February in Review

Hello to March. It came in rather sneakily and I couldn’t be more glad to see it’s face. For some reason I can better tolerate damp dreary days when there are shoots of green appearing in our yard and no snow in the forecast for the next 10 days. My heart has begun to turn toward spring, and if you’ve followed my blog for a few years you know that the mere mention of the season about makes me giddy.

It turns out that February was a better winter month than January. Working at Kaffee has been a blessing in many simple ways. Learning new skills and challenging myself to be confident has been good, but I think what I am enjoying most about my job is the people I have been privileged to meet. There is one older gentleman in particular who has inspired and amazed me; we’ll call him Sarge. I was told that he truly was a drill sergeant at one time which seems ironic given his shorter stature, soft voice, and twinkling eyes. He comes in most days for a short cup of coffee, Black Velvet.

“Hello, A-drienne,” he says with an emphasis on the “A”. Sarge made an effort to remember my name and it’s obvious that he’s very intentional about connecting with other people who come to the coffee shop. Sometimes he’ll go over to the deli or bakery in IGA and grab a bite to eat, but really I think he just wants a reason to say hello to his friends over there. On several occasions he has met with people at the coffee shop and he likes to pick up their tab. Whether it’s a young couple sharing pictures of their trip to Africa or another man his age, or even an alcoholic who wanders in frequently, Sarge is sure to let people know they matter. It’s not surprising given a conversation we had last week about the importance of going to church. Friday as he was getting ready to leave I asked Sarge if he had weekend plans to which he replied “the most important plan for me is going to church on Sunday.” A widower of 8 or 9 years, Sarge moved to Mahomet soon after his wife’s death and said it took a little bit to find the church that was right for him but he likes the Baptist church up behind the gas station. He made sure I had a church I liked, too.

Talking with Sarge and observing his deep-rooted kindness has touched my heart. He doesn’t do it for his own glory, no. The other day he asked me to make two hot chocolates for the two Asians who make sushi a few rooms down from us. They are a quiet couple, usually avoiding eye contact. I gathered from Sarge that they don’t speak much English but he knows they enjoy hot chocolate. I made the drinks and set them on the counter as we usually do when they’re ready. After a bit he came and asked if they were ready and yes, they were, so he took them to his friends. Later he informed me that in the future if he asks me to make hot chocolate I can just deliver them myself that way they don’t know who is buying them. He preferred it to be an anonymous gesture. When I apologized for not delivering them that time he brushed it off. “You were busy,” he said. I easily could’ve done it.

Sarge is perhaps the one who has made the biggest impression on me during my month at Kaffee, but I have met so many kind and generous people there. Whether it’s parents treating their kid, kids treating their parent, friends catching up, or a group of men meeting for Bible study, Kaffee is a place where people gather. Experiencing a sense of community, meeting “Christians of Mahomet” I had never rubbed shoulders with before, and working for a believer are the greater benefit of the job. Free espresso drinks and the short commute are only pluses.

The first two weeks, during training, I was there 5 or 6 mornings a week, 3 or 4 hours at a time. The past two weeks I’ve been going Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings. Although Kaffee has taken the bulk of this post, it’s not the only thing keeping me busy in February.

We were able to make a trip up to Michigan the second weekend. Everybody but David was able to come to Jim and Maria’s. Thankfully the snowstorm that rolled in Friday afternoon wasn’t big enough to keep us from heading north. It snowed more on Saturday but was relatively warm which made for good skiing conditions. The first timers did great and by the afternoon we were going together on the bigger hills. Calvin held onto Maria’s poles and she would snow plow a little to keep the speed in check. At the bottom of the hill she’d let him coast it out and he thoroughly enjoyed going alone. I was glad that Seth first time on the slopes was a good one. He made a great lift buddy and I hope we get to do this together next year. Thanks to Jim for the photos:

The little man had a big day and was asleep on our short ride home. We are so glad he decided to come along!

On Sunday, Dad helped with the reading of the Memorandum in Alto. Then we came back and celebrated his birthday. I think he liked the cherry pie but I think he really liked playing game after game of Acquire throughout the weekend.

The Lehman clan left Sunday night but Seth and I stayed over til Monday afternoon. We had a relaxing morning around the house, soaking up time with the McCormicks. On the way home we stopped at Trader Joe’s and World Market in Grand Rapids. Seth surprised me and had me pick out a macrame plant hanger for our living room and then on Valentine’s Day we went into Champaign early before church to pick out a plant together. I’ve been wanting a plant hanger for a while and it was extra special to pick it out together.

The day before Valentine’s Day we didn’t have any plans in the evening so I had decided to make a nice dinner and eat in candle light. The only reason I had time to snap pictures is that Seth was running just a bit behind and I had been determined to be ready as soon as he walked in the door.

We’ve made a few trips to Indiana: once when mom served, once for Barbershop practice at Schambach’s. On the way home from one such trip the sky was just radiant!

I think it was only last week sometime when we woke up to find the trees laced in ice. It stayed that way all day. With the way the water froze it appeared as though the trees were perpetually dripping. A quick drive to Lake of the Woods was rewarding when I got to see some wildlife. In the big picture below you can see the deer staring at me from a distance.

I have been continuing at the stables. It’s one of those things that has been very rewarding at times but continues to be inconsistent and frustrating when I let my selfishness take over.

Now we’re in March and with the Easter season approaching there will be family gatherings and a church program. With spring on it’s way, I have high hopes that it’s going to be a great month. Wishing the same for you!