Santa Ana
12:31 p.m. - 2003-10-26


The Santa Ana winds are blowing. I noticed it at first yesterday morning when I stepped outside and felt the soft touch of the warm breeze. The last time I felt this kind of warm warm wind was the year of the Berkeley Hills fire. I had gone out in the strange air to the little bookstore, and I stood in the back parking lot and looked toward the hills, where a mounting front of grey/black smoke was advancing down into the valley. I drove home and turned on the TV. Several people I knew lost everything they had except each other, and considering what happened to others, that is not the worst thing. One quilty lady I know is the wife of the guy who owns that gas station that sits by the Claremont Hotel. He rushed back to the station and he and his guys drove out all the tow trucks and equipment and saved them. It was quite awhile before I could drive into Berkeley without missing the exit, because all the landmarks were gone, including that big apartment complex just outside the tunnel. It still, over ten years later, looks a little stark over there, but has definitely come back strong.

The first people at church this morning got an unpleasant surprise. Someone, most likely an insider who knew where things were (because there was no damaging break-in) stole the computer, keyboard, and powerpoint thingy from the front of the church. Now all that is there is a few dangling wires and the support rods. I read a story once about a man who stole soil from a cemetery and came to no good end. That's how I feel about this kind of thief. Bad bad karma.

After the service, EG leaned over and asked how I liked the "News". I told her that her son is hopeless at imparting good info (not being female) so she gave me the whole story. Apparently Geoff and Roxanne had told Craig and Sue about the baby only shortly before the EG's flew in, and Sue was having a terrible time keeping the news to herself, because G&R wanted to tell them. When they went to New Haven to have dinner with G&R, they were sitting in the livingroom while Geoff cooked the dinner, when Geoff came into the room, blurted out "We're having a kid!" to which Roxanne repied "We're having a BABY." Then Geoff went back into the kitchen, and Sue said "Thank goodness, I can talk now!" They had decided to have a child now rather than wait until they are through with graduate work, because then they will be looking for jobs and possibly moving around etc.

Grandpa looked great, better than he has looked in a long time. EG says they had a wonderful time on their trip and saw lots of fabulous fall foliage. They say the house on Cape Cod has come along nicely. I think C & S are due back in California in the middle of November.

They were having a potluck at church, but we left and came home, and now I am going to fire up the bread maker, and then I am going to make some of Papa Joe's Spicy Savoy Cabbage and Sparerib Soup from my Italian soup cookbook.