My dear friend, author, journalist, photographer, and animal lover, Tamra McAnally Bolton with her beloved and saved cat Scraps!
This ice and winter storm that has hit Texas has buckled me to my knees, not in sorry but in grateful thanks for life’s many miracles and blessings. Every day my dearest friends nearby, Barbara Deen, Stephanie Chance, Margie Dilday, and Tamra McAnally Bolton and I check in on each other. How are we holding up, is there anything you need or I can do. It’s been awful being iced in with rolling blackouts and internet, heat going off and on then the damage of all of this, pretty much overwhelming.
What I have learned is that even though we have been dealt some devastating blows, minus 0 temperatures, hard freezes, a foot of snow on all where it lands, Stephanie and I have beendealing with frozen broken busted water pipes. I have been filling bathroom waste baskets with the run off from ice melting on my house just to flush my toilets. I have plenty of drinking water as like a good former Girl Scout, I learned and wisely, “Be prepared”. So washing myself like I have seen they do from all my films of India, soapy water in a bucket, standing, wash cloth in hand standing on towel in front of my no longer working kitchen sink. Brushing my teeth is now seen as such a luxury with my bottled water. I am the lucky one.I have not lost electricity, heat or internet for now the third day. Water is off and in line just like for the Coronavirus vaccines that have not come my way, waiting now for the plumber.
Time stands still and I am losing my days, sense of time as t may be a while you all, I read over 2 million people affected in Texas by this storm but I stand still here, in my ever changing flannel jammies with warm sweater or hoodie. My rubber treaded boots by the door for treks out to bring in water buckets from the snow melt that THIS is happening. This is my life.
I have been praying for my friends and family. Then I received this message a few days back. Kathy, I fell yesterday five time trying to get to my parent’s family it’s so slick out. My horse has not drank any water, eaten any food, he’s twenty one and too slick for him to walk. I look at his eyes and I don’t think he his going to make it. I have to admit I cried hard on that one, our poor animals. So I prayed and prayed hard…then I got this video and message.
Her horse has made it, doing just fine and our prayers were answered. Then Scraps, her cat was still missing and now for days. She was afraid an owl had maybe got him. Five days later this message today.
“Who says God doesn’t answer prayer? After missing for five days…guess who shows up?! Scraps! My sweet kitty! Thank you for your prayers Kathy…God hears our earnest pleas…I am so thankful.”
So no matter what you are going through, pray. Prayers are answered if it is meant to be so. I am a believer and no matter what happens now, all I have to think of is Tamra still has her horse and her cat. Life is good, it’s fantastic. Miracles happen. It’s all about the story so hope you share this one with those in need.
Truly grateful for all I have in this world,
Kathy L. Murphy, one fine Girl Scout no matter how old I am!
Authors, Stephanie Chance, Kathy L. Murphy, and Tamra McNally Bolton at our first and last book signing at Murder Buy The Book in Houston, Texas. Covid hit and all our book touring was over. We shall survive, we sisters at heart!

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