I will be your friend...

It was 1984, I was in first grade...

Ms. Lutze was my teacher. I went to St. John's Eve. Lutheran School in the very small town of Lewiston, MN. In Miss Lutze's class there were, oh maybe, 25 students... this included both the 1st and 2nd grade classes. All combined in one room.

It was during those early years in school that we, as a class, were supposed to be expanding our ability to "sit still and pay attention!" Of course none of us understood that we had any problem doing exactly that.

And if you, like me, can remember the 80's, you'll remember these! They are still around, but back then they were the newest thing to hit the market. All the kids had them. Parents thought it was the lazy way to teach your kids how to put their shoes on - but, they bought them for us anyway, probably because it WAS EASIER... even though they didn't want to admit it.

One thing I will never forget about Miss Lutze was she hated the sound of velcro shoes. She couldn't stand it if her life depended on it. She would give us fair warning to not so much as touch our velcro shoes or we wouldn't get our recess. And, now that I'm an adult, I get that... but as a kid no one understood.

The reason all these memories are in the forefront of my mind right now is because....

I also remember the first time someone read Charlotte's Web to me and it was, you guessed it, Miss Lutze. She would have us sit in the ever so famous "Jesus Circle" - which was a semi-circle that wrapped from one side of where she was in her teacher's chair to the other corner. And if we were really good and left our velcro shoes alone, she would reward us with a chapter!!

Can you remember...

You can imagine Wilbur's suprise when, out of the darkness, came a small voice he had never heard before. It sounded rather thin, but pleasant. "Do you want a friend, Wilbur?" it said, "I'll be a friend to you. I've watched you all day and I like you."

"But I can't see you," said Wilbur, jumping to his feet. "Where are you? And who are you?"

"I'm right up here," said the voice. "Go to sleep. You'll see me in the morning."

(p. 31, Charlotte's Web, E.B. White)

***note, I am aware that I probably didn't reference this with correct MLA, APA, or Chicago format... I'm not in college anymore and who really cares anyway ;) ***

I feel so lucky to have found a used copy of this recently at a thrift store. I paid $2.00 for it but the memories that I am storing up of me reading this to Anna and Forest are, like the commercial says, priceless.