green ladies

I have been feeling pretty burned out about pretty much everything lately. Not depression, mind you, just a feeling of general blah-ness.

So what do our 4-H kids do at tonight's Awards Night?

After we finished presenting our awards to them, I was a little confused when the four current officers of the club stayed at the front of the room and took over the microphone.

They started out with some very nice words about how much they love the club, and how great it is and—I started to realize at this point that something big was going on—how much they realized that it wouldn't be the club it was without the effort of the leaders. They talked about how much they wanted to show their appreciation for us, and how hard they worked at coming up with just the right idea and keeping it a secret from us.

I was completely mystified, and turned to my LSH, who shrugged his shoulders. I couldn't figure out what they had done. Written a poem? Hired a singing telegram? One of the other leaders suspected they had booked us all in for a spa treatment.

It turned out we were way off base.

What they had done was buy us each a personalized 4-H corduroy jacket, with our names and "Club Leader" on the front pocket, and the name of the club and the 4-H emblem on the back. (Three of the four officers are FFA members, so they know all about the power of a corduroy jacket.)

Quite honestly, they blew us away.

Well, they blew three of us away. The fourth mom's son had put the charge (a substantial one) on his debit card, and she had seen the statement and promptly freaked out. He ended up having to 'fess up her, but she did a masterful job of not letting on to the rest of us.

We all agreed that our feet are right back in the fire. What choice do we have but to make the best club better, after such a gesture? They have us for the long haul!