A Town Saved from Fire

This was the view from my home town on Wednesday; the third day of a fire that began small and rushed through dry brush into the back country of my mountain home last week. Let me just say, we are a town now full of gratitude and humility! Our home is safe and of all the "nicest things" I could write of today, I am the most happy that my home is still here and all the town's inhabitants here to enjoy it!

This is a map that shows the vast span of the fire's path. The blue arrow is pointing to where our house is; which is also very close to where the origin of the fire was. The ridge was the stopping point for most of the flames, and the 3,000 people who came in to battle the fire were doing everything in their power to keep the flames from breaching that ridge line.  More information about The Mountain Fire can be found here, if you're interested.

All the firefighters and support crew that made their way into our town to allow us to stay where we are today are the only thing I want to praise today. No amount of thanks is enough. My home town is intact, charred in the high country, but the forest will regrow and that is a beautiful thing as well. These men and women are true heroes, and every single person in this town is grateful for each and every one of them.

Glossy Box, June 2013

I really wish I could say that I'm happy with Glossy Box, but I just can't. This is the second month that I received my box and thought, "Why did I spend $20 on this?" The fragrance sample was so overwhelming that I could smell it through the box before I opened it. Yuck! Six mini samples that blend together to make one satchel of foul odor? I couldn't give those samples away, seriously. The dry oil mist is interesting, and the shampoo was also extremely scented. The nail polish quality and size is great, but the color is a kind of old lady dusty rose.

I was really excited for the lipstick sample because I love Tarte makeup; the packaging, as always for Tarte, is awesome. However, the shade they sent me is for medium/dark skin, but I am porcelain/fair for sure :( So this complexion brightening shade did nothing for me and I had to give it to a much darker skinned coworker. I filled out the personal profile, but I kind of doubt that this box was personalized for my preferences. I'm unsubscribing from Glossy Box; I'm not impressed, and there are sample boxes that seem to have better items for less money.

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane

Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite authors, so when I read on NPR that he had a new novel out this summer I pre-ordered it on Amazon and waited for it to arrive in my mail box. The Ocean at the End of the Lane does not disappoint; it is a quick read, but it is so deliciously nerve wracking. It is about a now grown man who returns to his childhood home, and is drawn into the memory of a time that the world nearly ended. Unlike most of Gaiman's books, this is a decidedly adult novel; slightly dark and disturbing, but also full of hope and insight. Here is one of my favorite quotes from the book:
"I'm going to tell you something important. Grown-ups don't look like grown-ups on the inside either. Outside, they're big and thoughtless and they always know what they're doing. Inside, they look just like they always have. Like they did when they were your age. The truth is, there aren't any grown-ups. Not one, in the whole wide world."
Also, if you haven't seen this commencement speech, and you need inspiration, give a little listen.