It is a rather drippy Friday afternoon. Both of my coteachers excitedly rush around in their classroom and soon we are giving hugs and two Civics are zooming away. It was only right after how many weekends I have been gone that they get to also attend friend’s weddings away. I was quite thrilled at the prospect of “baching it”! That evening, I recruit a friend so I don’t have to walk into LT ball by myself. It feels rather odd to not have my constant companions with me. I have never went to an away volley game by myself. The evening is entirely fun. It feels rather odd to simply get home and go to bed without sitting in the living room to chatter about something or other. The following Saturday, I get an astonishing amount of things done. The Christmas gifts get wrapped. The Christmas decoration projects come together. The house gets a cleaning. The evening is an enjoyable evening with close friends. It is decided that supper will be at a rather fancy restaurant. The Belmont is a place of fond memories. The Christmas atmosphere is absolutely adorable. The smokestack burger from the Belmont comes with a knife that has the boys rather enamored. It is a nice knife, but L and I laugh over their fascination although they are disappointed that the knife is from a pretty basic kitchen knife brand. Ice skating is the next object of business. The ice rink attendees happen to be youth and young marrieds from the surrounding area. It is much fun to glide upon the frozen water again. Our arrival time is later than intended and we only turn circles for thirty minutes before it is time to restock our energies with drinks from 7Brew, a Wichita staple.
Thanksgiving day is spent at the teacher house with my co-teacher’s family. “This is probably the first time this house has had a Thanksgiving dinner in it for a while!” Someone says. It’s rather sad to think the dear old house misses out on important holidays just because its occupants usually leave. The weekend is spent with the sister in Springfield/Branson, MO. It is an enjoyable time spending quality time with her. How fun it is to talk about all the life dramas, but most importantly, school things because we can very much relate since we are both doing it!
“Let’s play in the snow!” The students bundle up in their snow clothes and are soon excitedly weaving trails through the fresh snowfall. Their attempts to make a snowman are in vain as the snow doesn’t seem to want to be rolled into a snowman. Although the snow brings great excitement, the complaints about the drop in temperature are soon being voiced quite often. Little do they know that their teacher is also quite cold and would like to be inside as well!
On cold Sunday mornings or evenings, some mysterious characters start the vehicles on the church yard. It is quite nice to scurry out to a warm Civic.
One enormously fun weekend comes upon me. Two of my closest friends from home make an appearance in Kansas. One of them does happen to originate from this great place. We spend the entire weekend laughing, crying, and hashing the old days. It is entirely my pleasure to show them my current residence. It just so happens to be a wedding weekend so the days are quickly filled. You know how when you are with people you are completely comfortable with and who have known you for years, you become your original, unfiltered self. One of my Kansas friends asks my co-teacher, “Have we ever seen Nellie like this?” The version of me around my childhood friends and the version of me that teaches here seem to be different I guess. It is a memory maker, that weekend. M & K might never know how absolutely enthused I was about them coming to see me, but should they chance to read this, I hope they now know:)
The United Center youth group and their youth leaders make the sojourn to the Ellsworth Correctional Facility one evening. After going through security and getting wanded, we are each stamped, verified, and make our way to the chapel in the center of the yard. It is a pleasant evening with the wind blowing softly (for Kansas) and the stars twinkling high in the crisp night sky. After a short period of time, the inmates file in with much gusto. They seem excited about the prospect of a "concert". Instead of the usual girls standing in the front, the boys switch places with us so we are less on display which is a blessing. Although we are surrounded by security and barb wire, the listeners nod to the singing and clap wholeheartedly. They seem to enjoy our program throughly. It is an interesting sight I am sure, a Mennonite youth group singing to a group of men in their matching prison garb. I wonder what has brought them to this place and how long they will be here. Later, an inmate approaches and asks, “What is the name of the song you sang that kept repeating the words Wonderful His Name? I want to look it up online! ” Because the song was written by one of our people and he probably won’t find it online, we give him a copy of the song from our book. He tells us later that he is part of the worship group. It feels special somehow.
The Christmas chaos is very real! And yet, how fun the holidays have been at school. The paper chains string across the ceiling, the jars on Miss Miller’s desk are full of Christmas candies, a garland of clay stars hangs across the white board, and the door looks like a giant present with its red velvet bow! We practice and practice and practice program and sing and sing and sing over Christmas songs. The desks with cards hanging from their lip are arranged in a circle around Miss Miller’s desk that has a pile of colorfully wrapped gifts in front of it. The calendar and the work for the day are written in red and green marker and the air is heavy with the anticipation of Christmas. This also means that the brains to focus on school work don’t focus as well as they should. Nevertheless it has been splendidly fun. It doesn’t seem quite real, that fact that it is almost the new year and the fact that we are almost halfway through this school year.
There is an air of anticipation buzzing around on that crisp night of the school program. The students are dressed to the nines in their brightly colored red and green. The stage lights are the only light that illuminates the gym. The music teacher blows the pitch, starts in on “Oh, Come All Ye Faithful” and the Sugar Creek School slowly makes its way down the center aisle with glowing candles in each student and teacher’s hand. The program goes absolutely brilliantly with only a few stumbles. At the end of the “pageant”, the crowd sings “Silent Night” and there is a one teacher who can’t quite sing like normal as there is a lump in her throat. My dear students will never know how proud their teacher was of them, but just maybe their parents could tell by the way the teacher beamed every time they gave their speaking parts. How attached I have become to this little school with all its little peoples!
Friday after the school Christmas party, a little blue Civic is racing off to Wichita to pick up a very special something. My younger but taller brother flew out so that I would not have to drive the long way home by myself. How enthused I am when I see that black haired head through the airport windows. We venture over to the favoritest of the coffee shops in Wichita, Coffee Daze. We spend almost an hour chatting over the latest Kidron dramas and of course, cars and more cars and things to do with cars. Later, he helps me tear down the Christmas decorations in my classroom and get everything set back to rights. In the evening, he gets to experience a classic evening with my friends. First order of business: meet at The Corner and squeeze four people into the back of a pickup. Next, head to Scheels for skate sharpening and to look longingly over the winter sporting equipment. Then it is the Red Rock Canyon Grill for a very delicious supper, as always. Off to the rink where we skate around in circles and fall down and loudly crash into the walls and try to attempt spins and have cute little chats while zooming around. Always entirely a fun time! And what would be a Wichita run without hitting up 7Brew for drinks on the way home. Back at the teacher house, I ask my brother what he thinks of my friends. “They’re cool. I approve.” And that’s all I get, which to be fair, is more than enough coming from him. How fun it was that they got to see my little brother and that he got to get a taste of my life here. The next morning, the two of us are buzzing along 56 on our long trek back to Ohio. With a few traffic problems, we arrive home around 11:30. How good it is to be home! Christmas will be spent at home with days full of snowboarding and skating, sleeping in, making Christmas cookies, singing, outings with the family, and home cooked meals. I hope each one of you feels the love of this Christmas season wherever you are. Signing off until next year:))
oh there’s no place like home for the holidays…