A week ago Kip, the two dogs and the cat were waking up in the car. It was so cold outside, we couldn’t put on enough layers.

Still, we couldn’t exactly call ourselves pioneers. Kip and the pets slept like babies unlike me who couldn’t get comfortable.

Thankfully, I still had internet and I had thought to bring my tablet and chargers so I could stream a Prime video. I watched a couple of good movies. I also had plenty of snacks, so I kept my energy up. I was cozy with the kitty on my lap…until my legs went to sleep and I had to go to the bathroom. That is when I began to feel the real inconvenience of near zero temperatures, lots of snow, and no electricity or water. You know the rest.

Back to now. We currently have enough bottled water for the animals, but we have to boil any tap water we consume. We are asked to not use our dishwasher or wash clothes as they are still trying to get water to some of the communities who don’t have any, yet. The water company needs us to conserve. The stores are out of food and there are several houses with broken water pipes.

At least it’s warm and some of the fast food places have a limited menu through the drive-up window.

We’re praying that we don’t have a 2021 as harrowing as 2020 was…it’s only February. I guess I should keep a list of movies I’ve been wanting to watch and books I’ve been intending to read…and I will be sure to keep all of my devices charged up.

Have I told you yet how grateful I am? I am blessed beyond belief and I know it.

We got home from Canton today. It turns out we didn’t miss anything. The electricity came back on late yesterday afternoon, but we were still without water when we first got home. A lot of houses over here didn’t have water yet.

One of the smartest guys in the neighborhood told Kip that these streets are the last to be fixed or thawed out. I had confirmed with several of the neighbors more than once that we weren’t the only ones without water, but that didn’t stop Kip from trying to fix ours.

“When was the last time we called the water department?” He asked.

“Why would we call the water department?” I answered. “We know, (I will use a slang phrase that I hate), it is what it is.

“I’m going to try something,” he said. “I think I know what the problem might be.”

I hate it when he looks really thoughtful and then he says, “I’m going to try something.” That usually means he’s going to Lowes and spend a lot of money, or he’ll get his monkey wrench, tear off some piece of the house that shouldn’t be torn off, and eventually fix it. He can fix almost anything.

I knew it wouldn’t be that way this time, because it wasn’t something he could fix. I let him do it anyway without further comment. Why fight the inevitable.

He had a vent torn off and was twisting something with his wrench, when I saw a drip of water come from the kitchen faucet. Was I dreaming? Wishful thinking?

I ran outside to tell him the good news.

“I knew if I turned the bulb a little bit that way and uncovered this pipe so the sun would warm it up, it would work, he said. “Aren’t you happy I was able to fix it?”

“I sure am,” I said. “And it appears that whatever you did fixed everybody else’s plumbing, too! I’m getting texts from all the neighbors telling me their water just came on.

“Well, I think I’ll put these tools away and cover that pipe a little later. Is it time to eat?” He asked.

I am thrilled to have water and electricity. Pioneering is not my thing. We did stay in a motel for four days of the ordeal, but it wasn’t exactly like being on vacation.

P.S. This is tongue and cheek. We are very grateful. This neighborhood really came together and helped each other out. One couple brought propane, heaters, soups, water and kept an eye on everyone’s needs. Especially the most vulnerable.

We continue to say prayers for those who are still dealing with no water electricity, and no food in the stores. At least it has warmed up. Like everything else, Texas did this storm in a big way.

My name is Lilie Dale and I’m the last one of the three…to write a rhyming story about why we had to flee.

Dollie said some bad guys are trying to hunt us down. I think they might be trying to steal MG’s tinfoil crown.

It must be worth a lot because tinfoil isn’t cheap. It not only makes great crowns, it works to wrap your meat.

I’m a hunter not a fighter. Fighting’s not my thing. I can hunt those bad guys down, but I can’t make them sing.

We’re going home tomorrow and we don’t know what we’ll find. If the bad guys robbed us, I hope they left the crown behind.

My name is Pattie Ruth, and I have a story to tell. We had to leave our cold, dark, house and find a new place to dwell.

I thought I had it made here. My humans have been pretty nice, but now I know the truth. This is a fool’s paradise.

