Shirley loses home in fire

Dear Shirley,

I thought you were making some kind of a joke when you called Sunday afternoon and said your house burned down. It took a while for me to realize it actually happened.

And I am distressed. I am worried about you. I thank the Lord you were able to get out OK. I keep trying to reach you on a cell phone with no luck. The phone inside your burned-up house just rings busy. I do have some information from our nieces, Kris in Colorado and Joanne in California. Kris found a story online that had been carried on KGUN9-TV in Tucson.

It quotes the fire department spokesman as saying high winds caused the fire to spread throughout the entire home and destroy all its contents. It said the home is a total loss. No one was hurt.

They say you are "the home's sole resident" and that you are getting help from the Red Cross. Thank goodness at a time like this the Red Cross steps in. Thank goodness you have friends and neighbors to lend a hand.

You need to let us know what we can do to help you now.

I remember how empty we felt when our houses were flooded 13 years ago. There was the agony of seeing our belongings piled in soggy heaps along the berms. For you, there is only a mass of rubble on a beautiful lot overlooking the golf course at Tucson Estates and the mountains beyond that rise up off the desert.

For now, it is enough for you to know you are safe. In the days ahead, we will learn about your needs and how we can help out.

Nothing else seems to matter when there is a catastrophe like this. The world seems to stand still.

Yet, life goes on. The students at UND are taking final exams and graduation is coming up on Saturday. The grade school children are counting the days until the end of the school year. The rhubarb is growing.

And the Grand Forks City Band is holding its spring concert at 7:30 tonight in United Lutheran Church. They're starting out with Washington Grays March. Brad Larson will be xylophone soloist for Rainbow Ripples. And there is a variety of music with Symphonic Dances from "Fiddler on the Roof" as the closure.

I like to go to concerts in United Lutheran, Shirley, because the acoustics are so excellent.

They also are holding what they call ArtSee this evening at North Dakota Museum of Art. The event, hosted by Greater Grand Forks Young Professionals, is free and open to the public. People are invited to enjoy paintings, pottery, photography and digital media art and see artists in action.

Hang in there, Shirley, in these tough times. And for goodness sake, let me hear from you. Love from your sister, Marilyn

P.S. I just got the good news from Kris that you have a place to live in Tucson Estates now for the summer. That will give you time to recoup. I will try to send you some addresses you might have lost from your book. I am glad to hear the people at your bank will trust you without a check book. And it is great news to learn that your garage didn't burn, so you still have your car.

Reach Hagerty at mhagerty@gra.midco.net or by telephone at (701) 772-1055.