Day 54

These are pictures I took from the tv of Joannie Rochette's short program Wednesday evening.Here she is before she starts talking to her coach. I wanted to get the back of her costume, it was so pretty. She looked wonderful despite all she's been through since Sunday. She is skating out to center ice to a standing ovation and cheering and adoring crowds. It must have helped her a lot to know the whole country was behind her, no matter how she did.

This took when their camera was just changing from her face to a long shot. I thought it turned out cool. Joannie doing one of her 3 spirals in her sequence. She was so right on for this skate. It was emotional for everyone watching - not just for her!

Realizing she had done the whole program with no mistakes, she hugs her coach and bursts into tears.

When her score came up in the "Kiss and Cry" she was already overcome with emotion, I don't even know if she realized how well she really did. She is in 3rd place going into the long program on Thursday evening.

Day 53 - I just had to post these pictures. Joannie is one of my favorite figure skaters and when I heard her mother had died suddenly on Sunday of a heart attack, not too long after she had arrived in Vancouver to watch Joannie skate, my heart just dropped. It's hard enough to lose a parent, but to lose one only days before the start of something you have been working for all your life, it has to be horrific! They say she is a true champion and is trying to just "do her job" before she really grieves, but I can't imagine how anyone can do that. She is young - in her mid 20's - and her mom wasn't very old -in her 50's. It would be like how it would be for Jen if I died. That's really hard to comprehend. I was 35 when my dad died and that was hard enough. I was 45 when my mom died and that, too, was hard. It's never easy to lose a parent, but this has to be especially hard. I guess what I am most thankful for is that when my parents died, as hard as it was, I knew where they were and that I would see them again some day. My friends I've reconnected with on facebook speak often of the glorious reunion we are going to have. It will be glorious and that's all I wish for my children and everyone, that they are sure of their salvation so that we can all meet again in heaven. I don't know Joannie's religious affiliation, but being French, she was probably brought up Catholic. I pray for her that she will find peace from the Lord and if He isn't her personal Saviour that He will be someday. I'm praying there will be someone who comes into her life who will be a witness to her. That's all I can do. God bless her.