Small Town Christmas

The first year I attended the Sebring Christmas parade, having spent the previous 10-15 years in Nashville, TN, I was appalled and slightly embarrassed by all of the rigamarole. Sure, it was cool that the kids got to march with their dance class or ride on a "float" but I had never envisioned "float" to be synonymous with SUV pulling hay trailor with some tinsel stapled to the side and hand-written signs announcing the company that was being advertised. This, however, is my 4th Christmas parade here and I absolutely love it. Last night my friend pulled up a lawn chair for me right in front of the police station and I sat, waiting expectantly for the small town extravaganza. I was not disappointed. Led by a screaming police car siren and the colorguard I stood reverently (thanks to the prompting of my friend who was raised in an era where not standing before the flag was taboo) and then sat back down to watch hometown creativity coming to life. The middle school DARE group shouted their motto to stay off drugs while grouping together in cliquish marching groups. The county commissioners waved from the back of convertibles donated for the occasion by the largest car salesman in town. The radio station (there's only one local station) float blew bubbles into the air (FL snow, I believe they were trying to simulate) and the local paper was led by 6 alpacas with reindeer antlers attached. The 4-H groups led well-brushed dogs and a wagon with bunnies in cages followed by a float with pigs. And, of course, every schools marching band was represented with dance teams and a couple of churches. The community church sported an amped up (in many ways?) music director singing carols with an electric guitar though I didn't see the church I saw last year with the giant white cross AND nativity on the trailer bed. A man dressed up quite elf-ishly with a guitar and amp on his back as he roller bladed the streets of downtown. All in all, it was wonderful. I can't imagine anything drawing community together more than homemade floats. Oh, and I forgot the many golf carts with strings of Christmas lights on them. It wouldn't be Christmas in FL without them. Where was my church? Well, as much as we're growing, we still haven't caught the "community spirit" that sets Sebring apart. We're kinda removed from the culture given our distance, and so we'll await another year to join in the festivities. So I just sat in my lawn chair with my sparkling Christmas vest on and watched my kids marching with their cheer team just as proud as pie (because that's what you say in small town parades). And then, in the dark, I walked two blocks by myself in the downtown to the post-parade party at the girls' gym. What a wonderful night!

Autumnal Ugliness

I love the fall, don't get me wrong, but here in Arbuckle Creek, FL it amounts to some breezes to offset the intense August heat that remains. I welcome the breezes, but I do NOT (yes, I realize I screamed "not") welcome plastic orange and yellow leaves used in decorating lawns. I drove by a house yesterday to see a mailbox covered in those ugly things. Sure they brighten up the block, but have they realized that they are living in FL, the home of the "green" autumn? Can't they see that plastic leaves are truly a mixed metaphor in this setting? I was fine with the scarecrow in their front yard. After all we do have hay around here and even some crow-like birds. Pumpkins also are fine. But please, excuse me if I avert my eyes when coming face to face with false-y leaves. I am so embarrassed!

Yet Another Great Sebring Hang Out!

It's true! I've discovered another social hang out amidst the wasteland. Well, it's not really wasteland . . . just swampland but anyhoo! I can't believe I hadn't put it in my "top 4" in the earlier post because seriously, during the school year, it is THE place to be. The EDGE Cheer Center is my second home (or maybe my 3rd since I spend an awful lot of time at the church). My girls are cheerleaders and lest you "poo poo" this sport with your conception of flirty girls in short skirts with pom poms and absolutely no talent, let me tell you, this place makes the kids WORK! It's a real sport complete with conditioning, running laps, push ups (the boy kind) sit ups and other ab crunches, tumbling passes that are on their way to the Nadia Comeniche level, and little people thrown up in the air in tight muscled jumps and caught by a couple other little people on the ground. This is not your grandma's cheerleading squad! (Potatoes! Tomatoes! Beans & Squash! Navasota Navasota Yes, by Gosh!) No, this is a team sport that requires skill, not looks (though a big smile does help). Just recently, they decided to call cheerleading a sport (finally) (though why they took tennis off the list I'll never know because it too requires skill.) So, now that I have completely gone off on a tangent, I'll return to the social reason for my writing. The EDGE Cheer Center is a great social hangout -- not just for the kids who, whether they are a part of a team or just love to play in the gym, can "hang out" at open gym on Wednesdays and Fridays or whether you are a parent who loves to watch your kid and cheer them on exuberantly (or in my case, cheer on the inside while giving a thumbs up) this is the place to be. I should know, I spent 2 1/2 hours there today and now my kids are sleeping like babies. The coach is awesome with the desire to inspire the kids while keeping everything (music and uniforms included) nice and "clean." With little ones starting tumbling at age 3, teaching respect for others is a key element and so I applaud our all-star cheerleaders and recommend this place HIGHLY to Arbuckle Creek neighbors (Sebring included).

So this is the news from Arbuckle Creek where all the women drive golf carts, the men are blatant carnivores (Beef, it's what's for dinner!) and the children watch for alligators in their backyards (and sometimes play in the sandpits on the golf course! I saw that the other day! Adorable!)