Storms

I love storms. I have since I was a little girl. While I respect the serious damage they can bring as well as the fear others have when they hear warning sirens and such, there's just something about stormy weather that just gets me excited. Perhaps it's the fun memories I have growing up in the Midwest, where thunderstorms and tornadoes were pretty common fare.

I can remember going out on the porch with my Grandma with the intention of huddling under a blanket with a flashlight and a book - and giggling until we could hardly breathe. We'd stay out there as long as we could stand it.

I can remember my Mom and sister scurrying down the basement steps with blankets and flashlights to wait out the tornado warnings while I drug my feet, wanting to stay upstairs with my Dad so we could "keep and eye on things." I loved to stand out on the front step with him and just take it all in, knowing I was perfectly safe since he'd send me downstairs with plenty of time to spare.

I remember craning my neck in the backseat of the car to try catch every lightening bolt that danced across the sky. Then I'd count - one one-thousand, two one-thousand - to see just how close the storm really was.

I remember one scary afternoon when I was babysitting for 5 little girls and suddenly the tornado sirens went off. Fortunately, nearly every home in Missouri is equipped with a basement, so I quickly corralled them all down the stairs and distracted them with a movie.

I remember running out into the rain in college just for fun, and ruining the lawn where we created our own slip-n-slides of mud.

And right now, I am enjoying the steady drum of rain on the windows and anticipating a nice evening at home with my husband. In fact, I just suggested we grab a blanket and book and go take it all in from our front porch.

Hope you're enjoying the weather wherever you are!