cloudy with a chance of funnels

so it seems to be tornado season in Saskatchewan. 
"really?"  you ask, "i didn't know there were tornados in saskatchewan"

me neither.

two weeks ago my daughter had a playdate with her best friend, and just as we were putting some finishing touches on the fathers day gluten free sticky buns (oh, yeah, you read that right) the phone rang.  it was the best friends mom.  here is how the conversation went down:

"hey janet, did you know that there's a tornado warning in effect"
"oh, no.  what does that mean exactly?"
"well....you should be in the basement"
at this moment i'm looking into the eyes of her beautiful little girl, and then into the eyes of my beautiful little girl and boy - they're all crowded around me, like they can sense the calamity about to befall them.
i say
"okay kids!  there's a tornado warning!"
"what mom!!! what does that mean?!!!"
"well...we should go down to the basement.  so let's just leasurely walk down..."
                 suddenly a horrendous B-O-O-M sounds as it thunders directly over our house (or, at least it felt that way).

pandamonium.  all three are screaming.  they're also laughing and looking around them with the widest eyes possible.  picture the look of hysteria.  one of them makes a bolt for the stairs, and then they're all running.  my daughter makes it halfway down and turns around.   she's now running upstairs to her room, then she's back down holding two dolls:
"NOT WITHOUT MY BABIES" she screams. 

"i should probably get off the phone now" i say.

i get the kids (and the babies) settled with mah-jong on my computor in the basement, then phone scott, thinking he was in a window-less room in the church and probably had no idea his life was in peril.  but, no.  he informed me that he had known all afternoon about the warning.

thanks. 
thanks for calling.

"no big deal" he says, "just keep looking out the windows and if you see some funny looking clouds go downstairs".

i look out the back window.  i look out the front window.  and i realize i don't have any windows on one side of the house!  and anyways, i'm supposed to be staying away from the windows!!!

half an hour later the storm had past.  but it's left me with this question - how is it that i left the threat of a possible earthquake in my lifetime and moved to the threat of a probable tornado in my lifetime?
i used to watch the news about florida and think, why would you live in a place where there are continual hurricanes?  are you friends in bc watching the news over the last few weeks and thinking the same about me? 


although i'm not a fan of tornados, i AM a fan of thunderstorms, and we're having a doozy tonight.  we turned off all the lights after supper,  watched the lightning,  got out the three new flashlights scott won at the men's golf tournament a few weeks ago, and read the storybook "blackout".  then the kids played hide and seek in the dark with scott until bedtime.  there's nothing like a self-inforced blackout.  you can still make yourself a cup of tea. :)

my show gets hung this weekend, and my opening night is next.  i have thirteen paintings crammed into my home - which will soon feel dismally empty once their gone.  it's like a dream that i'm actually having a show, in a gallery, where bonified artists have hung their work before me.  i'm excited and terrified and shy and exuberant all at the same time.  maybe that's why i've been so lazy lately - i'm too emotionally taxed for vacuuming.

and weary of peeking out my windows for funnel clouds.

leah came to visit me last weekend.  there's nothing for the spirits like an old friend, some good food (chocolate fondue, thai restaurant, and my camembert hashbrowns), conversation, prayer and the surprising joy of watching my new friends collide with my past.  each moment dripped with deliciousness.  and cori's coming out for my opening night so i'll have the chance to do it all again!  i'm feeling pretty spoiled.

may your skies be clear and your friends dear....and your blackouts self-induced.