Reality returned this morning as Jim and I went back to the house to do a final inventory of items deemed unsalvageable and left at the house to be removed. It's hard to believe they will ever get the fire smell out of the house, though I guess they know what they are doing. Boxes of stuff piled up so we couldn't really begin to see all that was going to be tossed. And sad to see photos in cracked frames covered in ash, books that were a mess from the dampness and ash, pillows, sofas, chairs, even my favorite plushy throw that is so cosy to wrap in while reading or watching TV. We forgot to check one cabinet above the refrigerator so have one more trip back tomorrow. There were some people inside cleaning up ash and stuff that we assume is from the roof work, which is almost done.
Good things:
1. Roof repair seems to be progressing well
2. Jim and I finally did the inventory list for what was left which means they can now empty the house completely
3. I learned what an inventory list should look like so have the format down for doing the one that lists room by room what we remember being in the house to check against the cleaners list of what they took out of the house. Right...like we can remember everything!
4. New Danbo has arrived: Big Danbo (6 inches) and Danbo 2 (regular size) so Little Danbo has a big brother and a really big brother!
Not so good...
1. Depressing to see our stuff in this sad condition
You sure put it in more perspective and make me realize that I have to take photos of everything in our home in the event something like this ever happens. It was hard enough when we got our home broken into, to remember things and took time. I cannot imagine, you two and the travels over time and what you have collected and had destroyed. To replace basic things is easier than all we accumulate over years of time. I am truly so sorry this happened to you and your husband. Your collage says so very much. It truly is sad. Wish there was a way to do something special for you. Take care. One day at a time.
@darsphotos Thanks Darlene. It was nice for a few days to not think about it, I admit. And so sad to see it. But in the end, it is all 'things' -- I just wish I could remember them all! I suspect over the years, we'll have conversations where one of us will say, 'what ever happened to...?' and we'll realize it is one more thing gone in the fire. And then eventually, we'll just blame the fire for anything we've misplaced!
Gosh... My heart truly aches for you. I've (thankfully) never had to deal with a loss like this. I'm glad the two of you are there for each other. Hang in there :)
I heaved a sigh and couldn't even begin to imagine what it feels like - your positive attitude and perseverance are wonderful - my thoughts are with you
I've no doubt that having some external things to focus on - helps you get by... but still admire your strength. I'm sure documenting as you have been will also help you see progress in your home when its starts to come together again.. and it will :) x
Oh Taffy, I feel for you. To see so many loved things boxed up to be disposed of. I hope the smoke smell goes soon. This collage captures the sadness of it. I like your sense of fun when you look forward to see yourselves blaming every mislaid object on the fire!
It is at least good to see that things are moving along for you. The roof is looking good. That smell of smoke really sticks with you too. I think with fresh paint and flooring etc the smell will fade. It is good to hear Little Danbo has some big brothers :)
You are being quite a good sport about this really. You will get through it and come out the other side in a better place. can't wait to see the Danbo crew.
I can understand how you feel about seeing your stuff in this condition, especially your books and photos. Hoping this excruciating process ends for you soon.
Oh so sad Taffy! Your collage is heartbreaking! How can you possibly remember everything - I know I couldn't! At least the repair work is moving forward and once these sad reminders have been removed it won't be so harrowing to go there! As you say at the end of the day they are only things and you and Jim have each other to help you through these hard times! Keep strong! Big hug!
Gosh, I did I miss something? Do I understand that your house was on fire? What a said experience that must have been! Well at least nobody seems to have been hurt. I am so sorry for you.
I'm feeling so sad for you, It must be so hard...but try to see things on the good side (I know it's hard and must seem stupid to say that from my side) you are all safe and that's the most important thing ever ! It's just material, the most important thing is you and your family, I wish you a lot of courage.
ow wow that is a lot of stuff going away! but good to hear the rebuild is going well! And how cool you got 2 Danbo's, even a really big one, jeej :) Little danbo must be so happy!
*sigh* I'm so sorry about the parting you're having to go through with treasured belongings. I confess to hoping Big Danbo would turn up amid the stuff somehow. Glad to know there's new members to your family now tho. Looking forward to meeting them in your pictures.
I am so sad for you. To try to remember everything you accumulated over the years is impossible but at least you are making progress. I'm sure the fire smell will go eventually; fill your house with flowers when you get back in and be thankful that no-one was hurt. Keep the Danbo's safe
You'll never look back on this and laugh... but with the distance and perspective that the passing of time lends to even the worst disasters - you will look back with a wry smile. Until then - Keep Calm and Take Photos!
it is so hard to look at it, I can only imagine how it feels for you! My friends home was smelling normal by the time she went back in after the redo. it is a good thing you have your camera to help you document and it must be a sort of therapy for you too.
@pflaume Thanks Lisa. I felt a bit better today after talking with our adjustor (from the good insurance company). I think he has a good plan for the contents we are concerned about. If he can do what he hopes, it will mean all our things will be in good hands and some will be returned to us while we are still in this rental condo. The upside of that is it will feel more like 'home' than it does right now. I think we'll be here longer than the 6 months they'd originally said and now just hope it doesn't run into our time on Beaver Island and shorten that for us. Trying to take it a day at a time but it's hard not to look down the road!
Your comment about using the camera to take an inventory really makes sense. We don't do it because we just don't think something like this might happen... Reading about what you're going through tells me it's past time for me to get more organized in this regard. A good goal for the new year. Sounds like you're turning the corner now and that's a good thing!
@taffy It isn't just for insurance loss that we should record our things. I started a record of things I put up in closets, etc. Then if I need a dish or decoration I could look in my pictures to see if I had one put away that would do. You know out of sight out of mind. (Especially when you get older). It would be fun to do a month or a week of our favorite things after the holidays. You ought to do that as an assignment for your group. Still life is an good lesson to learn.
