Hi! I didn’t mean to take such a long break, but we had a bit of a disaster here in addition to all the usual busy family life things. The past couple of months have been very full.
We also seem to have a new cat.
A few months ago this tomcat started hanging around. Jonny and I were not thrilled. We love animals (okay-mostly I do), but for years we have been saying yes, and we are past full capacity. (I know you’re all thinking-Yeah right, next she’ll be posting pictures of some other new creature. And you’re probably right.) At any rate, this cat wasn’t friendly. He slinked around and ran at the sight of us. I sighed thinking that I really didn’t have time to trap and transport a feral cat for a neuter, nor did I want another mouth to feed. Then he decided to start making friends with us. Sneaky cat. Given that the prowler proved to be an adoptable cat, Jonny declared that he would take him to the shelter and I agreed. His evil plan involved taking the cat away on a day when I was at homeschool co op with the kids. We would return home that afternoon and the troublesome cat would be gone. I don’t know how hard Jonny actually tried to find him, but for several weeks the cat disappeared on co op days, not showing his face until I returned home with the kids. At which point he would come trotting up, purring loudly. Of course the kids, and especially Mabel, started begging to keep him. They also started calling him Gerry. Our other cats are named: Jacinta, Francisco, Lucia, Giuseppe, and Figaro. I told the kids that I might consider keeping the new cat if we could name him something other than Gerry. They agreed. There was a last minute cancellation at the spay/neuter clinic so I took him in for shots and a neuter, and found myself the official owner of another cat.
Larkspur’s 19th birthday was the following week and it fell this year on Ash Wednesday. We celebrated Tuesday evening and were up late eating her traditional banana pudding. Jonny and I split up afterwards to put the younger kids to bed. He was with Ambrose and I took Mabel to our bedroom to listen to an audiobook together, something we sometimes do rather than me reading aloud. It must have been just before ten p.m. I had been lying in bed with Mabel for a little while when I heard Larkspur start screaming from upstairs, and it wasn’t the way she yells when her little brothers won’t stay out of her room. It was the kind of screaming that you never want to hear, and I knew something was very wrong. She was screaming for Jonny, though she usually doesn’t call him by his first name. I couldn’t make out the rest. I ran from my first floor bedroom as she raced down from the second floor. Then I heard “fire.” The house was on fire? But I didn’t smell smoke and there was no smoke alarm going off. Gabriel, coming from his bedroom thought she said that Job was on fire. He’s a little accident prone, so it wouldn’t be that much of a stretch. Then I heard “the shop.” I grabbed my phone to call 911, and raced out the front door. Beatrix was there, already on the phone, having called immediately. She handed it to me and the operator asked me the standard questions and I assured her that there was no one in the burning building. I ran barefoot through the front yard to see the fire and knew right away that there was no saving the shop or anything in it. There was a sort of instant acceptance that it was too late, and an immense relief that it wasn’t our house (and it wasn’t Job!) Jonny meanwhile had raced from the house in his underwear grabbing a fire extinguisher and a garden hose. He connected the hose to the spigot by the workshop but there wasn’t any water pressure. The fire was so huge, there was nothing he could do. Our old van was parked next to the shop. Jonny loves that van for some reason and either he or one of our older boys got the keys so they could move it out of the way. I was terrified at this point and yelling for them to get away from the shop. And of course, the van wouldn’t start. So they pushed it, my three grown boys (Seth, Keats, and Gabriel) and Jonny.
Shortly after they moved the van, the firemen arrived. They got the fire under control pretty quickly, but it took hours to completely extinguish it. There must have been close to fifty firemen and first responders at our home that night, from the experienced, to the younger people in training. For some of them, I think we were their first fire. We stood across the driveway and watched them work, utterly humbled by the efforts these strangers were making to help us. Of course, it all felt very surreal, such a shock. All of Jonny’s woodworking tools, collected over the past 25 years or so, my grandparents antique furniture awaiting restoration, many thousands of dollars of lumber-gorgeous wood that Jonny had milled himself (thankfully the sawmill itself wasn’t harmed, though the flames came close!) So many things gone so quickly.
