I was in Paris a year ago last Christmas, and we walked past Notre Dame, but it was far too crowded to stand in line to get in. I'd been there before, in 1989 or so, and somewhere I have a rosary I bought for my mother there.

There's some hope that the structure is saved, but it's heartbreaking reading about the 900-year-old beams that held up the roof. The reconstruction project is probably what started the fire--but because the building was being restored, they had removed a lot of the more delicate art, which means everything wasn't destroyed by the fire.

I am very grateful that apparently nobody was injured?

OTOH, that's a multi-acre lead roof that just burned, and it's in the middle of a dense metropolis. I hope the city is putting out air quality warnings.

In other news, I double-checked my taxes and this year I ended up paying 7% more than last year. Thanks Obama!

I am grateful I got the warning early enough to adjust my witholding; I ended up sending the fed only $300, and I got a lot back from the state. Still, I'm lucky enough to be in a position to afford that; I feel awful for the folks who didn't know, and assumed they'd be getting a fat refund when instead they're getting screwed.

Is it weird that I'm still sad, but also kind of comforted by the knowledge that nothing lasts forever? I'm not sure how to explain it. Maybe it's that impermanence makes things precious.

I'm there, too. And parts of Tom Stoppard's Arcadia comes to mind, too. And trying to grasp it with the news of the deaths from measles in Madagascar, on the same day, was difficult.

I was in front the the Notre Dame with then SO as part of a tour. We didn't return to it in the other three days we had in Paris and now I'm regretting it. So it is now also serves as a metaphor to that relationship, in part. But I guess that in 20 years, after they've finished rebuilding it, and if the climate change won't kill us before that, I'll be able to see it.

Edited to add: in other news, we are living in the future. [link]

The news about Norte Dame is shocking. That's one of those places that "just is", in my mind. And thank you for letting us know about the mosque, Shir. I hope no one was hurt.

I don't know what numerical witchcraft my accountant used to get me money back this year. It's certainly not that I'm one of the Cheeto in Chief's rich friends. Anyway, this is why that wonderful great-grandmother can never retire. I and my budget would be devastated.

The reports about the fire in Al Aqsa (not many of them, as only one room was on fire) is that the room (outer to the mosque itself) was damaged, but nothing about injuries or fatalities.

On Twitter, Cashmere linked to this great thread about the protocol for fighting the Notre-Dame Cathedral fire and the plans the city has long had in place.

According the thread author, they've been growing replacement oaks at Versailles.

It's a hopeful thread. The comments are all civilized, near as I can tell. It's well worth the read.

[link]

That reminds me of a story I read about an ancient grove of oaks in Oxford that developers kept bitching about, but the gardeners defended tooth and nail. Then they discovered wood rot in the timbers in the roof of the great hall, and the gardeners said "That's what the oaks are for."

The rose window was definitely spared. I loved this tweet about it.

La rosace du bras nord du transept de la cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris est intacte. Le plus beau joyau de la Cathédrale. Ceci est un fucking miracle.

Ha!

I should be productive and stop poking around the internet.

The pipe organ was spared. It will probably need to be repaired, but since it's a pipe organ, it never NOT needs to be repaired.