Journeys

Annie's taking her rental car back to the airport and checking in. Bill will bring her back for some breakfast and an anticipated morning visit with Willie and Debbie. We'll drop her off for her flight back to Seattle about 10:30.

Then, we'll go visit some friends here before heading home. David is an executive with Boise Co., while his wife Betty heads the Idaho Forest Products Commission. Betty has some good-looking tomato plants (including one from New Zealand), which we'll take home to put in the ground. We're also delivering some to a mutual friend, Mike Boeck.

It's been a good weekend. Three BSU graduates in the family now will, no doubt, have some fun bantering with all the U of I grads. Word around the picnic yesterday was that Debbie will be moving to Spokane in June, so we're anticipating that Willie will be moving there with her. Life will change for all major family entities---the Mom and Dad Loves, Mom Williams and Grandma and Grandpa in Boise.

But life moves on, and who knows where the next adventures will take all of us as we follow the paths of these wonderful kids. So far, it's been a fun and pride-filled journey.

While staying here at the Residence Inn, I've enjoyed getting to know a young woman from Sudan who works downstairs in the continental breakfast kitchen. Talk about a life's journey. She moved here five months ago to join her brother who came in 2000.

Her name's Kalina; she has a baby and plans to work enough to earn money to attend college here. She says there are no plans to go back to her home country with its war, so she's moving forward and enjoying her new life in the United States.

Actually through an internship, Debbie has worked with a family here in Boise who came here because of another war; this one, in Bosnia. She's hoping to do the same type of work when she moves to Spokane with her multi-ethnics studies major.

Only three students among the thousands that graduated during BSU's 75th commencement yesterday chose this major; Debbie's best friend Alicia is one of the three. She'll take her training on to Seattle where her fiancee, Andrew, works for Boeing.

And, so, the journeys continue for our little circle of friends, family and new acquaintances. We've got a long one ahead as we point the Jimmy northward up that infamous goat trail. I don't know how much bike riding I'm going to do today because it's pretty soggy looking outside.

All in all, this weekend has taken us on some fascinating side trips filled with great memories.