And then I noticed the cat. The cat that we had just had neutered a few days prior, his rear end very conspicuously shaved, prancing around amongst the firemen. He wasn’t demonstrating what I would consider normal cat behavior. There was a fire burning a few feet away, countless strangers moving around, bright lights, and the chaos that comes in a situation like this. And the cat, previously skittish and afraid, seemed to think we were having a party for him. I heard people comment, “Look at that cat!” He became the needed comic relief. At some point, the fire marshal approached me to ask some questions. Did we have any idea what started the fire? (No.) Had we seen anyone suspicious around the shop that evening? I took the opportunity, as I often do in stressful situations, to make a bad joke. I pointed to the cat, and told him that he was a stray that had been hanging around and we’d just had him neutered so he might be out for revenge. It really wasn’t funny and I’m pretty sure he didn’t laugh, though he was a really nice guy, generally speaking. It was after 2 a.m. when he finished his investigation and was finally able to go home. He was able to determine the general area where the fire started but not the cause.
We have since been visited by a fire investigator and an electrical engineer on the behalf of our insurance agency. They reached the same conclusion as the fire marshal. We know how much coverage we had for the shop but don’t know yet how much we will receive to rebuild. It’s going to take some time to itemize everything we lost inside the building and will require starting the cleanup process which we have only just been cleared to begin. We will most likely not be able to replace all of Jonny’s tools, but we are hoping to be able to build a new workshop or at least get a good start. In the meantime, we won’t have cutting boards or little bird shawl pins to offer in my shop. It’s hard to consider what it will take to get back to where we were as far as having a functioning workshop. Even if we get the full amount of our insurance coverage for the workshop, we will have to conduct most of the cleanup and rebuilding ourselves. It’s daunting and we are sad about it all. But as crappy as this is, it isn’t tragic. At the end of the day, what we lost was a workshop and a bunch of stuff and we are well aware of how blessed we are. We have not lost our home as many have in recent weeks and months to wildfires. We are so grateful that no one was hurt because of this fire and that we still have our own beds to sleep in at night.
Fire has always been one of Jonny’s biggest fears. Sometimes I tease him because he is always thinking he smells something burning. One thought that went through my mind as I watched the shop burn was that Jonny was never going to be able to sleep at night again. The very next day, Gabriel replaced all of the smoke detectors in our house. Now if one goes off, they all do. That has given us all a lot of peace of mind. I have deliberately avoided thinking about the fire myself, a little bit difficult because I have to drive by the shop every time I leave the house, but not impossible because I have so many other things occupying my mind. After getting the all clear to start cleanup, Jonny and I did poke around a bit the other day. I had nightmares about our house burning that night. But those subconscious fears will fade with time. We are okay and staying positive.
When I sat down to load photos in this post, I discovered that I can upload videos here from my phone. I think in the past I had to host them elsewhere, and I really don’t like embedding Youtube videos on my blog, because you never know what might pop up next on Youtube and I don’t want to be responsible for that. So maybe we will post some videos from time to time. We can share the cleanup process and the rebuilding. That might be fun, right? Let’s not consider that it could possibly be a project that we take with us into retirement. Do you remember when Jonny set out to flagstone the front porch at our old house? It’s been over a decade, but I bet some of you do! Here’s the blog post about that if you need a reminder or just want to see the gorgeous porch he made. I’m pretty sure that took around three years!
Finally, because you’re all probably thinking, enough with the fire, what’s the cat’s name?
I totally lost that battle. The cat’s name is Gerry.
I think the cat is just proud that he really belongs to your family now and is no longer a homeless stray.
Prayers. Am so relieved not you or your family.
As I scrolled through the photos, I was so worried. Is it their house? Is it a barn? Finally I realized it must be the workshop. I’m so sorry for your loss. But also very happy it was not your home or barn. And I think your cat joke was funny. And the cat is beautiful.
I don’t care for cats as a general rule, so I firmly believe that the cat started the fire. 🙂 I am grateful that it was the shop and not your home. It sounds like your children are well trained in handling an emergency. Praying that you get as much from your insurance as possible.
Oh dear!! You will definitely be in our prayers! I am so glad that everyone is OK- and like many people said your sense of humor is awesome even through the tragedy!
So glad you are all safe, Ginny! That must have been so scary and stressful.
Also thankful the van was saved, and that Jerry has a new home ;).
Wishing you well with the rebuilding and any lingering anxiety from this fire.
