paying the goddess her due

Yesterday I was saying to a friend that today was Imbolc or Brigidmas and that one was supposed to clean one's house to celebrate. I then said that I probably wouldn't be getting to that today. Famous last words.

This morning, I put the kettle on to make tea and went to the bathroom for a bit. When I came out, smoke was pouring out of the kitchen and there were 2 ft. flames coming from the greasy pan I had neglected to wash last night. I had turned on the wrong burner. (Those of you who haven't been in my house need to understand that we have, (well...had,) an above-range microwave that blocked one's vision of the burner controls, making using the controls a little like reading braille for anyone over four feet unless they bent over and looked.) Nonetheless, I can only cop to carelessness and sloth. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.

But back to the fire. I reacted like any gomer would---yelled for the kids to get out, then tried, for a hot second to take the pan outside, then ran upstairs to the linen closet for the fire extinguisher, totally forgetting the one that was in the kitchen. As I ran down the stairs while tearing the box and cords off, I had a sudden brainstorm---put the lid on the pan, stupid! After I did that, I dabbed at the smaller flames coming from the melting plastic of the microwave controls with a potholder, and voila! Fire all gone. Nobody, human or animal, was hurt, despite my poor handling of the situation, although the kids and I were all shaken, they for about 5 minute, I at least double that time.

However, then I had to deal with the foot of dark smoke roiling around the ceiling in all the downstairs rooms. A 20 minute chilly siege with both doors, the kitchen window, a window in each of the bedrooms all open, and the vent fans on in all the bathrooms dealt with that. And how lucky (or mortifying) for me; all the cobwebs in the downstairs were plainly evident.

I started there, after the adrenalin wore off, then proceeded to wash the soot from the kitchen ceiling and upper walls. The 'savant, who had been volunteering at Free Geek, got a call while I was calming down. (Since he wasn't due to be done for two more hours, I figured he'd be through the growling bear stage by the time he got home.) He was, mostly, and immediately started the process of getting the microwave, with all its stinky melted plastic, out of the house. There's still a protein fire smell, but it's not too bad. Or maybe, I'm just used to it. I haven't broken out the candles and incense yet, but from what I understand, it'll still linger unless we paint.

So, to make lemonade, we a) have been saying we should get rid of that microwave since we bought the house six years ago. We had just bought another one a month before we found the house, so we've just been using them both, which was fairly handy, but not at all necessary. b) needed to paint anyway; we haven't at all since taking possession and it's time. The living room and dining room paint jobs I have always liked, but the kitchen was just okay, so we'll get to do it up our way. c) We're all safe, the kitchen is still functional and I cleaned on Brigidmas. *wry smile*