The Good Old Days.

These are pictures from my first yearbook from the Sachan of 1963, St. Charles, Minnesota.   The photos capture some of my dearest friends from those years.  Here they are--top to bottom:
     John Gregoire (7th grade social studies and reading), Roger Traxler (the science teacher who wore ties and dress shirts to teach, but who we called "The Great Hunter"), two pictures of me with debaters and a play I directed, John in a pep skit, Myself...Maryann Nitzke--with no glasses, and Harriet Winters (now Harriet Plotz), two pictures of home economics and FHA.
     It was my first year of teaching, and when I remember all my assignments, and the fun that we all had, I can't believe I could accomplish all that.     Since I lived at home during college, it was also my first time away from home.  I found myself in a very small town with 9 or 10 single teachers, and only three of us were women.  Good odds and good times.
     Of course with 3000 people to chaperone us, we did most of our eating and sipping at Kermie's Tavern in the nearby village of Elba, MN.  Kermie made a great rare hamburger steak--something we don't dare order today.  Twenty years later my husband and I stopped at this little tavern where I claimed "I had a meal and a drink or so here."  Inside Kermie leaned over the bar, slipped me a lemon-gin tonic, and asked if I was still drinking the same thing.
     We had many games of poker, parties like Halloween and assorted tricks  (we used to swap pumpkins out in the neighborhoods), and constant pranks on each other at school.  One bachelor who shall go unnamed used to wash his laundry in the Home Ec washers, and my friend Harriet replaced soap with powdered milk.  I was more famous for breaking into bachelor's apartments and putting crackers in their bed.
      A month ago we had a mini-reunion.  Below is John, myself, Roger's wife Barbara on the left, and Roger, Harriet, and her husband Merlin on the right.  Time has been very good to us all because none of us needed walkers or attending nurses.  We had a great meal at Michael's in Rochester, MN, a place we had visited many times in our youth and all left under their own power.

    

Valentines Day

Since he has been gone a year.
or an eternity,
I searched through my vases
for that glass decanter with rosebuds.

Several years ago he gave me 
a dozen red roses
with the usual sweet valentine,
probably the biggest on the shelf.

I kept the roses until they
were dry,  still fragrantly intense.
Too beautiful to discard,
cherishing each petal, I
stored them in the vase.

Today each petal is so dry,
their fragrance dust.  When
each petal reminds me
of a touch, a hug, a  kiss,
I cannot throw them away.

It occurs to me that I should have a holiday posting.  Here I am in front of my poetry sisters.  That's pretty funny.  Grown women hiding behind a friend.  Anyway, I did write a Christmas letter this year.  And I have had a beautiful season of great dinners, movies, and memories. 

Dear friends and family,

Christmas cards are arriving, and decorations are popping up everywhere.  By this time last year, Chuck and I had mailed our cards and our Christmas presents and left for a month long vacation in Texas.  With Chuck’s death on the 10^th, it was a difficult time for our family.

Chuck was the Christmas Letter author.  I don’t plan to continue the tradition.  A small, homemade card with note is more my style.

So my year has been a bit chaotic. Taxes, roof leaks, replacing light bulbs, etc.—I have a whole new world.  But I am able to manage everything because I have the support of wonderful friends and a caring church.  The children and grandchildren have been attentive, calling and keeping track of me.  Will taught me how to park the Prius in the garage, Tami, Marla, and I spent some wonderful days at the beach at Ocean Shores and a Hoquiam High memorial for Chuck in Hoquiam, Washington.  Wayne calls when he can.

My Dad, Bill Nitzke, joined me for January and February. He is still doing well, playing a bit of golf, reading, and enjoying the day to day.  He will be 100 on February 2. We are planning a little party in Iowa, and I will have a second one for West Coast family and friends on March 9^th.  Getting to 100 in such great shape is a very big deal and deserves a party and celebration.

I was also able to spend time in Portland with the Knopps.  David is working in Colorado, son-in-law Ron is team driving for Gordon Trucking, and both were home for a great family dinner.  I was able to see everyone except Brian who has moved to a great new job in Philadelphia.  I loved being with the great-grandchildren David and Andrew Maynard.  

I spent Mother’s Day in Texas with Will.  It was a great week with lots of gourmet food.

(I’ll never forget the tasty octopus black ink spaghetti.)  I also spent several weeks in Iowa with my family.  My niece Kim had a beautiful wedding, so I had quality time with the extended family and saw both brother’s families.

In this season of celebration and love—I’m always impressed by the selflessness of people donating food, toys for tots, packages to disaster victims---I raise a toast to all the gifts of love:  from our Heavenly Father, from strangers, from loved ones, from friends, from love’s memory. Blessings to you and yours.