Tornado Where?

I guess I can be a bit hysterical when it comes to things that scare me. Like tornadoes for instance. We live here in the northeast where we don’t hear the word tornado very often. The last time when I was about 11 or so, much to my relief. So, to those seasoned tornado folks, hats off to you. My ticker couldn’t take it. There is just something extremely unnerving about hearing a loud, repetitive buzzing noise come over the TV and an unpleasant, computer generated, mechanical voice telling me to take cover.

So of course all of this happened right after my daughter called from dance class and said they would have to stay an extra 15 minutes. To a novice, such as myself, it did not matter that the storms were still several miles from us, or in the next county. All I knew was that it was headed my way at 50mph and that was much too fast for me

I looked at my father who was chatting on the phone and said “Did you hear that? Tornado!” With the phone to his ear, chatting to a friend about the latest price of bananas at the local Price Chopper, he nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. I looked at him with the “Didn’t you just hear me?” look on my face. He replied, “I heard you.” I was mystified. Apparently, the bananas were a much more interesting topic.

So I rushed out the door, stopping only to tell him that if any twisters came our way, to make sure he brought the baby downstairs to a safe place. “Huh?” he replied. Great. The bananas again.

After retrieving my daughter and making a mad dash for home, I sat watching the news with the flashlight in one hand and the number to the power company in the other. Fortunately, the storm passed on by without as much as an outage. Thank God.

All I can say is it is a good thing I live where I do. I’m sure my heart would kill me before any tornado had a chance.

Anyhow, on to other things. Our feature book for the week is Amber on the Mountain by Tony Johnston. This wonderful story about two young girls who form a friendship will warm your heart.

Amber lives a very lonely life with her family in the mountains. One day she meets Anna, who has come to the mountain with her family, while her father helps to build a road. The two girls become fast friends and Anna is determined to teach Amber how to read and write. Amber learns to read but does not learn to write before Anna must leave. A story of friendship and determination, Amber on the Mountain is a great choice for young readers. Robert Duncan’s luminous oil paintings capture this beautiful mountain setting. Softcover, Ages 4-8.