okay! To everyone else, I am grateful for all of you! You are all so special to me and are in my heart and in my thoughts! Love and big hugs, Nini Nini, Take care of yourself and be safe. I'll be sending positive thoughts and prayers your way. Hugs, Steph Nini, How scary to be going through this. You are in my prayers. I've been following it on TV and can't imagine what it must be like for you there. Most things can be replaced, don't take any chances trying to be a hero. Take care. And Southern LA was worried about an earthquake, geez. Both my parents were born in LA, and I spent alot of vacation time while growing up in the area, so this is slightly surreal to watch from afar. This is all hard to comprehend when I look at the maps, and remember all the places I have been to in the fire area. I know I am missing some names so won't list, but to everyone who has family or our posters in the area, good luck and stay safe. Edited as the MIA poster checked in and is A-OK
I've been saying prayers for all in the Southern Ca. area. We're not getting the winds in the LA area but the air is BAD. My wireless went down for a few hours and my direct Tv keeps getting funny. Then on top of all of this I've been having a major flare going. I feel bad that I couldn't post and give my support sooner. I hope that you're out of harms way. These fires are soooo scary. Take care, how scary!!! My prayers go out to anyone that is affected by this. A good friend of mine lives in downtown San Diego and so far hes alright and has been having people stay w/ him that have had to be evacuated. Stay safe everyone! Your continued prayers are deeply appreciated. We still haven't been evacuated, and barring drastic wind shifts, we should be okay now. But there are still an incredible amount of people who are in shelters.Upwards of 500,000 last I heard. Many, many homes destroyed, and a great many people still have no idea if their home is still standing or not. Some have been able to return to their homes, but then the fire turns another way and more are evacuated from another area. Marisa, I'm so sorry for your flare. Are there any fires near you or is the smoke coming up from here? Hope you are staying in out of the bad air. It's awful here, too. I haven't been outside in 3 days. Gale, Have you heard anything from your daughter? I hope she is safe and that her home is okay. My thoughts and prayers are also with you. Mary B. Is your brother and family okay? Have they been able to go home yet? You and your family are also in my prayers. My mother-in-law and brother-in-law and her 3 dogs are staying with us. They haven't been able to find out anything about their house. There has just not been any news from that area. The house was in the path of the fires we had in 2003, too. It made it through that one, so we are keeping faith that it will survive again. The area hit the hardest, as far as property loss, is Rancho Bernardo. This community neighbors the town I'm in. In fact, we share roads, where it starts here and continues through Rancho Bernardo. I've heard estimates of 300-700 homes lost. I guess we won't know for sure until someone can get into the area. We finally were able to get air support yesterday. On Monday, the winds and smoke were just too extreme for any helicopters or tanker planes. But now we have them going all day long. Some of these areas are in the hills and canyons, which are just not very accessible on foot. And today's temp. inland, where most of the fires are burning, is 97-100 degrees. My heart is with our brave firefighters! The cooperation and kindness of the people here is overwhelming!The shelter at the stadium has been wonderful to those who have needed to take shelter there. There are even face painters to amuse the kids! Plenty of food and drinks for everyone and the everyday personal products that people need. It warms my heart! I'm so thankful for all of you who have offered you prayers and kind thoughts. Please keep them coming. There are going to be a lot of lost people when all the destruction is known. My love to all of you! Nini Bless your heart Nini
I haven't heard from Gale since day before testerday. Kim had to be evacuated and went to Gales. Her son did too, I'm a little worried.
My MIL and BIL still have heard no date for lifting of the mandatory evacuation of the town they live in, Ramona. But anyone who stayed behind, against orders, is being told to boil their water. All the elect. in Ramona and many other places is still down. My thoughts and prayers are also with your family, especially that your daughter remains safe. Hugs, Nini Nini My heart goes out to you, your family and all those in California, who are suffering from these horrible fires and that everyone will find a safe haven to go to and be comforted knowing that our prayers are many, for your safety and good health. (((Gentle Hugs))) I keep thinking of the Katrina people scattered all over the USA or still living in their FEMA trailers. I remember that they were forced to abandon their pets. Those pets died and so did folks abandoned in nursing homes and hospitals and many of those who refused to leave. The insurance that they had on their homes cheated them out of a decent settlement. I don't think that will happen in Calif. I'm glad the fire victims seem to be getting all the help possible. But why can't we 'step up' and repair one of the most special places in the world? I love that Jazzy place that Katrina ruined.
