It has been difficult here, but we got through it easier than many fellow Houstonians. We have a gas fireplace that keeps us warm and we have plenty of water supply. Things are slowly recovering from immediate weather problems, but it will take a while for Houston to get back on its feet. I am off tomorrow to visit my oldest daughter at Colorado State University. I never thought that I would be flying to warmer weather when I planned this trip a month ago!

For the past five years I have volunteered at Houston Methodist Hospital with my dog doing therapy dog visits. As a volunteer, I was included in the 1a group and was fully vaccinated by January 14. I volunteered at one of the vaccination sites, guiding people through the lines. It was encouraging to see so many older people getting vaccines in a very well-organized manner. I also work for GoGoGrandma as a driver and drove a 78-year-old woman to the same site where I volunteer for her vaccine. She told me how nervous she was. I was glad I could explain the process to her since I had seen it first-hand. She was relieved that the process went smoothly. I was looking forward to helping out more this past week and then the storm hit. I plan to volunteer when they ask me again.

I celebrated my 20th wedding anniversary in December. Because Houston is more open in terms of COVID protocols compared to the rest of the country, we were able to enjoy a nice dinner out to celebrate on December 30. I am glad we got married at Christmas time because it is such a festive time of year for celebrations!