We have no water or power. We slept in the car one night. I don’t understand why it’s dark in the house and outside it’s all white.

My humans said we can’t sleep here with two dogs and a cat in the car. The closest room was in Canton so we slid there and that’s where we are.

I hate walking through the snow. It really slows me down. My humans say the problem is that I’m built too close to the ground.

I pray all my animal friends can stay warm when it’s cold day and night. If it keeps on snowing we’ll all be snow dogs. Do teeth made of coal bite?

My name is Dollie Lee and I’m not a happy cat. We’re all living in a bedroom…What’s up with that?!

I guess we couldn’t pay to keep the water on and the heater and the lights have been… long gone.

I think my humans must have run out of dough, because we left town in a hurry and had to drive through all the snow.

I think they owe some bad guys and the money must be due. My humans didn’t know how fast the interest would accrue.

For three days all they ate was…PB & J…I tried to think of something that might…save the day.

Do you know what I find to be a little bit ironic? They just blew all their cash on burgers at the Sonic.

I made sure I told the dogs that we were really poor. I said we couldn’t buy those fancy bones… anymore.

I’d better take my little catnap in the sun… before I go to the bank and set up my… “Help Dollie Fund.”

I get emails from people who are trying very hard to find a way for me to make money writing. I know they’re sincere. Why else would they be so persistent? I don’t know how they came to know about me, but there is a bunch of helpful people out there.

I must confess, I don’t read all of the emails, but I do save them to read at a later time. Oh my, I just looked and there are two thousand and four of them. I decided, that rather than saving more, I would read today’s suggestions.

Did you know the books that are on fire right now are horror stories. Yes…if I write a real scary story, I could make millions. I don’t even have to know that much about horror to write a marketable story. All I have to do is pay $365 in 3 installments to learn how. If it were 6 installments, I might consider it, but since this is the first of the two thousand and four emails that I have actually read, I think I should go back and look for something that will make me rich for a more reasonable fee.

Here’s one that’s pretty interesting. How to Sell Your Story to Hollywood!
(or: What Will Doom It to Eternal Obscurity?)

Ken is going to host a webinar. He has sort of produced thirty movies. He could very well make my book into a Hollywood hit! I’m thinking, “The Beasterhop goes to Hollywood” has a ring to it. Ken will teach me how to turn my manuscript into a movie script for a fee of $699.00…up front!

This email caught my eye…

Hi,

As you know I’m a big fan of reading biographies and autobiographies of great authors.

I’ve found that you can often learn a lot by studying the lives of writers.

Well, the other day I learnt another great tip, and I want to share it with you.

I replied to his email. I said for a fee of $200 paid in 3 easy monthly installments, I would teach him what I have learnt about the importance of editing.

You know what they say. “Those who can’t do, teach.”

I’ve read twenty-five from the two thousand and four helpful people and call me cynical, but I haven’t found anything I can take to the bank.

Guess I’ll go back and work on my vision board…but first I have to drive over to the gas station and get my Lotto Texas winning ticket. There-in lies my hope…

I woke up this morning with a song stuck in my head.

I thought about the tune and what the lyrics said.

“Who’s gonna fill their shoes?” Is a favorite song of mine.

I love to hear George sing it with his old familiar twang.

“Who’s gonna fill my shoes?” I had to ask myself.

I know the day will come when they put me on a shelf.

I’ll sit there with my books. I won’t be blogging anymore.

I won’t be writing poems or having tea parties galore.

Who will take my place? No one sings like I do.

What about my stories? I have more than just a few.

Is there a younger girl out there who can fill my shoes,

While I watch from my shelf and only sing the blues?

I kept hearing the song. It was now burned in my brain.

Then a thought came to me. I’ll need lots of time to train.

I’ll teach her about Arf, Pearl the human and Pearl the dog.

What about Lav and Yram and other characters in the blog?

It will take me several years to get her up to speed.

Then I’ll retire to the shelf and have some time to read.

I hope I won’t be sitting there all by lonesome self.

I sure don’t want to sit beside that silly Christmas Elf.

I guess I’ll write a story before my blogging time expires

About someone who sits on the shelf after she retires.