Oh dear, Montecito is burning.

Tragedy in Montecito, California Stately grandeur

Coastal elegance

My $10.5 million dream home

Joanne Sizemore Realty, SBMLS #08-3256
Go look and dream like I do.

I've read a few blogs today about the awful Tea Fire in Montecito, California. (It's a gorgeous little area just south of Santa Barbara, but in the same county.) Most of the people blogging could not care less about the fire that has destroyed over 100 homes and thousands of acres of stunning land. Yeah, they are wealthy folks who are fortunate enough to live there. Some are even celebrities like Oprah, who have enormous estates and grounds. They didn't deserve this destruction simply because of their tax bracket. No one does.

One of the best summers of my life was hanging out in this glorious little town. My darling friend, Joanne and I drove around endlessly in her dad's 1961 yellow classic "bathtub" Porsche convertible (because her old-ass Mercury Cougar broke down--he just HANDED her the keys! We were only 18 forpitysake!). I still have all of the pictures of our shenanigans. We ate, shopped, went to the beach, went to concerts, stalked Kenny Loggins (long before "stalking" became a crime--it was all in good fun!), we ate some more and laughed until we wet ourselves.

Montecito is referred to as the "American Riviera". All I know is, anytime I've had to go to my "special, quiet place" in my head (say, during a tattoo or having the stomach flu , for instance), I go to Montecito. I know they will rebuild. Sometimes "new" isn't "better".