I have followed your blog on and off for years, and to be honest, I haven’t checked it for a very long time. For some reason I opened up this email. It must’ve been God prompting me to open it so I can pray for you. I literally had nearly the exact same thing happen to our family a year ago almost to the day. Our shop burned down and was filled with antique tools, woodworking items, furniture, to be restored, and honestly a lot of junk, but also my wedding pictures. Such a mixture of things. It was absolutely terrifying and traumatic, but I’m thankful that our home was OK. I’ve now been through a year of dealing with the insurance company and the itemizing and rebuilding of what we had. It’s a very long and arduous process, and I’m still not done. I’ve learned a lot about dealing with the insurance and have much to say on the topic. Just remember, they aren’t there to help you, they’re there to save money for themselves. I will sincerely be praying for you and your family. If you want tips from experience on dealing with insurance, please reach out!
So sorry to hear! But so so glad you are all well. I hope the clean up and re build go as smoothly as possible for you. 💗
Ginny, I am so relieved that your home and family were spared. 🩷
So sorry to hear of the woodshop fire; do give Jonny my condolences and everyone else too. You mentioned that the fire inspector was able to pinpoint where the fire started but you did not say what they thought was the cause. Please fill us in as to that.
Happy Easter,
Richard in (Southeast) North Carolina
Hi Ginny, I’m so sorry to read about the fire but I’m grateful like everyone else it wasn’t your home and everyone is safe. I’m like Jonny as I have a fear of fire too. I may need to go find those smoke detectors that all go off at the same time. I’m glad everyone is safe and I hope you and your family find peace quickly. Stay well. Love, Cheryl
PS: That which doesn’t kill us, gives us a very dark sense of humor. I love your humor!!
So sorry to read this but very glad your lives were spared. Xxx
So sorry to read your shop burned down 🙁 !!!! I would be terribly sad to lose all my tools, if I was a woodworker, and which had been carefully collected over 25 years and grandparents antiques..but like you said, it’s ‘stuff’, but still pretty tough!. I’m thankful you were all unharmed physically. Cyber hugs to you all ~ Linda
Dear Ginny,
I’m very sorry to hear about the fire disaster – and I admire how you remain positive and funny despite the damage. I wouldn’t have remembered to ask about the cat’s name after the description of the incident and all it entails…
Glad to read that all of you are safe and sound!
With kind thoughts from Belgium,
Frauke
Oh Ginny, I am so sorry for your loss. It’s wonderful news that everyone is safe with no loss of life, but losing precious possessions is very, very difficult. Godspeed with your rebuilding and recovery. ❤️🩹
Barbara
P.S. Jerry is a very cute cat.
Oh I’m so very sorry. Glad everyone was safe. The last sentence cracked me up about your new cat. 😊 I can’t believe Larkspur is 19.
So glad all of you and your house are safe. I’m so sad though, for the loss of all Jonny’s tools and workworking equipment, and wood. Fires are so tragic.
Thanks for taking the time to update us–I had been wondering where you were!
Aren’t fires just so devastating – I mean in terms of wreckage! I am truly sorry this happened to your dear family, especially to Jonny and all his things – I know it small in comparison but I help imagine how I would feel if I lost my sewing room and all it’s contents!
I know it sounds wicked but I couldn’t help laugh picturing the desperate attempts to save the old van – just so typical it wouldn’t start in that moment of crisis!
You really are such a fabulous writer, Ginny, like you should have a column in a newspaper or something!
As I looked through the pictures, before reading the blog, I thought the cat had died. Especially the one where it is laying on its back! So I was relieved to find the picture of it sitting up and looking at the camera. CATS!! I love them but they’re devilish! I have been through a near-house fire too. Our sauna burned down, starting an overhang attached to the house to burn! Frightening at the time but like you when we realized we were safe it was such a relief. My husband, like Jonny, had always worried about a fire. Surprisingly, after our fire, he became better about fires. I think the fact that he lived through it took away some subliminal fear he had had all his life. Good luck with the insurance. Because ours was connected to the house by the overhang, it was considered part of the house [although we had to tell the Insurance company what I’m sure they already knew] and we were paid as though it was the house.
I am sorry this happened! Thank goodness it was no worse 🙏🏽so scary …
Oh Ginny,
I am so sorry for your loss. Wishing you hope, strength and quiet faith.
❤️
I’m so sorry for the loss of your precious things,
but set again that I’m so glad that no lives were lost
or hurt and that your home and Jonny’s truck are safe.
I hope that the insurance company play fair with you.