I have been out of touch with 365 for the last week and seeing this sad scene must be heartbreaking for you. So many memories here. I hope your life can get back on track again pretty soon. Will you be moving back into this house when it is all repaired or will it be too painful.
So sorry to see such devastation Taffy!
Things can only go up from from here.......keep your head up and you will back in your renovated home in no time. In the meantime enjoy the season.
Hugs over the ocean to you and Jim......gutting........absolutely gutting but the smell of smoke will go.....I remember talking to a girl at work who had a fire (her tumble dryer caught fire while she was at work) going through all this heartache, but bit by bit things improved......
You can have some adventures with Danbos :) and P3 to pass the days, I know it solves nothing but it is a distraction for a while. Here's to super efficient workmen and the chance to get to Beaver Island on time xx
I think you have seemed to have done so well after such a tragedy - only for 'things' as you say but they are still personal and have meaning. Done so well means you have not complained or moaned but remain optimistic about what is happening!
It's heartbreaking to see this- and it's not even my stuff! I think the pictures would kill me, but you know, it is "stuff" and some of it can be replaced over time. I am so impressed though as to how you've been able to keep your perspective on it all. Hooray for you! And welcome to the toy family Super Danbo and Big Danbo! I'm sure you're going to love your new siblings- Little Danbo and P3!
oh my... how sad... all those things... just "things" of course... but i think our lives are wrapped up in bits of things, aren't they? wishing you lots and lots of strength to soldier on... {{hugs}}
@olivetreeann Would you believe that my new regular size Danbo has been thrown out in his new box as part of the recycling????? I'm jinxed and clearly cannot be trusted with Danbo every again. EGAD!!!!
Oh Taffy, that must be unspeakably depressing for you and Jim to see so much of your life on the junk heap. I can't begin to imagine what you're going through, my friend. And then to lose another Danbo, that's the pits. Big from hugs across the ocean, I do feel for you.
Absolutely horrendous, Taffy! So sorry you're going through this. You will get back to normal. Things will settle down again. Keep hope for that future. Hang in there.
I just wanted to personally (well, group) thank you and let you know how much it's meant to me to have you commenting and wishing me well re the fire progress. It has it's ups and downs, but your kindness is always such a positive thing. I very much appreciate it! Time has flown in one way, but then in others it feels like nothing really has happened to move forward. When I look back at my entries, I can see the evolution. So, thank you for being on this journey to support me -- and remember to check your insurance, make sure you are with a good company, and use your photography skills to document each room, cabinet, and drawer. It will make life easier if something this unimaginable were to happen.
I have been slack on commenting as I have been busy with my new 'home'. I am glad everything is starting to get moving again. Sorry about your loss of things and the smell, but I hope your new house/ home will be much better than before and you can create new & wonderful memories again.
Oh dear Taffy, I really feel for you and your family and hope this nightmare is over soon. Well done for managing humour in the face of it all, it really does help a bit at difficult times!
Dear Taffy, hopefully this is the worst of it, and I am glad to know that there is a lot of good mixed in with the bad! Yes, it will take longer than expected, yes, some things are irretrievable, yes, this is a long and painstaking process, and it never, ever feels good when you in the midst of it. But, just to look at the bright side of things, at the end you will have a home that is brand, spanking new, freshly painted with nice new furniture, all the deficient construction issues will be resolved as I see that they have stripped it down to the studs!! No more roof leaks, no more fire hazards....Some things will be lost, but other things will take their place, and at some point the losses will only be a memory. I have moved so many times in my years here with no place to store my belongings, and I have had to shed a lot. I suspect there are boxes somewhere in somebody's garage, and one of them contains my college yearbook and lantern!! :-)) The important thing is to have your health and your loved ones, and I am glad to know those are intact except for BD! Maybe he just needed to spread his wings for new horizons.... Have a wonderful trip in Chile....
I feel for you guys... An arm chair once caught fire at my parents'... My dad and my brother managed to get it out of the house in time, but the soot pretty much ruined the living room and the corridor through the house...
January 6th, 2015
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Glad you have new toys to play with!
Thank you all so much for your kind and encouraging comments. It really does help to read them. I'm sure in the end all will work itself out. It's the frustration of being out of control of a situation controlled by insurance companies (mine is great, the other not so much) and the 'content' people who have all our things except clothes/fabric or art and aren't providing the inventory information we need nor the kind of care in cleaning one would hope. Lessons learned if I could do it over again..I'd have tried to compel our condo association to go with the better quality of insurance company despite the greater cost. A good deal on insurance cost is not such a good deal if you need to use it. And, with all the photographs I took for the past 2 years, to not have systematically taken ones of the contents of our house and put it on a flash drive and in the cloud for access from anywhere was one of the biggest errors I could have made. No excuse! In the end, we'll be okay but some of the frustration at the moment I could have prevented with my own better records/photos. I hope some of my 365 friends can learn from my mistakes!
Things can only go up from from here.......keep your head up and you will back in your renovated home in no time. In the meantime enjoy the season.
You can have some adventures with Danbos :) and P3 to pass the days, I know it solves nothing but it is a distraction for a while. Here's to super efficient workmen and the chance to get to Beaver Island on time xx
I just wanted to personally (well, group) thank you and let you know how much it's meant to me to have you commenting and wishing me well re the fire progress. It has it's ups and downs, but your kindness is always such a positive thing. I very much appreciate it! Time has flown in one way, but then in others it feels like nothing really has happened to move forward. When I look back at my entries, I can see the evolution. So, thank you for being on this journey to support me -- and remember to check your insurance, make sure you are with a good company, and use your photography skills to document each room, cabinet, and drawer. It will make life easier if something this unimaginable were to happen.