Controlling the Weather

February has come in like a lion!

A veritable white lion, but a lion nonetheless.

Since the beginning of February we have been hit by snow, snow, and more snow. This week my son used up his last snow day for school.

They have five total each school year.

So since I'm also attending school, my hours have been hit by our school being closed several days this month as well. Only problem is that keeps pushing my graduation date further and further back. Before all of the snow hit, I was on track to graduate the 23rd of March.

Now I'm looking at the 28th of March.

I guess I should be glad that it is still going to be March but I'd hoped to graduate nearly a month early because of my good attendance. My attendance percentage as a whole is still very high and unaffected by the snow closures, but each day we're closed I'm thrown further behind in graduating.

I should be thankful though. My technical graduation was to be April 17th, so I'm still well ahead of that date. Suppose my frustration has more to do with the fact that I'm so READY to get out of school and back into life again.

But it is quite interesting - even though I'm in school, it seems I'm still in the midst of life. There's so many lives that I've had the honor of touching in these months I've attended, that perhaps God needs me to linger just a bit longer in order to be of the greatest import to someone else.

Yes - I'll hold onto that mindset to get me through these next few weeks.

Unless I figure out a way to control the weather.

First Prize Pics

Couple of pictures tonight from my first place win at the Salon Fair and hair show a couple of weeks ago at school. One is of my model as we were waiting for line-up and the other is last minute touch-ups before the big strut.

I'm still waiting for the professional pictures of us actually walking the runway, but that will have to come from the school. That may take awhile.

In the meantime, enjoy checking out my fringing technique and the lovely little shot of the violet tail (don't think you can see it very good in the waiting pic though).

That day was still so wonderful. It even snowed for several hours before the show began, almost like a little smile from God. He knows how much I love snow. :-)

Short and sweet tonight, as I'm still working on getting back to full health. Supposed to sing Sunday, but may have to cancel if my voice doesn't return soon. Hopefully it will be raring to go though for Christmas Eve.

I hope it snows - later that night anyway.

This IS Kansas After All

Today has held the most interesting of weather.

Started off with some ice pellets with a few lighting flashes and thunder rumbles thrown in for effect.

Then it started to snow.

Then it went back to ice.

Then snow.

Then ice.

You get the picture. We've been on the ice and snow line on the map all day long. I'd really hoped it would end up being more snow than ice. I'm just thankful that my son and his choir were able to get away last night before this crazy weather set in.

At the moment we are in a little pocket of nothing, but it shouldn't last for long. The radar shows a dark band of blue just about to hit us.

That is unless it goes back to ice. "Sigh!"

Well, have to admit, I'd begged and pleaded for a big, honking snowstorm before the month was out. The Lord answered with a resounding "yes" - you think?

Last reports were that by the end of this tomorrow evening we could have as much as 16 inches.

Bring it!

Tree Time Tomorrow

After having it for two weeks now, tomorrow we are finally going to have the time to decorate our Christmas tree.

In all honesty, I've had a little time available to decorate - mainly on this past Sunday afternoon. Didn't execute good time management skills and ended up sleeping and relaxing the afternoon away. Have to admit, though, I really needed that time to recoup.

Better late than never - so tomorrow is Tree Time.

The bins are in the house and ready to go with the decorations and lights. We've gotten a few chores done tonight and then finish up a few tomorrow. Then it's off to decorate!

Christmas is my favorite holiday of all - the lights, the colors, the music, the movies, the family time, the church programs...

...the meaning.

I love it when it's time to get out Mannheim Steamroller and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. By the way, TSO was in town last weekend. I just had to be in the play! Oh well, it was there I wanted to be anyway. TSO can always visit me on my stereo anytime. It isn't every day that I have a chance to star in a musical.

Truth be told, if I had my druthers I'd do music theatre all my days. Never gets tiring (remind me next year in November that I said that).

But I digress.

The cold wind is blowing tonight. There's another chance for more snow coming. Let it snow - let it snow - let it snow.

It is the Christmas season, don't you know.

Dreaming of a White Christmas

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas!

Well I've got two more Christmas presents to buy for extended family and one more to buy for my son.

Time is running out.

No, I'm not one of those kind of people who relish the idea of getting up at 4:00 in the morning to attend the 5:00 door-buster sales the day after Thanksgiving (though I may have to do it this year if my family wants to since they don't know where all the stores are around here). I usually have all my shopping done by the first of November.

There've been a few distractions the last few months. Maybe?

So now that we're getting close to Thanksgiving and I won't have any time next week for shopping purposes (except as they relate to FOOD!), there's a sense of desperation building up. I've just got to finish up this week.

Those crazy Christmas shoppers scare me - or get on my last nerve. I have a tendency to think it is probably more of the later, in all honesty. I've no patience for idiots.

The Christmas season is something I truly relish. Can't help it. I think my secret middle name must be Claus or Kringle. Anyway Christmas is rarely far from my mind no matter the time of year. Therefore I refuse to let idiot impatient shoppers step all over my season of joy.

Which is why I generally boycott stores after Thanksgiving. Don't care about the sales, bargains, or special early-morning discounts.

It's having the time to appreciate the crisp, nose-tingling air - the cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows - carols (why don't people do more of that?) - the beauty of the lights - the hope of Christ.

And if we get a white Christmas, that's just frosting on the cake!