A story with a twister.

Tuesday was interesting here in SmallTown. We often complain about the lack of entertainment. I guess God was listening.

Daughter and I were up at church with some friends decorating a room for a kids' Wednesday night program. It was a relaxing moment of scenes outlined on butcher paper, buckets of paint, sponge brushes, and giggling kids pleading to help.

The kids got bored and ran down the hall only to run right back in the room.

"The sirens are going off and it's REALLY, REALLY dark outside!"

There were tears and furrowed brows and three very relaxed moms still painting Egyptian pyramids and palm trees.

"It's probably one of the tests they do each week. It looks sunny outside to us."

On our side of the building.

"But it's REALLY, REALLY dark outside!"

We brushed it off at first, then one of the moms called her husband at work. He shared that there was a tornado warning, that a small funnel had been spotted south of town.

And I just dipped my brush in the most beautiful blue.

Soon, the pastor came upstairs to share the same news.

So we all headed to the basement, two-by-two, coaxing and soothing the kids that all would be fine. This was only a precaution.

Actually I believe my exact words were, "It'll be fine. We're just using the brain God gave us and taking shelter."

Once we were all safe, we gathered candles, a radio, cell phones with Internet access and maintained our post. I texted Nancy who was also at her church. She was safe, waiting it out.

Then I sent Hubs a text. He was flying home from a business trip and I was scheduled to drive to the next town to pick him up from the airport.

Our record of texting has not been good lately, so I decided I'd better be clear and concise.

"We are in the basement at church. Tornado warning."

"Is the teacher telling you all to be quiet? Why do you have to be quiet? Does noise attract tornadoes?"

"No, we're the teachers... church members are arriving."

"WARNING or WATCH?"

"Warning."

The texts continued. I told him he'd have to wait for me to pick him up. It's fairly difficult to drive to the next town when you are taking shelter in a basement.

Hubs finally had to board the plane and TOTP when I was able to tell him we had a break between storm cells and I could get home. I eventually left the house and drove to NextTown, away from the storms.

But not until I grabbed my camera. I'm such a nerd.

The weather on my drive was perfect. The bad weather was at my back and I suddenly felt like those people in that movie who were being chased by a tornado.

We picked up Hubs at the airport, returned home to a house still standing, the power on, and all was well with our little corner of the world.

I didn't get any cool pictures to share with you. Drat.

Oh well, my camera isn't designed to take photos from a ditch. The angle really kills the zoom capabilities.