It’s been a memorable week. I’m grateful we emerged safely. We’re not really out of the fog yet even if we’ve made it through some particularly difficult things. The winter storm was too much for the Texas electrical grid, and millions lost power for days, ourselves included, in temperatures that went below zero. Those couple of days were harrowing. We talked about it this morning. My gratitude is for Nathan and for the the trees that died this past year in the front yard. Nathan chopped up the wood, and it kept us alive. If the trees hadn’t died this past year, if he hadn’t saved the wood, our situation would have been really dangerous. As it was, some of the house went below freezing, but not the living room or bedroom. I will never forget going to sleep in that cold. Or just sitting by the fire for hours, all of my effort on getting warm. The power returned after two days, and the weather grew warm. Just then, the pipes burst, and we’ve been without water. We were lucky to have it during the worst of the storm. There is an outdoor faucet we can use, and it has been warm enough to draw water. However, the bathtub faucets were frozen, so we went a week without a bath. Now that it’s gotten warmer we’ve improvised. The Internet has been out all week, and we are waiting for a plumber. I got Violet some anti-diarrheal medication today. She has been sick for a few days but seems to be improving today.
I have been shopping online for skirts, tank tops, and necklaces. I need to go through and weed out some old clothes. I also need to go through my jewelry and see if there are any older pieces I want to wear this year.
I keep thinking of what it will be like to be in the world again. I don’t want to be afraid to dress how I want to. The way I did in the early 2000s. Not early 2000s style per se. But the bootcut jeans, tank tops, boucle skirts, and vintage jewelry. When I say afraid, I mean, maybe not really dressing my age. Maybe people will think I’m just really behind the times. In a sense, they are absolutely right if they do think so.
I have been thinking about my characters Dresden and Leslie today, what it would be like if they lived here, how they would act, how they would live. Leslie is a vegan, hipster cowboy who wears vintage cowboy clothing, has longish hair, and loves oat milk lattes and vegan barbecue. He’s what I would love Texas to become. Dresden wears little tank tops, plaid skirts, and jewelry with cherries and her black hair in braids and pigtails. She shops vintage stores, like Leslie, and never passes up a diner or a chance for pie. Her favorite food, besides lemon fried pie, is hamburgers.
I was trying to decide what their relationship would be if they met. Probably just friends because Dresden will never get over her love for Josian. And Leslie has his heart broken by Josette before she moves on to Bryony.
I would still like to write about them. Sit in a coffee shop and write about them. And get some old doll to be Leslie. I regret not having him but it was good to move on. I should have gotten a new Leslie.
Sit in a coffee shop and write about them. Take pictures in a cemetery. Stop at In and Out Burger and eat in the parking lot, watching music videos. Go to the mall in my bootcut jeans, long black hair, tank top and vintage jewelry, then the antique shop.
When will it be safe to hang out in public again? When will I be able to go out without a mask on?
Sunlight-Colored Roses 