I’m so glad you all are ok but so sorry for your big loss! This is a small detail in the whole story, but I just love that the little boy we read about so many years ago was the one to take it upon himself to replace all the smoke detectors to protect his family. What a thoughtful young man he must be now.
I’m so very sorry that you lost the workshop and very glad you and your house are unharmed.
Ginny, you seem such a sweet person who doesn’t like conflict, but sometimes (often) it seems people are better off if they don’t accept their insurance company’s first offer. It’s often a pitiful number, when you should receive what was originally promised. Excuse me, if you already know this.
Love the new kitty story! He’s a keeper.
I’m so sorry for your loss. Thankful it wasn’t your home and all of you are safe!!! Praying for peace as you move forward, cleanup, making decisions, and the rebuilding process. Blessings to you and your family ❤️
In 2020 our little mountain town in Oregon was destroyed by a wildfire. We had lived at our place since 1979, raised 2 kids in our home and it was my place of comfort. We lost everything. My heart broke from losing quilts and things that belonged to long gone relatives. I’m so glad it wasn’t your home that burned. Blessings to your family💗
Dear Kathy,
That’s terrible and sounds like a lot to grief about.
I wish for you to restore or find another place of comfort for you and your loved ones.
Best,
Frauke
So so sorry to hear about your fire. Plenty of loss for sure but very thankful each one of you are safe. Waiting to hear how God will work it all out. I’m praying HE will give your husband new tools. Amen.
I am sorry your family has joined the ranks if those scarred by elemental traumas. We have been through a tornado and Hurricane Helene touched both of my homes 120 miles apart in the last year.
Just keep breathing. And making bad jokes. Talk about it when anyone needs to. At least you are all safe.
Ginny, I wondered where you had gone. So glad to hear everyone is safe and sound and while sad you lost some things……they are just things. Don’t blame ol’ Jerry if you don’t have proof. What could he have done to cause the shop to ignite? Make the next shop metal. Keep all things flammable in a contained area perhaps. You can customize your shop and make it special. Humor is a wonderful gift to have and I’m glad you have it. Spring is bringing you new beginnings of all kinds.
Ohhh how awful 😢 I am so happy though that everyone is ok, that’s the main thing.
God bless you all. 🙏🙏🙏🙏
So horrible to lose the shop, and tools and antiques that are irreplaceable. And the gorgeous wood. I totally understand, my husband is a wood and metal worker. It would be devastating to lose all of his tools. I would contribute to a fund, but from what I understand, it can take away from what insurance will provide. Which is horrible as well. It would be one thing if they provided enough to cover all that was needed. I will keep you in my prayers.
So glad all of you are safe! We had a bad fire in a building next to us in the last week of February. We stuffed our cats into their carriers and ran out along with our neighbors. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Utterly frightening and so grateful for the brave firefighters. It’s all so humbling. Glad your smoke detectors have all been changed and checked. I hope you and Jonny can find some peace as the days go by and sleep well. Sending you a big hug and lots of love.
Glad you are safe! Fires are their own type of trauma. My daughter had a house fire, and her five-year-old talks about fires fairly often, but doesn’t seem too upset. They weren’t in the house at the time. But the drama and the extent of loss is a lot to deal with.
Oh my goodness Ginny !!! I’m so glad that you , your family , your home & animal friends , including Jerry 🙂 are safe !!!!
I’m sorry Ginny, even though everyone is okay, it’s still really, really stressful. I pray something good comes of this, even if it’s not apparent for a long time. Maybe you should have named the cat Arsen. ;o)
Oh, Melissa! Too funny. That would have been a perfect name for him!
Oh, Ginny, I’m so sorry to hear about the fire, as well as immensely grateful that none of you were hurt. Having your own beds to sleep in is a comfort. I will treasure the shawl pin I bought from your shop even more now. I’m praying for the rebuilding. Be gentle with yourselves.
I’m thankful that you are all safe. Out here in California wildfires are a way of life with whole communities being lost. Stay safe.
I love your way of bringing humor into a stressful situation. I admit I burst out laughing into my tea when I scrolled down to the first cat picture in the midst of the tragedy. It was obviously the cat. It would be the cat at our place, too.
Seriously, though, I’m very glad no one was injured and that the van and house are safe. I’m so sorry about the shop. The men in my family would be devastated, too.
I agree! Your comments are great.