Winter Storm is coming,

 

                                                                                                 

                                                                                           

                                                                     Winter Storm Prep

A winter storm warning has been issued for Oklahoma starting Friday, and it has definitely been on my mind. The forecasts are calling for anywhere from one to three inches of ice, along with an unknown amount of snow. Even writing that makes me pause. Ice storms are never something to take lightly, and the uncertainty of how bad it could get is what makes it unsettling.

We’ve done our best to prepare ahead of time. Our water well has been winterized, and all of the outside water faucets are protected. At this point, we’ve taken care of everything within our control. The weatherman is warning of over 105 hours of below-freezing temperatures, and that alone is enough to make anyone nervous. My biggest concern isn’t the snow — it’s whether our electricity will hold, especially if we truly do end up with that much ice.

That’s what’s been sitting heavy on my mind these past few days.

This morning, I have a doctor’s appointment for lab work, and then I’ll head back to work to finish out the day. I plan to bring my computer home with me so I can work remotely, likely through Wednesday. With the temperatures expected to stay so low, I really don’t want to be driving back and forth if I can help it. One thing I am slightly worried about is whether our internet connection will be able to keep up with my workload, but I’ll do my best to make it work. Safety comes first, and sometimes that means adjusting expectations.

After work today, I’m making a few important stops. First, I’ll fill up the Jeep. Since we have an all-electric house, I want to make sure we have a full tank of gas just in case we ever needed to sit in it for warmth. I’m hoping it never comes to that, but peace of mind is worth the extra stop. I also plan to run by our local grocery store to grab a few easy, no-heat, grab-and-go food items. We have plenty of food in the house, but not much that wouldn’t require cooking, and I want to be prepared for any scenario.

I’ll be honest — I don’t like winter storms. While it seems like we have a stretch like this every year, it doesn’t make it any easier. Knowing it’s coming doesn’t make it less stressful, but preparation helps calm my nerves just a bit.

One thing I am looking forward to is having some quiet time with my Kindle. I need to download several books to read, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much I’ve already read in 2026. I honestly didn’t realize just how much reading I do until I started keeping track. This year, my blog is going to look a little different as I begin sharing more book reviews and reflecting on what I’m reading. Most of my reading happens late at night before bed — it’s my favorite way to unwind and escape, especially during cold, quiet winter nights.

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog. It’s been fun documenting memories and writing about a little bit of everything. I truly appreciate each and every one of you who takes the time to read along. I always love hearing from you, whether it’s a quick hello, a question, or something you’d like to share. Stay warm, stay safe, and I’ll see you back here later. 

Retirement thoughts

 

Do you sometimes wonder how you to to this exact point in your life? I always wondered if  I would be here when I was 50ish years old.  Am amazed with my life, it’s much better than I could have ever dreamed.  No it’s not perfect and it’s a lot messy, but wouldn’t trade it for anything else. 

As I look toward retirement I know I am not prepared. I have just started my 401k and Roth plans. So not very much money in them.  Looking back on my past life is I was just trying to survive. Neither one of my parents really spoke about saving money for the future. They did the best they could with what knowledge they had.  I just wish I had someone who could have taught me the importance of saving money. Now I am struggling with when I can retire on just social security. I don’t want to work forever, but realistically I may have to work till I am 65 years old. I haven’t exactly put budget to paper to see what I may be looking at going forward. 

What my mom did teach me was how to be thrifty so I do have that knowledge.  I love thrift stores and watching how people repurpose stuff.  Comparing prices from a few different grocery stores is next on my list to start doing. I do pay for Amazon Prime annually and do feel like it saves me money on shipping. Although I know if I order a certain amount that I will still receive free shipping. We do watch Amazon prime frequently. I already watch for sales on birthday gifts and Christmas gifts. I keep a tote of gifts I pick up thru the year.  For instance I bought a grill utensil set 1/2 off.  When Victoria Secret and Bath and Body have sales I will buy and put up. My love language is gifting others, so I need to save money when I can. 

We live out in the country on 2 acres on a dead end road. Our bills are very reasonable compared to so many others. So we are very fortunate in that area. We don’t have a water bill as we have a water well. The maintenance on it could be expensive but overall it’s been good to us.  We also have a septic system and that has also been a low maintenance system to us.  So as we get older at least our household expenses are lower than others.  

So here I am thinking about my overall life and what budget cuts I can do to make my money stretch. I think I will up the percentage to my Roth plan.  Like seeing the numbers add up each pay period. I won’t miss that money since it will be such a low percent every 2 weeks.  

I am blessed with my life no regrets just wish I had been more wiser with money.  If you have any tips on saving money as I move toward retirement, please drop them below.