26 October 2013

Goings On (with a Side of Home Security)

At Lila's hair appointment today, someone mentioned that Christmas is eight weeks away. That means that New Years is nine weeks away. That means that 2014 is right around the corner. I'm still having a hard time writing 2013 down. And I haven't even started thinking about Christmas plans, presents, etc.

But, I'm trying to live in the present. Denver is experiencing one of the best Fall seasons in years. We've had nearly a full month of nice weather, trees turning and general Fall happiness. We've carved out time for the corn maze and purchasing pumpkins. I'm baking so much now that I'm going through a huge package of flour every week or two. I also ran the Denver half marathon last week. The family is experiencing a good buzz of activity without feeling particularly overwhelmed.

We've been forced to address some home security issues as well. This week, burglar(s) broke into our home and swiped a few things. The things were petty and not worth much - a bright side of not having lots of nice stuff. They mostly took electronics, but also stole some sentimental jewelry. More than anything, it's creepy and unnerving to know that a stranger has been in my house, rooting around in my things. What's even creepier is that they pried open a locked window. Easy as that.

So, we're taking more precautions with things. Locking gates, keeping lights on. We're exploring a security system. I hate that it comes to that, but it would suck to have this happen again.

But, in the midst of feeling unnerved and annoyed, I also have felt the warmth and support from my friends and community. People checking in to make sure that we're OK and asking if we need to borrow toys or electronics. It's reminded me that there's always a bright side. Always. And I could never feel too down in 60 degree weather and gorgeous Fall views.

4 comments:

simply Bike said...

That's really great that you can still appreciate the good in the season and the situation after what happened. Someone tried to break into my condo when I was living in St. Louis but I was at home, so it was really scary to see someone with a crowbar at my window (might lights were all off, so I think they assumed the place was empty). It took some time to recover from the scare but it did fade with time.

Have you considered a dog?

Posiibly a lot more work and upkeep than an alarm but also a lot more fun. :)

Sending you hugs from Iowa!

emily -- a denver home companion said...

oh i cannot even imagine. i'm so sorry that happened to you and i hope you find peace and are able to restore feelings of comfort and security in your home, whatever that takes.

Ann Wyse said...

Yes! The fall is awesome, awesome this year.

I'm sorry to hear about the burglars! This happened to us about three years ago (in Montclair). We were living in a rental property, so we needed simple and cheap fixes. We bought (fake) ADT signs and we got a "Beware of Dog" signs (without dog) for the gates. We also hit the pawn shops on Colfax while looking for our stuff (not found). But we did buy an old little television set, which we hook up to timer to come on when out of town on vacation. Flickering televisions definitely make the place look like someone is home. Also we begged the landlord to put motion detectors on the exterior lights. They were kind and did. ;-)

life's a bear said...

I can't imagine being at home during a break in. Super scary!

Thanks all for your kind words and suggestions. We have thought about a dog. And we've also thought about just posting signs about a security system. For now we're locking gates and leaving more lights on. I'm also leaving the radio when I'm gone. It's no flickering TV, but at least it's sound.