Wine Wednesday

This section of my blog entitled “Wine Wednesday” is going to be for those random thoughts, ideas, topics, etc. that I come up with. That’s really what our weekly gatherings were anyway. We would get together and talk about everything, so why not continue that here on the road. And of course, drinking while I do.

(Wine isn’t a requirement for Wine Wednesday. I like to drink my Michelob, wine just always sounds “classier.” I think we did actually start out with wine in the beginning. Everyone would bring a bottle and we would taste test. Then is just evolved into bring whatever you want.)

Wine Wednesday was started in the RV park in Bakersfield, CA when I was still teaching. I lured my friends and neighbors over to our space for cocktails and conversation every week. Sometimes we would alternate locations, but mostly it was at our place so I could keep working. We also had the propane heater for when it got cold out!

Really what this meant was that I had people to talk to me while I did school work. Eventually though, many of them joined in to help grade papers, write Disney letter replies, color, cut, do projects, etc. I think they will all remember the end of the school year candy ball!

Most people wanted to grade math facts and were excited when the kiddos earned a sticker! Even some of the guys would help. I especially needed help writing post cards pretending to be from Disney characters the students wrote to. We needed all the different handwriting styles we could get to make it more believable for them.

Some of the ladies got so involved with my school work and kiddos, they even came to my classroom at Open House time to see everything they’ve been hearing about all year. One of the ladies even made me curtains for my room to hang above the windows!

• 

• 

Once all the grading and work was done, then we could just relax and visit. Sometimes we would play Skipbo or Mexican Train Dominoes, or pull angel cards and do readings…until 10:00 when it was my “curfew” and had to go in. After all, it was still a school night.

Some nights we’d have so much fun, that I’d have to force myself inside and say to them, “You can stay as long as you want, but I have to go to bed.” And you know what, sometimes they did or just moved over to their place to continue on.

Sometimes I didn’t have any work to do, or I was just “done” for the day. Those were the nights I’d vent about school and usually have a good cry. It was a Wine Wednesday night that I decided to leave teaching the first time. I came home crying for the “last time” that day, and like always my friends were there for me and listened.

Wine Wednesday carried on when I moved back to Illinois for the year. 2,000 miles apart, we were still keeping the tradition. Except then, I thankfully had my Mama and old friends to get together with. Even that group of ladies wanted to help me with school work!

It ended up becoming a weekly tradition that is still carried on today. Whether it’s the “old gang” getting together, or a new one that has been created, you can always count on Wednesday’s being a nice break in the week. Even now, without girlfriends around, I participate in Wine Wednesday. Sometimes we talk on the phone, or video chat.

We would talk about everything, just like good friends do. Whether we were pissed at our husbands, or stressed at work, or their kids (adult children) were being little shits, it was all discussed and talked about until we felt better. I miss those days. Sure, my husband is great, but there’s something different about having your girls around. Cheers!