It was just before 9:00am on Saturday March 7, 2015. Spring break had just started, but it was a cool Texas morning, so we started the gas fireplace. The flue failed, heat built up in the chimney and caught the material outside the metal pipe on fire. We saw the flames through the gaps in the mantel and fireplace. Our house was on fire.

We got everyone out, dog and cats included. There was no loss of life, but the fire took the chimney and the upper level. Smoke filled the whole house. We were displaced into a rental for six months while a contractor oversaw the restoration process. I wouldn’t wish fire or flood on anyone, but a single fire is easier than a flooded city, because there are good neighbors who can reach out and help, especially mentally.

Pouring through old photos for the Throwback Thursday posts sometimes do throw a kick to the gut. I decided not to pass this one by, but to remember. The biggest take away I had from the house fire is that it was all just… stuff. And we had so much stuff. The house had great storage areas, and we filled them. After the fire, I started reducing the sheer amount of things we kept, and believe me, plenty of things survived the smoke and then the ozone cleaning process. I still have too many things, and reducing is a work in progress. Things are not life, what we do with things is, but there is a balance to be found.