Happy St. Nickolas Day!!

We want to wish all of our family and friends a very Šťastný Svätý Nicholas
deň from here in Slovakia!!  St. Nicholas is of course the patron saint of our town, (hence the "Mikuláš"), and this day is a very big deal here!  

There were foil-wrapped chocolate St. Mikulás candies in the gift
bag brought by our headmistress, to be put in our shoes on the window sill!  

I wish I had taken the camera to lunch at the basic school canteen today -- the cooks were all decked out in red St. Mikulás aprons and Santa hats -- so cute!!  And we each received a little plastic bag of "goodies" with lunch - a juice box, a clementine orange, and a granola bar.  :-)  A lot of kids were wearing Santa hats today too, and one class of little munchkins walked by our office window this morning, ALL wearing Santa hats and singing all the way to their P.E. class in the gym.  Absolutely darling!!  

Backing up to last night's party - it was a blast!!  We didn't have as big a crowd as I was expecting/hoping for, but it was a nice number, (around 20, though not all at once) and everyone really enjoyed themselves.  Tim and I will be eating leftovers for a while, and I already took some goodies to school to share today.   :-)  I tried to make different American foods that our friends haven't tasted before, such as chip dip (sour cream and dry veggie soup mix), party pickles, and meatballs with homemade BBQ sauce.  Then for desserts, thanks to ingredients sent by Grandma O. and Grammy F., we had Peanut Blossoms (Hershey Kiss PB cookies), Scotcheroos, almond bark dipped pretzels, good old fashioned chocolate chip cookies, and oatmeal apple bars.  

Tim with Jana (our Headmistress), Janka, Katarina, and Pastor Ferenčik.
Katarina and Janka came early and helped us with some last-minute things.  :-)  

Milka, Dasha, Vierka, Patka, and Rivi (with our little tree!)

The one thing we didn't expect with the party was that people all brought us gifts.  We knew that it's normal for visitors to dinner or something, but we were surprised with everyone's generosity just for a party.  Wow!!  Let's just say that Tim and I have discussed the Biblical parallels with the "Loaves and Fishes" story --- we ended up with cupboards overflowing with cookies, candies, crackers, nuts, honey, wine, some homemade apple streusel cake, and other nice food and gifts.  Holy Toledo!!  It seems like we should give another party to use everything, but the way things go here, we'd just end up with even more!!  Everyone is so kind and generous.  Either that or food multiplies on its own here!!  

Pastor F., Peter, Nadia, Milka, Danka, Vierka

Patka had suggested that Peter (a teacher) bring his drum and the school guitar, so people could play and sing.  Was that ever a terrific idea!!  Nadia and Peter both played really well, and everyone (except us) sang along to many Slovak folk songs - we loved it!!  Beth even got in on the party when she FT'ed in during the singing.  Then they wanted me to play too, so I had to cut my fingernails short and look up some chords and lyrics online.  HA!  Tim helped me sing John Denver's "Country Roads", which I was hoping they'd know, and yes, some sang along!! :-)  We also did a request - "O Little Town of Bethlehem".

Peter on the drum (literally, ON the drum - it is really a cool drum that's a box!)
Nadia singing and playing guitar, and Danka & Vierka singing along to Slovak folk songs!

Tim and Nadia --- she was playing (and sitting on) the drum while
Peter played guitar.  I seriously loved the drum!!  :-)  

After Tim and I cleaned up, put leftovers away, and rearranged furniture, I made up 3 plates of goodies to share with neighbors in our block of flats.  The first went to the young couple with a little 4-year old girl on our floor - she was dressed in a princess costume, and her eyes were dancing when we asked about St. Mikuláš coming.  Her shoes were all polished and set on the windowsill to be filled with treats by morning!  The second visit was to a lady on the first floor who speaks no English, but who always greets us with a smile when we are coming and going, and who gave us a lovely bag of plums this fall.  She was really pleased and invited us in to see her flat.  She showed us a little "shrine" of memories by her bed, and she got across that her husband is deceased and their son died in a car accident. We saw pictures of them both as well as of her parents.  And the final delivery was at our land-lady's flat, and she was already aware that the pastor had been to our party, as her husband had seen him come in.  LOL!!  Each of the recipients was pleased that we remembered St. Mikuláš Day by giving them sweet treats.  :-)   

Today at school was WILD!!  It was the school Open House for prospective students and their parents, and it was a super big deal.  Everyone was all dressed up, there were displays all over the school, and the building and hallways were packed all day with our students greeting the visitors.  Of course, we had some roles in the event just like everyone else.  There was a designated time when the American Lectors were interviewed, we helped out by signing the certificates of participation for the School4U activities by the Drama Club, and we had visitors in and out of our classes while we were teaching during the day.  We were impressed by all the organization involved!  

Some of the people in the auditorium for our interview session.  

Our official interviewer, Em, who did a terrific job - such a sweetie, and
with amazing English skills.  This Christmas Cactus just outside the
auditorium was gorgeous!!  

Part of the Drama Club presentation in the chapel.

Some of the visitors at the Drama Club "School4U" event in the chapel.

We happened to skype my folks tonight right about our supper time and their lunch time, so we ate together.  What a fun idea to have a meal together, just like we were all sitting around the table eating and talking in the same room!!  :-)  

Tonight I decided to make up some plates of goodies for the people at school who weren't able to make it to the party last night.  I don't really have the capability of doing what I do back home - delivering LOTS of individual Christmas goodie plates with 12 different kinds on each.  I simply don't have the freezer space or the containers.  So I'll just deliver treats as I make them, and hope the ones I'm saving for when the kids come, stay frozen enough out on the balcony!!  :-)   So I'll be carrying on the tradition in a different way this year.  

I always admire the artwork on the chapel walls when we are there for Teacher devos -
(especially during the sermon which is in Slovak) -
so I had this picture taken of us today after the School4U session.
We feel so blessed by God's tremendous love!!