Rolling back the years.
Hi there
January 11th 2016. Let’s dial in that date, and go back in time…..
Well, well, well…That’s the Anaheim Convention Centre in Los Angeles. Yep. LA
Bright blue skies, beautiful temperature. I remember it well. We were working there, presenting our Groovi System on the Product performers stand. They were our US Distributors back then.
Such a busy week! Met lovely Marion Emberson from WOW powders there. Love that girl.
Did an arty demonstration for the Gelpress people…
And while I did that, Dave took over our demonstrations. YES!!! HE DID!! I have photographic evidence! What a guy!
We also befriended a really cool guy, who was our neighbour on the PP Stand. He had some very cool stamps, Rubbernecker, and he was actually Sue Wilson’s brother! Remember her? Die Designer. married to Colin Poole. Creative Expressions. Small world. Well, he lives in LA. Or at least he did back then.
Anyway, his name was Dave too. On the day we were leaving LA, and heading back to London (all set for the Frankfurt Trade show a week later), that Dave kindly gave Dave and myself an all-day tour of LA. Hollywood in particular…
See the HOLLYWOOD sign in the background?
And today? The whole place has gone up in flames.
Anaheim is a bit further south down the LA Freeway. Disneyland is also there. Apparently, the fires haven’t spread that far so far. But Universal Studios, which is up nearer Hollywood, is closed for business. The fires are more in the north, of LA. So Malibu, The Palisades, Hollywood, Santa Monica – It’s heart breaking to think that it is all gone. All those poor people. And believe you me, it’s not only the wealthy people who have lost their homes. Plenty of regular folk live there, too. It’s a bustling, living breathing community.
Lahaina in Maui in 2023, LA just over a year later.
When we were at Mark and Alex’s wedding in northern California last September – Lake Tahoe – the fires were spreading on the east side of the lake too. I mean, the lake is like a sea (nearly 500sq. km), but you could see the smoke plumes rising in the distance. I remember Mark telling me they were keeping an eye on the fire spread, just in case they had to cancel. It’s the winds that carry the flames, you see. And it can move so fast when the ground is like a tinder box, and so dry. One minute it’s contained, an hour later it has jumped again.
So when we complain about the rain rain rain here on our little island, trust me. Those poor people are praying for rain. In fact, it was tipping down in Northern California this week, where Mark lives. Just wish it would move down the coast three hundred miles. Bonkers.
So I think I shall have a quiet moment this evening, and get grateful. We really have a lot to be grateful for.
Love always
Barb x x x
Limerick Winner Monday. Not today, eh.
18 thoughts on “Rolling back the years.”
Hi Barb
Totally agree, we have so much to be thankful for. The situation in LA is hard to get your head around. All we can do is send them love and pray for rain.
Zara xx
The images on tv are shocking and sobering. Can’t imagine what those folks are going through. Just praying that people can stay as safe as possible . Dealing with the aftermath will be such a tremendous task and hope that help will be available for those that need it
We have an awful lot to be grateful for, I have experienced the devastation left behind by wildfires in Australia a few years ago whilst visiting my son. Fire holds no bounds. My thoughts and prayers go out to all affected in L.A. and like you I wish it would rain for them.
Watching the news you just can’t get your head round the amount of devastation. Where do they start to clear the debris. Thinking of everyone caught up in it all.
Enjoy your quiet evening after yet another busy week, you deserve it x
We certainly do. Can’t imagine what it must be like to see your house and everything in it raised to the ground. There’s so many things happening all we can do is be grateful and think how fortunate we are. I have to stop ‘thinking’ sometimes as I wonder why it’s them and not us. X
It’s just awful, what’s happening – those poor people……
Praying for rain…..
Oh my goodness. Let’s all be grateful for small mercies. You can’t control Mother Nature now matter how much you try, building homes on flood plains etc. you can’t mess with fire or water (the sea). Even the ancients knew you couldn’t control the four elements of fire, water, air (aka wind) and earth (earth quakes etc). My heart goes out to all of those poor people who have lost everything through no fault of their own.
The devastation is just awful, isn’t it. There was a massive wildfire in Canada last year too – destroyed half of Jasper and a significant part of the Rockies Nation Park, just a few weeks after we were there. Heartbreaking to read about it. And the eastern US has been hit by a polar vortex – my friend was stranded in Kansas for a week after visiting her daughter for Christmas & New Year – flights cancelled for several days.
Despite everything, we have much to be grateful for on this small island.
My thoughts are often with all those affected by the many man-made and natural disasters occurring throughout the world that are devastating for the individual, communities and entire populations.
Some of us have here have issues going on that have an impact on the quality of our daily lives that are not to be understated: but, in the great scheme of things, in this country, in my humble opinion, we certainly do have a lot to be grateful for. Obviously this small island we live on is not perfect: especially the worrying, growing gap between the wealthy and the poor and the various other inequalities but, compared to many places on this planet, it is doing OK: If we are ill we know we have a health service that we can all freely access. We may not all agree with the government but it is there because the population have a vote and a voice. Women and girls are free to pursue an education and career and wear what they want and the many religions are able to openly follow their beliefs. Lots of room for improvement yes, but, importantly it has the freedom to change.
I’m also grateful to have a wonderful husband of 52 years and to have a loving wider family and offspring that I am very proud of.
Controversially, I also like the climate here. For the most part not too hot and not too cold. I love to see clouds in the sky.
I couldn’t have put it better myself, Lynn x thank you
Grateful? Oh yes I am very grateful for so many things!
Those poor people in LA have been left with nothing. If the fires weren’t enough to contend with, those that left there properties to escape certain death, now have to contend with looters picking through the devastation. That’s lowest of the low behaviour.
Let it rain on that area and help the brave men and women fighting those fires.
Shocking scenes indeed. So very grateful for such a lot in my life just now x
Those poor people my thoughts and prayers are with them. My husband of 60 years and I were saying to each other about all of the memories in our house, mostly photos some are over 80 years old of our childhood which would all be lost. Also those lowlife who are looting can’t wish anything good for them.
I never cease to wonder why these awful things happen. We are so lucky to live in this safe, if imperfect, part of the planet. It is good to hear that your Mark is safe from the fires and it is my hope that rain comes soon to help the fire service contain and quench the blazes.
My sympathy goes to all those people who have lost so much, it will be years before they will be able to rebuild and get their lives back together. Biden has committed a lot of help and I pray Trump doesn’t renege on that promise.
It has been very, very cold here but no snow so far and looks as if it will be marginally warmer today. Good reason to stay home and craft.
Take care all.
Hello Barb, there is so much we can be grateful for. My heart goes out to those poor people that have lost so much, just watching them talk is heart breaking. I will keep them in my prayers and hope that the government in the US gives them the support they need so badly. Bx
Lets hope those brave firefighters can put out those fires soon, its heartbreaking.
Janet
It is the pictures coming in that are showing peoples Homes before thr Fire and then when they returned, nothing, NOTHING!!! and seeing these people rummaging through the rubble that a place they called HOME, but the people were all in in it to-gether. Heart Wrenching
It’s all so unbelievable, to just even imagine what those poor people have lost and have left after their homes have been burned to the ground.. All they have left is memories. Indeed we are the lucky ones.
Some years ago when returning from months away, travelling around countries that were very dry and parched, with little or no water and high intolerable temperatures we were decending into Heathrow and it hit me at just how green and lush our country was. I remembered saying. ‘I will never complain about it raining ever again’ I realised how beautiful our country was, with all the different greens we have. So I do try and remember what I had said as hard as it is sometimes with the relentless rain and floods.