Brrrrrrr ja vu

It is storming, again, in case you were wondering.... my Tampa buddy who is blissfully out planting five flats of flowers in sunny 70s today..... (waaaaaaaaaa)

Good thing that we went ice skating this morning, and not this afternoon. I was going to wait until after lunch. Had we been exceptionally smart we would have gone at 9, when it was sunny and clear. We didn't get around until almost 11 and the wind was picking up and the clouds were rolling in as we set off down the hill. Oh well, it was fun for a little while to sail around on the ice. That is how hard the wind was blowing: all we had to do was get out on the ice a ways, and turn the right way in the wind, and we would suddenly zoom across the rink--all the way to the other side. Even I was picking up some serious speed. Although, that may have been because I was tall enough to really catch the brunt of the wind. The smaller kids on the rink seemed like they were able to kind of zip around underneath it all.

There was a little girl there with her grandmas. She was about 3, maybe (early) four years old. The grandmas had brought along a stool and were using the stool as a walker to help the little girl skate. She was the most cheerful little thing, in her purple snow suit and shiny new skates. She very quickly didn't want any part of the stool, not when she saw Alannah, Aidan, Susie and Dan zipping around without one. She lurched off, hobbled along for a few glides and then fell flat on her butt. She got right up smiling and got right back to it. Hobble, fall. Hobble, fall. Hobble, fall. The grandmas (they were good ones) just laughed and let her go--in about twenty minutes she was skating almost as good as any of us. The grandmas were pleased, and thanked the kids for setting good examples for little Alex.

As I said earlier, the storm was blowing in, and I could tell the pressure and temperature in the air was shifting while we were skating. This made the ice shift, and groan, and make very scary cracking noises. There was no way we would be in trouble--the ice is about 20 inches thick, and we were only about ten feet from the shore at the beach where the water is only about 3 feet deep anyways. But..... I have never heard such a wicked sound. (shivers!)

Alannah is at practice from 2-5. We had fun rehearsing her lines and songs while we cleaned up after lunch. (Mom is living vicariously through daughter). I am trying to convince her that she doesn't need such a wacko accent to play Mrs. Potts. Like anyone could, or should try and sound like Angela Lounsberry. She should just sound soft and motherly. Like, yeah, right. This is ALANNAH we are talking about!!!!!!!

Tomorrow night I will get my own shot at lime-light as I am going to check out the Laurel City Singers group. http://www.firstchurchofwinsted.org/LCS.html I also have been invited to attend the Christian Ed meeting in a few weeks to explore some ministry options. I am really feeling excited about possibly developing an adult bible study program at the invitation and encouragement of Tanya, and a (duh, very obvious smack in the head) clear burst of energy from the Holy Spirit. Hmm... maybe feeling another book club coming on?

Wow, it is really snowing out there. In 20 minutes there is already a 1/2 inch on the ground. Snow isn't so bad, but it will start raining around six, and it's all down hill from there....AGAIN.