The Wizard of Oz....

It's a STORMY day here in the Mid-Atlantic region.....severe thunderstorm warnings, tornado (!!) warnings all day and hail, rain and high winds. I have walked around the house all morning checking the skies, checking the radar and checking the Weather Channel. I don't mind thunderstorms and I don't mind the winds. I love it actually - to sit and watch the winds blow and feel the strength of the wind on my face - it's exhilarating. But.....

The second and I mean the SECOND someone mentions the word "tornado", I freak. I have no idea why - I have never experienced one, never been around one and I am fascinated with watching all the tornado specials on the Weather Channel. The first time I ever even heard the word or saw one, was while watching the Wizard of Oz (a favorite movie of mine, to be sure) and maybe, at such a young age, it just set in motion a lifetime fear of them. Unfortunately, I have passed along that fear - not intentionally, mind you - to my oldest daughter. As soon as the skies turn dark, she suddenly decides that she CANNOT leave my side no matter what. It turns her into a weepy, scared child. I think that if she could have crawled back into my uterus today, she would have. Of course, she would have been joined by two very big dogs who feel that when it starts to thunder and rain, they must stay on TOP of mommy's feet or hide between her legs while she's walking in order to gain a little protection from the big bad storm. And when I happen to stop walking, they both flop right on top of my feet, legs, or whatever body part happens to be closest. Did I mention they were big dogs?

I feel bad that I have passed this irrational fear onto Liv, because her dad is fascinated with the weather and nothing gets to him! We always check with Brian when we want a weather update - he should have been a weatherman. Maybe as she grows up, the fear will go away, I don't know. Sydney doesn't seem very affected by it. I'm trying not to show my panic when the sky turns dark and green and yellow and menacing and the television starts beeping incessantly "WARNING! WARNING!" And really, this is not a place that is known for it tornadoes, so what am I scared of?

It's starting to hail a little bit now, so I am going to sign off before I hear Helen Hunt's voice yelling "Cow! We have cows!" at which point I will retire to the basement to wait out the rest of this miserable day......

Stay safe my friends.