My Single Mom Life

I owe my friend Shell and her husband big time, for helping my parents out last night.
Most of New England ended up getting slammed with a massive ice storm that left hundreds of thousands of residents without power.
If there's no power, there's no heat, and my parents are elderly and live in Maine where winter time is so unbelievably cold, that you cannot stay in your house and try to stick it out until the power comes back on.

My sister called my parents who were freezing to death, so she called my brother's house, but he was also without power and out buying a generator, so she called me and asked if Shell and Ray had power.
Their power had also gone out around 2am on Friday morning, but their's had come back on sometime in the afternoon.
Ray went down to try and get my folks to come to their house, but they wouldn't go, so he said he would just keep going back and trying to convince them to leave, as well as bringing them coffee.

A few hours after Ray left, my mom called me and asked if he could go get them, it was far too cold in the house as the temps had dropped drastically in just a few hours, and it was even colder in there now than it had been.
So Ray drove down and my parents followed them in their car to his house.
They stayed there all night, refused to take the bedroom, and instead slept in the living room recliners.
At least they were in a safe place and they were warm.

As Ray was driving down there to get them, he told me he was worried about the water pipes freezing.
I told him not to mention that because if he did, my mom would have refused to leave a second time.
Even if if they had a tankless water heater, the water pipes would have been frozen, no electricity, no hot water.
I'm just so glad that Ray and Shell are always there to help my parents when they need help.
I don't know what we would have done if they hadn't had power either, the nearest shelter that still had room, was all the way down in Alfred, and I know they wouldn't have driven there.

Mom and Dad drove home this morning, the power was still out so they were making plans to go somewhere else for the night when the power came back on.
They went into the kitchen to get and take their meds, and flipped the light switch like habit, and the lights came on.
So they are back at home, safe, they have power and heat again.
I'm so relieved, and I'm so so greatful to Ray and Shell for helping them.
Mom and Dad have been "mom and dad" to Shell for more than half her life, they have always treated her as one of their kids, so anytime they need something, Shell said to just call, and they will do whatever they can.
They shovel snow for them, they do whatever my parents need and can't do, and I'm so glad and greatful they are there and able to help.
All Ray ever asks in return is for some of mom's home made goodies like her bread and muffins, and he's totally hooked on her fudge.
They never ask for or would take any money, just load them up with home made treats and that's all the thanks they need.