Oklahoma almost blew away last Friday. Wildfires were everywhere and many homes were destroyed. We were lucky. I only had to clean up the dirt after the windstorm. However, I heard that tornadoes and hail pummeled Missouri and Arkansas ahead of the wind we sent them.  Someone always gets it worse than you.  Now the Texas Hill Country is burning. We really need some rain, not more wind. But that is not in the forecast. Maybe St. Patrick’s Day luck of the Irish will help us on Monday.

I bought a new car this week. We left the dealership in shock (not sticker shock) at about 2:00 in the afternoon and the wind was already picking up. We put it in the garage and hunkered down inside; two old people with a fancy car that is much smarter than them.  What have I done? “It just works on apps like your phone!” That should have been my first indication that I might not be able to drive it home. I could.  It drives beautifully. But the apps? That will take some time to get used to. I need a GPS (I’m directionally challenged) but my old Equinox had a screen and you typed the address into it.  Now, Google Maps does it for you. I hope. Sounds easy, right?  Getting old is no fun. I will drive it to Norman next week and hopefully I will be able to find the address of the church I’m traveling to. 

The Tornado Alley writing conference this week is at St. Thomas Moore Catholic Church in Norman from 9:00 to 4:00. The cost is $45 for nonmembers or $35 for members, including lunch. There will be door prizes and a book table for purchasing books authored by the speakers and members and you can have them signed while you are there.

We’d love to have you. To register, go to http://tornadoalleysinc.org/ and sign up for the Saturday conference.

So be weather aware this week. Water your grass and help this state green up. Tornado season is right around the corner.

What are you reading, writing, or creating this week?