We had a dumpster in the yard, and into the dumpster went some painful things. I had been playing Paul's cd "Farewell" constantly.
If you have a copy, you understand why. The last tune on the cd is titled "Farewell" and as the hard things went into the dumpster..I played that song..as loud as I could. It became a very healing ritual.....blowing the pain out of me each step of the way.

My home was located in a "village". My family, and a few other families here, have known and been helping each other for three generations. The village has been discovered by developers, so its character has changed.....but the "old" families are still here.
The bad news is that you can't burp here without someone saying "God Bless You" the next day. The good news in a village is that people know when you need help.

I'm not sure what I was thinking...but it was Oct., winter was coming, and I hadn't made any effort to find a place for the winter....was very comfortable in the campground.
The contractor who was helping me is from one of those families. He came to the campground to tell me that the apt. in his family's home was available.
A bit later, a couple other neighbors came to the campground to help me pack up and "move". The only furniture I had was two lawnchairs, the tent and tarps were easy to take down...it gave new meaning to the word "move".

These people were awesome!! The neighbors had gotten together, cleaned up the apt. and filled it with stuff. They had put a bed in there..WITH sheets and a blanket, the refrigerator was FULL of food, the pantry was full of canned food. The stove hadn't worked for a few years but they had brought a two-burner hot plate..just incredible!

I think I would know, if someone had been "burned out" of their home, that they needed food, clothes, sheets, blankets, towels, a bed. But one of these women had ALSO added knick-knacks. Candle holders, flower vases (filled with flowers), figurines,....the stuff that makes a place a "home". Those small things were REALLY important, as was everything else they did.

Currently, we are pulling together most of those things they gave me, to begin setting up a home, and we'll be storing them in the basement of a local church, which will be listed with the Red Cross and the Fire Depts. here.