This morning I read a text that Harris County had closed their clerks offices. Travis, Tarrant, Dallas and other counties may follow this trend. Please remain calm. This situation is temporary.
Although your Absentee Affidavit has a shelf life of 30 days once notarized (in states where Absentee Affidavits are available), Law Libraries at Units are aware that the possibility of needing to notarize a second affidavit exist. If your Absentee Affidavit expires because you couldn’t purchase a license due to a clerks office closing, please remain calm. We will work through obtaining a new affidavit.
All marriage licenses have been filed in person or via priority (tracked) mail. You are married.
I’m going to take a moment to once again go over why reviewing your address when purchasing a marriage license is important… when I file your license, it’s mailed to you at the address you provided. If you are moving or planning to move, please use the new address. If you haven’t received your license within 7-10 days of me filing it, call me. I will contact the clerks office and find out if it’s been returned due to a bad address. Stay calm.
Over the past 7 days since the visitation revocation occurred, I have had time on my hands I’ve never had in the past thirty years.
An unexpected holiday for a workaholic gave me a window to help others. Believe it or not you can help others too. Whether it’s being a kind ear to someone struggling with job loss or helping someone by offering odd jobs such as babysitting or lawn mowing to someone who lost their job.
For me, having time on my hands has put me at nearly 30 stores the past week locating items that others couldn’t find. From shipping hand sanitizers and toilet paper to a nursing home in Hondo to making large pots of soup to my elderly neighbors to mailing dry and canned beans to a mother with four children in a nearby town, I’ve been busy and keeping busy trying to find places where food is available and checking in on FB to let others know where to go to find food.
At Roy Pope, a small neighborhood grocery store one block from my home, I witnessed someone buying all of the meat available. Over 3k worth of steaks, chicken, tenderloins and hamburger that people in my neighborhood rely on this store having.
For 80 years, Roy Pope has serviced our community. They may be forced to shut down now as they have run out of items to sell.
I’ve never encountered anything like this in my lifetime. I pray I never encounter anything like it again. Everyone is panicking.
People are losing their jobs. No one can find toilet paper, beans, rice or other staples. Truck stops are closing cafes.
My brother in law, Steve is a truck driver. He’s been on the road a week and just returned home. Pennsylvania is closing rest areas. Restaurants are closing dining areas.
My husband couldn’t find lunch yesterday as the drive through lanes are now the only option. The wait in drive through lines is 30-45 minutes. His lunch is one hour.
This morning, I made his lunch. The decision of whether to close his office has bounced back and forth. There are only 3 employees in the office at this time, my husband, the bookkeeper and warranty person.
Contractors and subcontractors as well as builders are being asked to communicate via email. McBee Homes is sanitized constantly by my husband who is a germ freak and always has been.
My husband decided to cancel his usual Friday morning builder meeting breakfast.
We all fear change but daily changes are occurring. This morning I nearly had a meltdown listening to the news. Worrying about my family, my clients, my community.
I spent two hours helping a FB friend find her lost dog in my neighborhood today. Time I normally wouldn’t have had.
My twin sister baked cake brownies because she didn’t have 2 boxes of cake or brownies. She did have 1 box of cake and another of brownie mix. Getting creative with what you have on hand can have hilarious and occasionally delicious results.
The twins are now at home like millions of other children with parents who have no idea how to homeschool their children.
My niece, Leigh Ann who is and always has been germaphobic called last night while I was on the phone with Cindy advised us that “she wanted to come home.”
Cindy was silent and shocked. I answered for my twin telling Leigh Ann “no, you cannot come home and abandon your husband at Point Hueneme. Your home is there on base. Your home is with your husband. This is a time to hunker down. This is the time to circle your wagons and keep your family together and supported. You cannot jump in the car with a four year old child and leave the base and safety for the uncertainty of “coming home.” You are home. Straighten up and stop panicking. There are food shortages here. We cannot add more people in our boat.” My niece hung up.
I mailed my son who lives 20 minutes away 2 packages of wipes and 2 boxes of Kleenex yesterday. I cannot find toilet paper.
Thankfully, my daughter in law is breastfeeding my grandson as hoarders have wiped out all of baby formula from all store shelves to resell these necessary items at an exorbitant cost.
Mothers are banding together and sharing what formula they have on hand with other mothers who cannot find or buy formula in stores.
My son and daughter in law are using cloth diapers because finding diapers has become very difficult.
Everyone is adjusting to a world of change. They have no choice.
