A couple of weeks ago I turned 50. A longtime Valley girl, I graduated in ’76 from Mount Si High School and let me tell you, moving to Idaho and leaving my home, job and the people here who have made up my world has been a bitter-sweet decision to make. But, you know, when you’re young and in love you do crazy things.

Waiting for me in Sandpoint, Idaho, is another Mount Si class of ’76 graduate, Dave Jydstrup. We met up again at our 30-year reunion, exchanged e-mails and next thing you know I’m making this tremendous life change.

Now I’ll be a subscriber to the newspaper I’ve worked at for more than seven years, which has been a lot of fun. I’ll miss my co-workers and the many people I’ve met while working here. That’s been one of the major benefits of the job, sitting at the front of the bus as I do, being in on all the goings on and seeing and hearing the stories of newcomers, business owners and longtime Valley residents. I’ve loved being a part of our community newspaper and have seen lots of changes over the years.

I’ll miss my neighbors, one of whom I used to babysit and another whose dinner table I probably ate at more often than my own in my younger days. Quite a few of the people now living on North Bend’s Maloney Grove Road were there when I was a child – I like to refer to the road as my “hood.”

And I’ll miss my friends. Life isn’t always smooth sailing but my daughter Cassandra and I have been fortunate to have had help and support through the years from friends and “adoptive” family members. With a small farm, and especially when I had the bowling alley to run, I often had to reach out for help and will be forever grateful to those special people who were there for me.

Being self-sufficient is fine until an apple limb breaks and you need someone with a chain saw (which I hate using) to cut it up, or you’re cleaning your chimney and the brush gets stuck, or you’ve got a morning bowling league and half the pinsetters aren’t operating, or you need help with an injured animal, or your riding mower starts smoking after you’ve given it a tuneup, etc., etc. I wish I had a nickel for every time I’ve stopped to thank the powers that be that I live in this Valley and know the good people I do.

Though Sandpoint may seem far away – especially in the winter – it’s only five and a half hours and I plan on returning often to visit. (And if you’re ever in Sandpoint, look us up.)

So, thanks for the memories … here I go … wish me luck … I’m off.