If you read my post just before Thanksgiving you know how excited I was about being able to spend Thanksgiving with family and friends in my hometown of Santa Barbara, CA. It turned out to be an especially wonderful time and I was still relishing the memories until December 4, when the Thomas Fire hit nearby Ventura.

Growing up in Santa Barbara I know how dangerous fires can be. We were fortunate to have survived the Sycamore Fire in mid-70s but many of my parents’ friends homes were destroyed. People not from California are usually more freaked out at the idea of earthquakes than fires, but for me fires are even scarier.

The Thomas Fire has been one horrific monster and I’ve been saying prayers all week that it can be contained so my sister and her husband and my mother can return to the homes they needed to evacuate. So far it’s been 25% contained which is an improvement from 15% yesterday. I’m trying to stay hopeful and maybe I’ll be able to sleep better tonight. No that’s not likely but it would be nice.

I was ironically planning to post a review about “Best Smokey Perfumes” which featured Amouage Tribute, Serge Lutens Chergui and Etat Libre d’Orange Jasmine et Cigarette but obviously I’m not quite feeling it.

Sending prayers to everyone who’s been impacted by the Thomas Fire and I hope that good news is on the way soon. Stay safe!

Hugs,

12/21/17 Update: The Thomas fire now ranks as the second worst fire in modern California history. It’s burned over 272,200 acres and is currently 60% contained. As crews continue their efforts to contain the massive fire, evacuation orders have been lifted and my family can now finally return to their homes.