The last one

Dear Cuming County,

I left off my letter last week extolling your praises, and if I had stopped there, I would be leaving out so much.

I’ll miss being part of the West Point Community Theatre, helping make decisions as part of its board of directors and appearing on stage in performances (although I haven’t completely ruled this out ... it’s not that far from Lincoln to West Point).

I’ll miss being a TeamMates mentor. I was in the program for only one year, but even in that short amount of time, it made an impact on my life. I hope I made a difference.

I’ll miss being part of Elkhorn Valley Arts Unlimited and being part of a community of people dedicated to supporting the arts.

I’ll miss attending worship at Zion St. John Lutheran Church, the “singing-est” church I’ve ever known.

I’ll miss the Wisner News-Chronicle staff tremendously. Perhaps you don’t know, but the individuals who put out your newspaper each week are quite awesome. They are smart and hard-working professionally, and personally, they are some of the best people I know.

As I review the list of things I’ll miss, it’s clear that Cuming County is a special place, inhabited by exceptional people.

Since writing last week, many people have expressed their sadness at our moving, and I respond with “we’re not going to be gone forever.”

Cuming County, and Wisner in particular, is where my family went from being two to three, and then to four. It’s where Jim and I bought our first house and filled it with sweet memories. It’s where I spent some of the best years of my life, and so how could I possibly leave it for good?

Expect to see us for future Cuming County Fairs, WPCT productions and St. Patrick’s Day parades.

In the meantime, I’ll be starting my new job on Aug. 27 at the Nebraska Press Advertising Service in Lincoln. I’ll be the advertising assistant, and so in effect, I’ll still be working for the Wisner News-Chronicle ... along with the 174 other Nebraska newspapers that are Nebraska Press Association members.

And while I won’t have a weekly column anymore, you’ll still be able to read my work at Kirkhaven, my personal blog (http://alloneway.blogspot.com), or e-mail me at the.kirk.4@gmail.com.

This is harder to wrap up than I thought. I’m torn between excitement at the new adventure in our lives, and sadness at leaving this one behind.

So I guess I’ll close On the Lighter Side with a most sincere thanks to you all for reading my words. It’s been a blessing to me, and I hope it has been to you also.

All the best,
Violet

And just for funsies, here's a photo gallery of some of my performances at West Point Community Theatre. For the record, if my girls are a little on the dramatic side, I have NO IDEA from whom they get it ...

As Tiffany Houston in "Back to the 80s" {2009}

"Back to the 80s"

As Sheila Hussy in "Rustler's Revenge" {2009}

As Elaine Harper in "Arsenic and Old Lace" {2009}

"Arsenic and Old Lace"

"Arsenic and Old Lace"

As the Milkmaid, far left and four months pregnant, in "Oliver!" {2010}

As Kate in "A Pirate's Life for Me" {2011}

"A Pirate's Life for Me"

On the Lighter Side

Published Aug. 15, 2012