Texas is a hot mess, no need to spell that out. Up here we were spared the storm - we were teased with lots of small, hard downpours from the fringe of the hurricane for a couple of days and then it retreated, and now Louisiana is getting the brunt of Harvey.

Gas prices are going to go up for a while, and I imagine the thrift store climate is going to change drastically. Sometimes people donate stuff that isn't needed and I suspect it ends up in the thrift stores if the rescue groups can't use it. It's better to donate cash to reputable charities at this point. Food is probably also going to be more expensive because so much of what we shop for comes through the port in Houston. My freezer is packed full, so I'll make a point to draw it down for a while.

I'm taking a few days off to work around the house, finish up some things on my list of projects I wanted to complete this summer, and my daughter and I will celebrate our birthdays (they are a week apart) with a lunch somewhere and maybe an activity.

Everything is incredibly unsettled right now. Being resourceful and flexible are important. The worst of the damage is several hours' drive south of here, but as people move out of the affected area, I will plan to find someplace to volunteer. I start tutoring in October, but that is one evening a week. This is twelve years to the day since Katrina hit. One of my dogs is was a big pup adopted from a local shelter on a "half-price" sale so they could make room to bring the Katrina rescue animals in. The same thing will happen again this fall.

So much to consider.