Merry Christmas 2017

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care . . . 

I didn't write very much in my Memoir Blog this year. It has been traumatic and awe inspiring and totally exhausting. I never wish my life away, but I really can't wait for 2017 to end.

Here's hoping 2018 will have all kinds of joy and be totally uneventful.

One joy happened last week when Jewely and James came from Maine for an early Christmas visit. I hadn't seen Jewely since April 2014. I miss her so much. I had all my kids here once again. My joy was full.

I don't know how long I'll have my other three kids here in Utah with me, but I have vowed to enjoy them all while I have them. They are a source of strength and love to me, each in their own way. I'm also grateful for Zannah's husband, Nick. He is like a son to me and helps me in so many ways. I'm grateful that he loves my daughter. I'm grateful that James loves Jewely. It's all a mother can ask for.

Since our ward's Choir Christmas program was the week before Christmas, Jewely and I were able to sing together in the program. Happiness supreme! We sang "The First Noel" to the tune of Pachelbel's "Canon in D." We had sung it about ten years ago when Jewely was in high school. Two women in my ward, Kathy Jeffs and Kali Dayton, played the Pachelbel in a piano four hands. It turned out so well. It's the best we ever did, and Jewely's voice held out and rang true, even though she felt a cold coming on (and lost her voice on Monday!!!). I was in my glory. I hadn't been able to sing for years because it was discovered this year I had a fungus infection on my vocal chords I didn't know about. After taking an anti-fungal medication, my voice came back, but my singing voice was weak.

This year I built up my singing stamina and sang every single day so I would have the strength to sing at Christmas. There were a few glitches in the songs I sang, but I did it! Coup!

We had our family Christmas on Friday, December 22, and went that night to see "The Forgotten Carols." I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it. It was something Jewely wanted to do, so that was my Christmas present to my family.

Group Selfie at The Forgotten Carols

Nick, Jewely, James

Jewely received a beautiful dress from her Pollyanna Zannah

Tim received a video game he wanted

Alex received a poster

This is how much I love Zannah. I started a mermaid afghan for her before the fire because she asked for it. Of course, it was in the ozone warehouse all those months, so I started another one while living in the apartment. I was about three-quarters of the way done when I moved back into my house, then had all the frustrations of the smoke to deal with. By December, the mermaid afghan still wasn't done. I crocheted every night after Thanksgiving to finish it. It took me two hours to crochet one row of scales. 

And that's how much I love Zannah. I thought of her with every stitch.

Cute Nick got the same video game as Timmy.

It was a fantastic Christmas season. Since we had our "Christmas Day" the Friday before, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day was spent with my boys, while ZanNick spent it with Nick's family. 

On Christmas Eve, after a wonderful Sacrament meeting of singing select peoples' favorite carols, I came home, watched a little MoTab,  and then my boys came over in the afternoon.

Okay, not very Christmasy, but we watched Star Wars, Episodes IV, V, and VI. After a dinner of gumbo, on Christmas Eve night, we watched our traditional "It's a Wonderful Life." Timmy spent the night, but Alex went home.

On Christmas Day, Timmy and I had breakfast together and had a chance to chat. I found out he is a supreme composer. He composes jazz music orchestra compositions. They are excellent! He needs to send them to someone to play. I'm a proud mother, yes, but I also know jazz music. His is extraordinary!

Alex came by and we went to the movies and saw Star Wars, Episode VIII again--me for the second time, Tim's third time, Alex's sixth time. We came home, had some more gumbo, and watched "Dr. Strange," which was, yes, strange. Not as enjoyable as I might have hoped.

The boys left at about 10:00 and Tobey and I were left to our own devices--I to do some genealogy and catch up on my "Merry Christmases" on Facebook and email, and Tobey to bug me for treats and play time.

So, not quite a traditional Christmas, but one with family and love and togetherness. Jamely got home safely, and I have off today to catch up on my blog and to write up a lesson plan to teach in the family history classes at church in January while the teacher is away. 

All in all, I do have a wonderful life. I am reminded constantly that my Heavenly Father knows who I am and loves me, despite my many flaws. And I love Him. He sticks with me through all my whining and complaining and even sends me the Holy Ghost as a comforter in my times of trouble. 

I am extremely thankful for His gift of His Only Begotten Son whom we worship this Christmas season. Without his atoning sacrifice, this life--this wonderful life--would be all for nought. 

I love my Savior. I worship Him. I sing praises to Him. He is my everything, truly. I love Him, my Heavenly Father, and the Holy Ghost, with all my heart and soul and life. 

Eleven Months Later

As I said, I kept a chronicle of "The Fire Adventure" on my Facebook page and updated it quite often. https://www.facebook.com/susan.tobel.knight

I am still in awe that my "stuff" was all protected. I still have all my genealogy and photos--really the only thing I care about. I have made several thumb drives and I keep spares at the office, in case something happens--like a FIRE!

After three weeks of living with Zannah and Nick in January/February, I was put up in an apartment in Mill Creek on February 13. Unfortunately, the apartment was rented previously by a smoker and though they tried, the management could not get the cigarette smoke out of the apartment. I suffered for 5.5 months. My one salvation was my daily walks to the duck ponds on the property. They were the joy in my life until I was moved back into my home.

All of my belongings were taken out of my house and stored in a warehouse and ozoned. My clothes were kept in a Red Hanger Cleaners warehouse, also ozoned. I only had clothes that I picked out for work and some others to wear for over 5 months. I stored all valuables at Nick and Zannah's. I wore the same earrings and diffuser necklace every day for over 5 months.

But I was safe. My house was safe, though smoke embued for many, many months before they could start work on remediating it. They had to rebuild Burt's house first to make sure all smoke was gone before they could start on mine.  I think, perhaps, that's why it's been so hard to get the smoke smell out of my house.

Of course, ordinary people can't really smell the smoke, but I have to be special and have chemical sensitivities so that I can smell smoke--a toxic chemical. It's a blessing--and a curse.

I moved back in July 7, then took the next few days to clean the apartment. I spent the next month unpacking boxes. By August, after some painting had been done and the smell from that wore off, I smelled smoke.

UDK and the insurance company tried for the next month to prove there wasn't any smoke. But I smelled smoke in certain areas of my house--the master bathroom, master bedroom, kitchen, living room and basement. Others who visited smelled smoke, too. I had witnesses.

As I said, this is all chronicled on Facebook, and I don't want to dredge it all up again. I get hives thinking about it. Literally. I get hives!

Suffice it to say, after more remediation that is still not accomplished at this date, I am hoping and praying above all faith that the smoke smell is gone. I have even banished smoke from my house in angry commands to the "smoke spirits" that might be lingering. Call me crazy. I do what I have to do.

They took the common walls out of my master bathroom, including the shower, but the carpenter didn't put the shower door area back together correctly. Right now, I'm waiting for UDK to send another carpenter to fix the problem.

Please, Lord, let this be it. I have faith, Father in Heaven, that my house is smoke free and will remain so for the rest of my time here.