Counting our blessings

We've started unpacking our boxes. A number of things are broken. Which is sad, very sad. I had a little cry when I saw a few of the special things that had broken (also I packed them, so I couldn't be mad at anyone but myself). So after a few tears and some sighs of "Oh well", we moved on to the garage full of boxes. (We're not even close to done.) Then we started thinking about all of the poor people who live up in the hills and countryside near Santa Barbara. One of the largest wildfires is burning right near Santa Barbara - the Zaca Fire. http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=190
It's already burned 72,000+ acres, most of it forest lands, but a number of people's homes too. Zack works with someone who has their most precious household possessions packed and ready to leave. Ugh, it makes my stomach hurt just thinking of it. Last Friday it actually looked like it was snowing here because of all the ash falling. In recent days the ash has been very light, almost invisible, except you can see remnants on cars and it sticks spiderwebs. So, while it still hurts to lose some of those tea cups and pictures, we're counting our blessings instead. Or at least really, really trying to!
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Still no pictures - sorry. Two more days and I should be back online at HIGH SPEED!
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Finally, Beatrice and I have been enjoying our TWO country music stations here in Santa Barbara. Zack won't listen to them after driving across the country. It seems that country music is all you can hear when driving across the middle of the US. Surprise, surprise. My theory is - if you want to win an election in the US or figure out the next big trend, listen to country music. Many of them still tell a good story.

The one I've been listening to recently that has me hopeful that change is in the air is called "A Different World" by Bucky Covington. While I don't agree with all the words, I do distinctly remember the days before air-conditioning in Georgia, sitting up on the arm rest in the front seat so I could see out of the windshield with Mama and Mom, drinking out of the garden hose, walking barefoot everywhere, and doing lots of things that today would have a parent shot on sight. I think the baby-proofing and child protection stuff has gone overboard. I'm hoping this song is middle America's way of saying ENOUGH already.
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A Different World

We were born to mothers who smoked and drank
Our cribs were covered in lead based paint
No child proof lids, no seat belts in cars
Rode bikes with no helmets and still here we are,
still here we are
We got daddy’s belt when we misbehaved
Had three TV channels you got up to change
No video games and no satellite
All we had were friends and they were outside,
playin’ outside

Chorus: It was a different life
When we were boys and girls
Not just a different time
It was a different world

School always started the same every day
The pledge of allegiance then someone would pray
Not every kid made the team when they tried
We got disappointed and that was all right,
we turned out all right
Chorus
Bridge: No bottled water, we drank from a garden hose
And every Sunday, all the stores were closed
Chorus
Chorus
It was a different world