Another Day in the Country
By PAT WICK
© Another Day in the Country
It happens every year — Mother's Day. And I'm glad it does! There's nothing like a national holiday to stop us in our tracks, take note, remind us of our blessings.
This past week was our last art class at Butler — until fall term takes up again. The last spring class is always a bit nostalgic. Even though fall is only a few short months away, we look forward to coming together again as a family, even as we're closing down for summer.
"When you come into town, call me," Mary Alice says. "We'll have lunch. I'll miss you." The sentiment is echoed throughout the room.
This is no ordinary class, you can tell. It's an art class that has been together for a long time. They know how to take advantage of Butler's opportunities and they've been painting together, under various teachers at the college extension in Marion, for years and years — long before I came to Kansas to spend another day in the country.
The day Pauline asked me to teach this unique class at Butler of Marion was a good day! Teaching this group of self-motivated artisans was a gift to me — like receiving chocolates on your birthday.
New pupils come and go but the core of this class is constant and the work they turn out is phenomenal — just watch for it at the fair! Every year, they're the winners.
In our nostalgic, last-class mood, the group started talking about what had occurred on Mother's Day. They didn't know they were giving me fodder for my column.
"My son got a camera that fits on his computer," announced Lanore (shaking her head in amazement at technology), "and he's given me one for my computer so that we can actually talk and see each other at the same time." This is, of course, to keep track of her darling grandchild's growth. We all wanted one of those cameras (grandchildren, too).
"I held my new great-grandchild this weekend, "said Mary Alice. "She's so cute! This was at Thad's (a grandson) graduation from high school. They invited 400 people to his graduation party." We all share this moment of amazement and family gladness.
While we study art diligently, we also study ourselves in this class — and we study life! "This is our group therapy," says Betty who wonders if her health will let her return to be with us in the fall. When someone can't return to class, we all grieve — like we did when Agnes couldn't continue to make the weekly journey. And we still keep track of our old members who are like family ghosts still present in spirit.
"My daughter gave me red geraniums for Mother's Day," Frances told us, "I had to pick them up at the neighbors," which added to the mystery and the excitement of receiving this gift.
"My son brought me wild flowers," Betty said. Betty is one of our resident experts on wild flowers in Kansas. She rattled off the flowers, "verbana, primrose, cow peas, and some kind of cone flower — I can't remember its name — do you know, Marie?"
Marie knows all things natural, but she was stumped on this one. "Guess what Marie wanted for Mother's Day," Bennie (her husband who is our star pastel artist in the class) called out. "She wanted to go for a walk in the pasture!" Bennie began to explain the view from their Flint Hills pasture and as he talked of the lush green foliage, the villages they could see in the distance, the old farmsteads, the glory of being alive on this particular spring days with his wife of more than 50 years, our hearts grew still with wonder.
My Mother's Day report to the class was a little movie of my first and only grandchild, Daggfinnr Hweu Sung Chang-Wick, now one month old. I didn't tell my class this part, but when this child's mother was born, I used to wonder at how long it would take for her to be 21 years old and wouldn't I be an old, old woman at that point (I was 32 when she was born) and would I last that long? It seemed like such an eon to a young mother, such a mystery to envision the future.
"On Mother's Day I saw a movie at the Art Center Cinema in Salina — Amazing Grace — a must see!," I told my class. "We went to a Japanese restaurant (my choice) where I had cucumber sushi, tempura, green tea, and miso soup. My sister adventured along and Triple T graciously paid the bill even though he'd never eats sushi! He had steak." It was another great day in the country!
