Home...

An environment offering security and happiness.
A valued place regarded as a refuge or place of origin.

Those of us who are fortunate, grow up. Some of us move away from home to begin new lives and find solace in new places. Some of us prefer the familiarity and comfort of our old surroundings and remain near where we grew up.

I grew up in Garden Valley, Idaho. It was the perfect environment to be a kid. Home was a small town with only a few telephones so if you wanted to call Boise, you had to drive to the Ranger Station or general store. We got 2 tv channels so it was a real treat when we visited grama in Boise and got to watch her channels. It was fun to visit Boise but it was also scary - we heard sirens which we never heard in Garden Valley. I was always glad to get home.

Naturally, we didn't have computers or video games, we had to use our imaginations. We lived in the Fish and Game cabin up Alder Creek and had virtually no neighbors. It was five miles down the hill if we wanted to play with our friends, and unless mom or dad were making a trip, we had to peddle our hineys on our bikes to get there - thankfully, it was all downhill. However we always knew we had to peddle back 5 miles UP the hill if we wanted to get home.

Now I call Hidden Springs home. I don't think I could ever move very far away. Elmer wants to retire near Grangeville in a little cabin - with a mule - where he can sit on the toilet and shoot a buck out of the bathroom window. Sounds appealing doesn't it? So, I guess someday, that's where we'll end up. But for now, this is home and the best part is that for the last 2 years, it's been my mom's home. My siblings have all moved away and made new homes for themselves, although thankfully, not entirely across the country.

Tomorrow, my sisters come home for a visit. They say "Home is where your heart is" I would add home means family, security, a place you are always welcome back to...

Can't wait to have you home sisters!