To Grandmother's House...

Morning walks to school became hard in November.  The sun was just over the horizon and shining in the eyes of the school children as they walked quietly down the dirt road.

Jean was trying to keep up with her brothers and sister, but they had longer legs and her bag of books was heavy.

She was excited to get to the little country school and see if Miss Marberg needed help. 

Jean knew Miss Marberg looked out for her because she was the only 4th grader in the one room school.  Jean has known Miss Marberg her entire life.  

It's an advantage and disadvantage of going to a school with one teacher for 12 grades.

Jean learned her fourth grade material, but also got to hear the 8th graders talk about United States History and the high school kids working on math.  She thought it was pretty weird to see x's and y's on the blackboard during math.

There was only today and tomorrow before everyone got some time off school.  Jean knew her dad and the other farmers around were counting on the boys to help harvest the corn and that their Thanksgiving dinner was depending on somebody shooting one of those big tom turkeys she saw in the trees behind the house.

As she walked in the front door, Jean noticed Ken, Mary, and Tom were visiting with their friends before class started.  She hung up her lunch pail on the nail with her coat and rushed to the front of the schoolhouse.

"Miss Marberg?"

"Yes, Jean, Good Morning.  What may I do for you?" came the gentle reply from the 32 year old teacher.  Rachel Marberg was as ready for a couple days off as the kids, but the fun she had planned would wait for tomorrow since every class was scheduled to take tests.

"I was wondering if you needed any help getting stuff started?"  Jean looked down at her shoes, she didn't like standing in front of the classroom, even if it was to have a quiet conversation with the teacher.

"Why yes, Jean, I do.  Could you wipe down the blackboard between the windows for me?  Then, if there's time please check the fire box to see if we need more wood brought in from the shed.  If it's less than half-full, please ask your brother Ken to bring in an arm's load of firewood."

Jean stood up as tall as she could, brushed her blonde hair to the side, "Yes, Miss Marberg.  Thank you."

Off in a flash, Jean found the step stool so she could reach the top of the board and put it in position before getting a damp cloth to clean the board.  Once the board was ready, Jean checked the firebox and quickly found her brother.

"Ken?  Excuse me, Ken?"

Her oldest brother looked down at Jean.  Her head was just up to his waist.  She didn't usually talk to him at school, so he bent down to look her in the eyes.

"What is it, birdie?"

"Miss Marberg asked me to check the firebox and it's almost empty.  She told me to tell you if we need more wood today."

"Oh, alright then, I'll go get some.  Nice job, Jean."  Ken patted her on the top of her curls as he reached for a coat and headed outside.

Jean's school desk was next to the window near the back of the room.  When she finished the math problems, she looked out the window and saw snow starting to fall.

She started thinking about what Daddy said last night at dinner about loading up the wagon and heading to Grandpa and Grandma's house for Thanksgiving dinner.  Grandpa and Grandma lived almost an hour away and she hadn't seem them in some time.  Mom was already planning on getting bricks near the fireplace so they could keep everybody's feet warm on the ride over the big river.

For lunch, Jean found a salted pork sandwich and a dill pickle.  Everyone had milk for lunch.  It was delivered yesterday by Mr. Johnson who brought five gallons to school every Monday and Wednesday morning.

Miss Marberg gave everyone ten minutes outside before starting class for the afternoon.  The high school kids were either finishing their term papers for English class or working on math problems.

Jean and the kids in third and fifth grade were reading a new book about a family who grew up in the Midwest and lived lives like she and her friends did in western Illinois.

After all the tests were handed in at the teacher's desk, Miss Marberg told the students Wednesday's class will be dismissed after lunch and the morning will be spent talking about the Pilgrims. Everyone received the same assignment, to write a list of the five things for which they were most thankful.

After Miss Marberg rang her bell ending school for the day, Jean went to the teacher's desk to sort out the scrap paper to be used to light the wood stove tomorrow.

On her way home, Jean thought about thanks.  She said thanks at the dinner table and thanks for gifts she received on her birthday and at Christmas, but as she walked home she wondered if there was more to the idea of giving thanks.