IF THE HOUSE WAS ON FIRE.......

Where would you start? Our Fire Insurance bill came this week, (ouch) and it started the conversation. And it sparked a conversation not long ago with an online friend.

If your house was on fire.........in your panic, what would you grab first to get out?

Everybody says the same thing, the photo albums. Plus those odd boxes of mismatched photos from different eras, all slammed together in no order at all. You know, the ones your kids pulled out of your organized albums, to make story boards for you wedding anniversary party, Dad's 60th birthday, the odd retirement/wake/Christmas story boards.

And when will they all be sorted out and put back?

Oh right.........never.

That's okay, I'm planning on dying first.

And I get it, I have so many albums I'd need a trailer behind my car. But nowadays, phones hold them all, so logically, you'd have your phone in your hand to get out with.

I look at it a little differently.

Yes, I'd want my albums out.

But also a couple of other things.

1) My great grandmother's solid oak rolling pin, it's irreplaceable and in regular use. And if family folklore is to be believed, she herself had a house fire many years ago and the only thing she saved was her rolling pin. A most essential tool in those early days of the previous century. Her daughter, my grandmother used it in her kitchen, and then I picked up the love of baking, and I could only imagine if I had a dime for everything I ever rolled out. Or the walnuts I crushed. Or the graham crumbs I made from graham crackers....You get my drift. And someday, one of my descendants will be sharing the history.

2) My cook books, and recipe collections. There's no way I would ever be able to remember or recreate all the recipes I currently use. Some are old handwritten recipes and tips that I treasure.

3) My old 2-cup Pyrex glass measuring cup, that I received as a wedding shower gift in 1977, at Agnes Deagle's. Of all the things that I've ever used or broken, somehow this treasured tool has survived. It's etched from constant use and washing, but I couldn't imagine replacing it. I love it and have used it constantly for almost 50 years.

Of course, at a time like that, who'd be thinking clearly? You'd grab your pets. Perhaps a small personal safe containing your insurance policies, deeds, divorce papers, you know, all the things.

Would we ever really be prepared? Shouldn't we always have some cash on hand for emergencies? Our meds, for instance. One phone call to our trusted pharmacy and we'd be all set up again.

One just can't think of everything. For sure, chatting with someone who has had the unfortunate experience of a fire would be a start, they'd have the best advice, after such a terrible and chaotic time. It would be a life changing event for sure.