Willie-Debbie Daze, 1 ripe tomato and a birthday girl

They're sleeping over there in Annie's room, which will serve as the main guest room unless we get a houseful. Extra guests will filter over to where I'm typing in the office/bedroom, and if even more come, they can pitch a tent or snooze in the new-old motorhome, which got a lot of press at the Brown family reunion. Thanks to my cousin Sue Skelton, we've come up with a name to be scrolled along the side of the new old motor home: C'mon, baby, you can make it, you can make it!"

Now, that name will have nothing to do with guests who might be doing anything with the beds inside the RV; instead, it evolved out of Bill's well-documented trip up the Sand Creek hill enroute to the Schweitzer Conoco when the clerk inside figured a little cheerleading would get that belching new-old motorhome to the top of the hill. It got there and it's dealt with a few other potholes and attained some notable pinnacles since then. Regardless of its road record, the RV can also serve as a back-up for company overloads.

Back to that bedroom across the hall. It's occupied by Willie and Debbie. As we drove home from our Brown family reunion yesterday, we stopped off at Spokane Airport to pick up my son and his wife who had just attended Debbie's ten-year class reunion from Boise High School. They're going to spend a few days up here relaxing and enjoying the new place.

When she returns to Boise, Debbie will be finishing up at one job and starting a new one as a regional marketing and membership director for the Girl Scouts of America. She learned Friday that she'd been chosen for the job, which will cover either the Treasure Valley or Eastern Oregon. It will be quite a switch from her present position of working with juvenile delinquents, so we're all happy for her.

In other Lovestead news this morning, I discovered that during our 36 hour absence, one tomato, planted from Burpee seed earlier this spring, has led the way in color transformation. It looks like we might just pluck that tomato from the vine before Willie and Debbie head back to Boise. I can't wait. There's nothing better than the first bite of homegrown tomatoes during any given summer.

This week also is filled with expectation as we look toward Saturday and my mother's 85th birthday. She went with us to the reunion (provided her fancy new car for transportation, in fact) and enjoyed a lot of reminiscing with George and Rita Waltho and Don Skelton, whom she's known through family for well over 60 years. Mother delighted in telling Don's daughters stories of Nazareth where she and Mary Jane Skelton attended college, and it was obvious that the Skelton sisters lapped up those tales with intensified interest since their mom had passed away two years ago.

Mother definitely does very well for an 85-year-old; as usual she was a trooper at the reunion which lasted well into darkness at the Rimrock near Ephrata Saturday night. She was also more than proud to tell all the reunion folks about riding her horse as recently as this past Mother's Day. Maybe she'll do the same as part of her celebration this Saturday.

We're still working on plans for the big day, but I got to thinking this morning, that I could use my blog followers and encourage a birthday-card writing campaign. Maybe if she'd receive 85 birthday cards, we could keep her really busy this week. So, if you know my mother Virginia Tibbs or even if you don't but would get a kick out of sending her greetings for this monumental day in her life, drop me a line and I'll send all authentic correspondents her address. The more the merrier.

I'm looking forward to a fun week, with those kids here, that homegrown tomato waiting to be plucked and the big birthday bash for our family matriarch and good friend.