Tuesday Twitterdeedum

I noticed the beginnings of daylight this morning while walking out to get the papers AND it wasn't any later than usual. Good signs, I say. I've also heard "CHEEEEZE BURGER" birds singing their lovely tunes.

The sounds and the light are coming back, and that is always a good thing in the north country. Some sounds have actually remained through the winter. Those would be coming from the squirrels.

They've had an easy time of it, and they've been keeping our Border Collies busy almost every day in that line-up of spruce trees between our place and Meserve's.

In fact, the dogs have been feeling pretty comfortable spending more and more time on the other side of the fence, following squirrel chatter and maintaining stare-downs with the little buggers in the trees above them.

I guess it's okay that they're over there, but I'm betting when Bert Wood's cows return in the spring, they'll be staying on the Lovestead side of the fence.

After all, it's electric.

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My visit with Marc (now I know his correctly spelled name) Hujer was fun yesterday. He came to the Lovestead. We chatted for a while here, and I handed him a fresh-baked brownie and a computer copy of the story I wrote about Sarah Palin and her Sandpoint Hospital nurserymates from February, 1964, Tom Albertson and Joe Parenteau. He was thrilled to have that.

What really excited him, however, was last Friday's Cedar Post. ASIDE: Cedar Post, just yesterday established itself on Facebook, if anyone who's a Facebooker is interested in befriending the newspaper.

I showed Marc the feature story written by the young lady after her interview with Sarah when she came to Sandpoint for her book signing.

Marc followed me to the Samuels Store, and like most folks, was pleasantly surprised with the lovely restaurant inside. We talked for about half an hour, and then he headed off for Coeur d'Alene.

Marc made a point of hurrying back from a meeting in Coeur d'Alene to meet Willie and pick up his own copies of the Cedar Post. He met the school principal and even Tom Albertson. Afterward, Marc even said he may come back to Sandpoint to meet the student author of the Sarah Palin story.

I told Willie that it's experiences like that which make teaching so exciting. I'd give anything to see the expression on the young reporter's face when Willie informs her that a political reporter from Germany is excited about her work.

Willie made a point of stressing a quote in the story by Sarah Palin that said something to the effect of "Be proud that you've grown up in a small town."

And, that seems to be precisely the focus of some of Marc's research. He asked me several questions related to the "small town" of Sandpoint. I also think he's already established his own love affair with this area after just a couple of days here.

From Sandpoint, he was headed back to Washington, D.C. where he's covering another story for Der Spiegel.

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Yesterday's events inspired me to search Facebook to see if my journalist friend Barbara Sofer is a member. Sure enough, she is, and it will be fun to check her wall because she includes her travels around Jerusalem. Pretty cool.

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I wanted to mention that Molly Klein of Sandpoint would appreciate your prayers this week. Two sets of Love couples (Willie, Debbie, Bill and me) visited with Molly and her parents, Jim and Cheryl, Sunday night.

This Thursday, after several chemotherapy treatments, Molly, who's 25 and a flight attendant for Continental Airlines, will have a tumor removed from her leg by surgeons at the University of Washington. The hope is that with chemo reducing the size of the tumor and some post-operative chemo, Molly can return to her normal life.

To say Molly is vibrant would be an understatement. To say she is funny would be an understatement. To say she leaves a positive impression everywhere she goes would also be . . . yes, an understatement.

This young lady, who's as self-deprecating as they come, entertained us for two hours with her stories of dealing with cancer and taking on life in general.

We all felt our two hours spent with Molly the other evening was a special treat, and we're all pulling for her and her staff of caring medical experts that all will go well.

When this is all over, she wants to become a doctor herself and maybe work with Doctors without Borders. For now, and all through her cancer treatments, she's been volunteering at Seattle Children's Hospital.

Jim and Cheryl have many reasons to be proud.

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I guess that's it for today. I know there are lots of other things floating through my mind on this brisk morning, but I'll just leave them to fester and head on to do the barn chores. Happy Tuesday.