I pray for the homeless and all those whose homes are at risk. Mary B. I'm so happy to hear that your Brother and family are well and have returned home! I know you have had many prayers for the safety of your family, as have Gale and her daughter and the many others effected by these horrid fires. We live with the possibility all the time, but, thank God, it rarely happens that the fires are so all-consuming as they were this time. I was born here and with the exception of 4 years in Connecticut in the early 70's, have lived here all my life. The generosity of people in this area has always been overwhelming. And the "people in charge" really learned a lot from the Cedar Fires in 2003. They had a "reverse 911" system in place this time, which notified vast numbers of people in a very short time, that they were to be evacuated. This system worked even better than anyone had ever dreamed! I credit this system with saving lives, too. When given enough notice, people were able to grab some important papers, pictures, meds and a few pieces of clothing and get out in time. I think this system would be beneficial to all parts of the country, and hope to see it implemented nationally. Marian, I have said the same thing about New Orleans. What a horrible loss! Maybe some of the systems that have proven so beneficial here, for the fires, can be implemented there and maybe get these people who seem to have been forgotten, some of the help the desperately need. I don't think it is the place as much as the difference in disasters that caused this huge gap in services. I do think that a lot was learned from the systems that didn't work during Katrina. I also think we should all continue to pray for the displaced people there, and hopefully some corrections will be made to help these people finally be able to go home. We are still having new evacuations all the time, it seems. My family is out of danger, now, I think. We are keeping our boxes packed and ready to throw in the car if necessary, though. Anyone who has lived in Southern California knows about the dreaded Santa Ana Winds. Even without fires, they can be miserable. Hot and dry and very strong winds. Feels like the winds are blowing straight from Hell. (A true challenge for those of us w/ Sjogrens
Thank you so much, my dear friends! You overwhelm me with your kindness. Much love to all, Nini Hi Nini, Glad to hear that you're safe. I watched the tv coverage and everybody was in my thoughts and prayers. We had no fires in my area and the unhealthful air is from the Orange County fires. I'm glad that our weather has changed even if it means that I'm flaring. May all of you be safe and take care. Hi Nini, I'm new to this site, and I read your post, and I have friends in Escondido. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your whole family. I pray that your whole family gets out of this mess safely. As for the fire-fighters, they're my heros. It's got to be so hard spending all those hours out there with the fumes and flames. God Bless you and your family hope to hear some good news from you soon. Take care. Dotti51
We sent some cases of water and drinks and some food with them. We don't know if they ever lost electricity, but if so, everything in freezers and fridge will be bad. But we are praying for the best. At least they are in their own home, now. Again, thanks for your kind thoughts and prayers! I love you all! Nini
You'll be prayed for daily! Fires are a scary thing and evacuation is more scary! There were fires close to me - about 1 1/2 miles away as a crow files - and it was frightening! We kept an eye on it and had things ready to go too just in case. I'll be praying that you will be fine and for those who have already been evacuated. Not sure if you're a spritual person, but when I've been faced with bad, rough, sad, etc. situations the passage Isaiah 43:2-5 helps me tremendously. It is:
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Isael, your Savior... Since you are precious and honored in my sight and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life. Do not be aftaid, for I am with you."
This brings me great comfort in such a harsh and bad world. I hope it helps some. Good luck! Please keep us posted!
Nini, you are in my prayers. My brother and his family live in the San Diego area and were evacuated this morning. We haven't heard from him for several hours, so we are a bit worried. I spent most of my life in Southern California and know only too well what the Santa Ana winds can do. My daughter is in Santa Barbara county and she said they were advised to stay in due to the smokiness and ash.
Nini ~~ you and your family, and others on this Board in the danger zone: we will all be pulling for you. I just read the National Guard has been called in. Good luck. Cathy
Please keep posting to let us know whats going on with you and yours.
Be careful and I look forward to hearing from you soon on your status.
Glad to hear you're still safe!!!
Its amazing that they turned away volunteers! That is so fantastic! It is so nice and comforting to have such nice people on here and knowing that they are all praying for you! What a great treat!
Still praying!
Oh ya, glad to hear the winds have died down
Hello all,
Just checking in. My brother and his family were able to return to their home. Their neighborhood was OK. Thanks for all the prayers. Many out there still who need them still.
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