A Narrow Miss

We had a narrow miss with winter weather Thursday night.  Our forecast looked grim and cold for Thursday night and Friday, with snow estimates from 9-12 inches.  That’s a whole lot of snow for where I live, haha!  I know you Northerners are cackling, but it’s true.  We are not built for winter down in the South.

I made a big grocery order because that’s what you do when a winter storm is coming.  You lose your ever-loving mind and ransack the grocery stores for milk, bread, and toilet paper. Right?? Well, I did NOT do that, but I did make a Walmart pickup order that will be topping us off for the week ahead. I just made it a couple of days earlier than usual.  In any case, the little bit extra I added was all for naught.  Once the snow and ice hit the Mississippi River (I live about 20 miles east of it), it all changed over to rain for us, and the snow and ice went just north of us.  It was a wintry mix for most of the night, but by Friday morning, it was just cold rain.  The silver lining was that with some help,  I could get the house ready with clean sheets on the beds and all clothes washed in case we lost power.  So, because we were ready, we could spend a relaxing couple of days together as a family.

Taking Care of Business

It’s been a slow week around here.  The Teen is still on Christmas break from college, but he will start back Monday morning.  I spent most of Thursday making sure his account was in good standing, and his classes were still a go.  All good!  We forgot to sell his psychology book back to the school bookstore before the break, so I listed it on eBay, and I hope it will sell.  We won’t get near as much as we had to pay, but every bit helps.

On Tuesday, I did a big girl thing and got my first shingles shot.   Since I’m 50, I am now eligible for it, so I decided to just go for it.  I got it done at Walgreens, which was free with our insurance.  By the time I got home, there was a big red welt on my arm, and it felt heavy and sore.  A few hours later, I noticed I was feeling very tired, and by bedtime, I had to pop some Motrin and take a hot bath because I had chills and was so cold.  I slept very well, and the next day was a little more of the same until around noon, when it had been 24 hours.  I felt a lot better, but my arm still felt sore.  I had a great nap that afternoon, and by the time I got up, I felt much, much better.

I’m writing this Friday night, and my arm is still red, but there is no more pain.  I had a very minor case of shingles on my abdomen three years ago, and it was not a fun experience.  If I can avoid that happening again, I will do what it takes.  I go in for the second shot in two months.

Warming Up

I’m glad we will be warming up a little more these next few days (if you can call 40 degrees warm, haha), but I am very sorry about the fires out in California and the devastation it is causing.  A couple from our church has a daughter who has lost her home to these fires.  I’m sure anyone reading this probably knows of someone living near these fires.  It looks very scary, and I pray everyone stays safe.