The stiff winds during Monday night’s storms had nothing on my stiff neck and back caused by getting into my Safe Place that night.

When I heard the storm siren over the hard rain and TV weather guy I knew I shouldn’t have turned down the neighbor’s storm cellar invitation.

Instead, I hurried to the hall closet that had been emptied so we could paint. That’s when I was greeted by an ottoman stacked four-deep with old sofa pillows.

Both would make a good landing place I decided, then had to toss a couple of pillows to make room for me, and the Tuxedo cat, who was interested in the closet.

When I sat on the

ottoman and leaned against the pillows, the ottoman went sliding out of the closet, and the pillows went the other way, but not under my head or back.

Luckily, I’d held onto my cell phone for dear life, because suddenly it rang,

“Are you coming now?” yelled the kind neighbor with the cellar.

“No,” I said, then lied, “I’m in my Safe Place.”

“Where is that?” she asked.

“The hall closet.”

Click.

My ego didn’t want to let her know I’d fallen and only my slightly cracked skull was actually in the closet.

My feet were draped on the runaway ottoman in the hallway, along with the rest of me.

After I got over my bell being rung, it was like a TV commercial playing in my head when I realized that not only had I fallen,

but I couldn’t get up.

When I came to my senses I opted to roll over on my stomach so I could crawl over to the couch and get up.

That’s when my knees wished for our old, padded carpeting instead of new hardwood floors, and my neck made snap, crackle and pop sounds.

Made it to the couch just in time.

In time to hear more roaring winds and thunder and more cell phone flood warning notices.

In time to see more lightning, the water rise to the third step in front of a neighbor’s house, and to shrug at the mess in the hallway.

In time to remember that mother told me that thunder was the sounds that angels made when they were bowling. Back then I had no idea what bowling was, but I knew about Sunday School angels, and Momma held me in her arms and made me feel safe. That memory took me to my Safe Place Monday night, and soon I was asleep on the couch with my husband’s Tuxedo cat snuggled next to my feet.