Home Safety

I read recently, today actually, that home accidents post a huge risk to children: more than four million children under age 14 are injured at home annually. But I'm here to tell you they pose a huge risk to adults, too. Two years ago I fell down my stairs head-first and snapped my clavicle (fancy word for collar bone). Finally on Valentine's Day this year I received the "all clear" from my ortho trauma doc (Dr. Freudigman, for readers looking for my docs' names in my med novels).

And a whole week passed.

Then last night, my girl accidentally broke my crystal fruit bowl. I am happy to report that I handled it well. Verbally, that is. Physically, in the process of wiping glass off the counters, I cut my finger. And about ten minutes later, when trying to clean up a mess I made in the oven when I spilled blackberry cobbler juice, I caught a paper towel on fire (duh, a paper towel in the oven?). I didn't have my hair pulled back, and fearing that I might catch my locks on fire, I threw the flaming paper towel on the kitchen floor. The white kitchen floor. But I didn't have shoes on, so I couldn't stomp it out. And, um, the fire went out and nobody got hurt. But now I have two big black spots on my kitchen floor. Permanent campfire-stain spots.

I know..."Step away from the house."

This weekend I am speaking on praying the psalms of lament. And a lot of stuff has happened this week that is making me have to practice what I preach. So, if anybody out there needs a speaker on how to live with fabulous health and insane wealth, please book me. I'm all about living consistently in my private and public lives.