Finding Beauty Amid the Ashes

Hello all - here is a final update from Michelle and Bob. We are ending the campaign tonight. Thank you again for all of your support!

When life leaves you with little more than mandarins, carry them around for 12 days, then make a cocktail, or something insipidly profound like that. Really wish I had grabbed the new jar of Armena wild cherries to throw in.

I told Bob tonight that I have broken a record for shopping in one day and he reminded me that we broke a record for losing everything in one day. Toosh.

But, again, perspective, we are doing ok while so many are struggling with fewer resources, family, and friends.

Found and ordered the silverware pattern from when we got married, bought new bedding, and shovels and rakes to go through rubble when we get in, found a stylish pair of Sorrel wedge heel boots for when the rains come, got a great deal on garbage bags we'll need while we dig, Bob now has a watch and doesn't have to rely on his phone to tell time, shopped for colanders not for spaghetti but for effectiveness for sifting ashes, some are saying we are not allowed into our burned out area yet as they are still looking for missing people.

As I sip my mandarin concoction, all of those disparate thoughts swirl along with the wedges. Ok, that was an overly-dramatic line. Everything is in layers. But I believe there is room for them all.

The people offering services such as postal clerks (lines are 45 minutes long to pick up rerouted mail), cashiers, wait staff, store clerks, insurance agents, law enforcement brought in from everywhere, are hearing stories times a thousand and they are gracious and kind.

We have a long-term rental. A finish line. We move in Wednesday. It is still in our area, where some are displaced for miles around. So fantastic.

We are humbled to our core for the generosity of friends, family, and friends of those, strangers to us. The emotional and financial assistance has been overwhelming. We look forward to, and understand the necessity, to pay it forward, so all that giving isn't done.

There is still a lot to do to rebuild, but I had a fridge magnet once that showed a traveler at a fork in the road, a sign over the left path read "Your LIfe", and to the right, "No Longer an Option".

Update #4:

Thanks to you, we have exceeded the fundraising goal for Michelle and Bob!

Although we've hit the goal, additional help is still welcome, so please feel free to post the link and continue to share Michelle and Bob's journey.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Update #3. This update is from Michelle and Bob:


Hello to you all,

These are sifter boxes. They are a thing. Yesterday we stopped at the local hardware store for some Sloggers and the Boy Scouts were out front giving away the sifter boxes they were furiously making out back, by hand, and in large volume, to anyone who needed them. Wowza. That was a tough moment. Just to realize what they were for and that this group was clever enough to know what would be needed when we are able to go back in and try to find items in the ashes. I suspect we won't find much, but we will look. Wondering if Bob's wedding ring still has the engraving "inagaddadavita, baby", or is a nugget.

We are moving quickly to get accounts back in order and replace the essential. I can shop Target like nobody else, but there is no organized approach to buying every thing you may need. So, we have zig-zagged across Santa Rosa to pick up things like flash drives, phone chargers, shoes, boots, some clothes. If you go to Office Depot and you've lost your home, they give you a free case of water. Starbucks will offer hot coffee and I've heard Macy's is offering furniture discounts. Not quite there on the furniture yet, but the coffee has been needed.

We have a line on a place to stay for a few months, which feels amazing, but have been told to expect displacement for two years until a home can be rebuilt, that doesn't feel amazing.

I know there are lists everywhere on what to do in case of disaster, but we are ahead of the game because we had our papers, insurance policy numbers, etc. in one place and grabbed it.

Keep a packet of one of each utility bill (to show your address) and credit card bills, passports, driver license, maybe keep an expired driver license in there. Have it accessible. If the tornado is coming, for you Minnesotans, at least have the safe open and ready to grab. Duplicate a credit card with an open limit and leave it in there.

A couple years ago I took inventory photos of our house contents when we lived in San Diego and sent the CD to my sister. She is now sending that back to me, and it will be crucial to identifying contents of this home.

Put photos and documents up in that cloud thing. Embrace the technology. As we forgot to have kids, we are not the best at this, (if anyone can send over an extra ten year old kid you might have lying around, that would be great) but we utilizing all of that now. Secure WiFi is imperative when dealing with insurance and personal business. I cannot thank my employer enough for opening their doors this week to me, and others, while they have had to close offices, so that we can use secure computers and phone lines. They are doing so much more as well for all of their employees who are displaced or have lost their homes. Truly a second home right now.

Thank you all for your continued kind words -
Michelle

Update #2:


Hello all -
Michelle and Bob are overwhelmed with your kindness and support. They were able to visit their property. No words can describe the scene, but this video will give you a glimpse of the destruction.

Thanks to you, they are feeling very fortunate they will be able to use the funds donated so far for all the basic necessities of life.

And true to form, Bob and Michelle are giving back and helping others today.

Thank you for again for supporting Michelle and Bob.


Update #1:

Thank you to everyone who has donated so far. Your generosity has been amazing. We are already getting close to the the halfway point for our goal.

We've updated the title to Finding Beauty Amid the Ashes because the kindness that has been extended by you and others is truly beautiful.

Please share the link with as many as you can so we can continue to help Michelle and Bob.

Original post below:

What would you grab if you had seconds to make a decision and your life was in danger?

"Five mandarin oranges, one pair of cheap Target sneakers, a rain coat, an old baseball hat and some makeup."  

This is all Michelle had time to grab. 

And now the sum of the possessions owned by our friend, daughter, sister, aunt and Francis Ford Coppola Winery co-worker Michelle Hill Gillies and her husband Bob, as their home and everything they own was completely burned to the ground during the Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa.

We are so thankful they are safe. Sadly, they lost their beloved cat in the chaos.

Insurance doesn't cover everything, and we are hoping you'll help. Even a small amount will help with everything from basic immediate needs to short term housing to lost wages.

Michelle and Bob are staying in a hotel right now so every little bit helps and the sooner you can give the faster we can get them the funds.

All funds will go directly to Michelle and she has been given full access to this account.

Thank you for listening and for any help you can give -

Friends, family and co-workers of Michelle and Bob.