My niece, Stephaney who is in treatment in Grove, Oklahoma and has no idea what’s going on outside of her clinic. She is sheltered from the hysteria we are seeing in Fort Worth, Dallas and Houston areas.
I’ve seen hoarding and I’ve seen unexpected acts of compassion. I’ve heard truck drivers concerned about where they will sleep or eat.
I’ve read about people having problems finding medication as a run on pharmacies spreads throughout the United States.
My husband went to one of our banks to draw out cash to keep on hand and was told there was a limit. This scared HIM. At nearly 70 years old, my husband has never been told by a bank that they couldn’t afford to dispense over 2k.
I’ve heard about angry people trying to buy ammunition or guns who couldn’t find any.
The fact that people are running out to buy guns and ammunition in a time of fear and panic GREATLY concern me.
People arming themselves at this time of crisis are preparing to defend themselves. But, from what? Their neighbors? Rioting? Their own fear?
I called my brother a Navy veteran yesterday to ask if Martial Law is coming to the United States after seeing Governor Abbott had enacted the National Guard.
Like everyone else in Texas, seeing the Fort Worth PD has decided not to arrest Class C offenders, I was alarmed.
In times of crisis, if you can’t call the police, who CAN you call?!
Los Angeles County Jail is releasing inmates. Other states are following suit.
My husband went to a Dr Appt yesterday at Harris Hospital and was screened prior to entering. Everyone is being screened at hospitals and Dr’s offices.
My twin sister called in an order for a pizza and was told “don’t come in. Pay in the parking lot.” This was surprising.
People at Grocery stores are literally violating social distancing in “panic buying hoarding mode” worldwide.
My niece, Leigh Ann is trying to “come home” because the news media is scaring her about California running out of milk and toilet paper. All states are running out of staples not just California.
The base at Point Hueneme has been out of toilet paper for two weeks.
There isn’t a valid reason for Leigh Ann to “come home.” This isn’t a time to get in your car with a toddler and cross country to “come home.”
Explaining the danger of leaving the base to Leigh Ann and reinforcing why “arguing with her husband who is now at home because the Navy has sent everyone back to base housing until further notice” hasn’t made my niece any less fearful. But, the reality of adjusting to having your spouse at home full time when you aren’t accustomed to it is an adjustment. It’s change and change makes people uncomfortable.
My brother advised me that “the guard is being activated to prevent rioting. There are no indications of Martial Law.”
My brother though has never seen anything like this. He is concerned too. Monroe, North Carolina had an E Coli outbreak last week and no bottled water anywhere.
I told Leigh Ann that “Alex is a military member. He’s facing stress himself. The last thing he needs is his wife trying to make a run for it with his daughter. Be compassionate. Put your family first. Calm down!”
Shelter in place means where you are not where you aren’t.
I’m staying in close contact and updating everyone awaiting rescheduled dates of the changes taking place. Currently in Texas, I already have several reschedules at prisons in April.
If you have not purchased your marriage license, it’s best to do so now if you can.
IF YOUR MARRIAGE LICENSE EXPIRES while awaiting a reschedule, contact me. I will help cover the expense of getting you a new one.
If you can’t get to the clerks office, don’t panic. We can redo your paperwork at the Unit after paperwork begins moving again.
Texas marriage licenses are valid 90 days of issuance. If you cannot purchase your license, don’t worry. Things WILL return to normal.
You CAN send a second affidavit to the Unit and the Law Library will notarize it. Previously notaries weren’t exactly excited to sign a second affidavit but they are aware of the timeline and will work with us to get the documents you need.
For anyone unaware, FBOP, ICE, County and State Facilities within the United States are still currently not accepting visitors, attorneys or Approved Officiants. This current lock down is temporary. Remain calm.
As for anyone else who is at home with children and/or unemployed at this time, please do not worry about making payments on your event with Texas Twins Events or TDCJ Officiant. Also, if your license expires waiting on a reschedule, we will get you another license. Stay calm.
Take care of your family. Check on your neighbors. Stay in place.
If you can’t find traditional household items where you usually shop, go to places you normally wouldn’t. Try the Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Big Lots, Family Dollar, Braums and other stores you previously wouldn’t have considered.
Lowe’s and Home Depot have had water but it’s hit and miss. Trucks are coming. There will be toilet paper and I anticipate that once this crisis is over, it’s something that none of us will ever forget and something that we will always remember.
Stay calm and stay in place if you are at home…