This spring my middle school juggling troupe, LOL, did it's first outdoor show of the year at South Portland's Friendship House.  Friendship House is a sobriety home for men trying to stay sober.  They are there of their own free choice, and most have jobs they go to during the day.  When they return in the evenings they have a meal together, then either Bible studies or AA meetings depending on the schedule.  Having had a friend live there for a time, and having performed solo there in the past, I know it is a very good program.

The juggling team performed their show in place of the men's after dinner Bible study.  It was a beautiful afternoon, although a bit breezy- always a challenge for juggling.  Nonetheless, they all did well and had on the job experience at adjusting to the conditions.  Bebe performed plate spinning, very hard in the wind, for the first time ever, and she did it flawlessly.  Liam stole from Avery, also for the first time in a show.  But the juggling masterpiece was Caleb O's 8th grade solo.  He did an entire juggling routine on the balance board: balls, clubs, machetes, axes and fire torches.  He had never even tried fire on the rola-bola until earlier that same day at recess!  The entire routine, done to the W's "the Devil is Bad", was virtually perfect.

Juggling wasn't the only thing affected by the wind.  Dillon's heart balloon for "I Want to Know What Love Is" blew quite  distance away during the skit.  To his credit, Dillon never broke character while retrieving it.  Caleb O's candle vanish / reappearance was perfect, but the candles, of course, didn't stay lit for long.  

As we closed the show with "Beautiful, Scandalous Night" it was clear that many of the men we re deeply touched.   Some expressed as much afterwards as they visited with the team.  This was LOL's final show of the year before our upcoming four day performing trip to Vermont.  It was a geat way to wrap up our local shows for this school year.