VICKI NICHOLS
ACROSS
THE FENCE
By
Arvord Abernethy
April,
1981
I
had heard that they were having a Children’s Story Hour at the
Hamilton Public Library, but it was really revealed one Tuesday morning
a while back when I happened to be in the library just as the hour was
breaking up.
There
was a host of happy pre-schoolers and their mothers, chattering and
checking out books. I asked Mrs. Robinson, the librarian, who was
responsible for such an enthusiastic program and she told me that Mrs.
Nichols of Shive was the leader.
I
called Mrs. Nichols and told her that I would like to learn more about
the program, so I listened in on part of the story last Tuesday.
I
met Mrs. Nichols, Vicki, as she is known, and found her to be a little
dynamo of energy, ability and love for children. Her past experiences as
a teacher of children has well equipped her for this story telling
project. When asked why she wanted to undertake such a program, she
stated that she felt that it would be great for children to learn that
books can be interesting and that books can be one of their best
friends.
She
told of a very shy boy she had in a class before she came here. It was a
long time before she could get him to respond in any way, but she
finally broke the shell he was encased in and he became a responsive
boy. She felt that helping that one boy was worth all the effort that
she had put out.
Mrs.
Nichols also wanted to do something in community life that would put her
in contact with other young mothers. The Nichols have two young sons;
I’ll introduce the family to you a little later.
Vicki
told a story this week of a man in
Paris
,
France
. She got the attention of the children with a little hand puppet and
she had him speaking French, as she wanted the children to learn other
languages are spoken around the world. She later told me that she hoped
that none of the mothers there spoke French as hers might not have had
the right sound. As the story unfolded, boys and girls sat close around
her on the floor, all eyes and ears, as Vicki went from page to page
telling the story and showing the pictures.
About
once a month, she entertains the children with a puppet show. On these
days, the largest group of children attend, as often the day care
mothers bring the children they are keeping. She is planning now to give
a Valentine puppet show on February 10th.
Vicki
would be glad for other mothers to bring their pre-school children to
the story hour. If you would like to know more about the program, you
might call Mrs. C. E. Nichols at Shive or Mrs. Lydia Robinson at the
Hamilton Public Library. I visited the children’s room at the library
and found it full of books for every child from little tots on up
through the elementary grades. Regardless of what age you are, you
should drop by the library some day and browse around; you will find
something you like.
If
you have the opportunity, please meet the Nichols, Clifford, better
known as Kip, is a native of
Houston
and is a geophysics consultant. Vicki is a native of Ozona and she met
Kip in
Harlingen
where she was teaching with Kip’s sister. He had just returned from a
term of service in
Vietnam
.
After
their marriage, the Texaco Company sent them to
West Africa
for about a year and a half, and then on to
Indonesia
. After returning, they lived in
Houston
, but it had long been their dream to live in a more rural area, so they
bought a house in Shive right on the “corner of
Main
and Broadway’ and they also bought the old Wagner farm across the
corner. Vicki has an uncle living near Evant, Alex Applewhite, and he is
running some cattle on the farm.
The
Nichols have two wide awake sons, Clifford is now four and Derek is two.
They attend the
First
United
Methodist
Church
in
Hamilton
and are finding
Hamilton
County
a great place to call home.
Shared by Roy
Ables
ACROSS THE FENCE
