Letter from the Editor Dear Friends: Every year I like to return to Illinois to visit my family. Usually I travel back solo around the end of May. Usually I’m there to celebrate the graduation of one or more of my two dozen nieces and nephews. Usually the best deal for flying is with United Airlines. This year was different. This year, my arrival to Illinois was on American Airlines on the morning of June 21 – the Summer Solstice. This year I had a companion, my friend (mentee) Kim Dornbush. |
 Kim Relaxing |
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I returned from Illinois last year, Kim had mentioned a few times about
going to Illinois with me on my next visit. I said that would be fine
with me as long as it was okay with her folks and she could pay for her
airfare. My sister-in-law Wanda came to Sequim for a visit in December,
2002. Wanda is used to teenagers. She and my brother Steve have nine boys,
four who are still teenagers, five who have lived through those years
and are now in their 20’s. While visiting here, Wanda met Kim and
her family so Kim had a renewed interest in going to Illinois with me.
Kim had only been on a plane once –
years before she was even a teenager. It was when her family flew to
their new home here in Washington. She had only been away from her family
once for more than a weekend. Last year, her youth group spent a week
in Idaho helping build houses. This year’s visit to Illinois was
going to be an adventure for her. |
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When
Kim and I get together it is usually for only a few hours at a time.
She is mature and most of the time, I don’t notice the years between
our ages. I was never blessed with children of my own and it’s
been quite a while since I’ve been a teenager myself. I got a
refresher course on teenagers during my nine days with Kim. It is said
you don’t know someone until you live with them. Kim and I learned
a lot about each other while in Illinois.
We spent two, or was it three, nights (not all in a row) with Donna & Gene (sister and her husband). The other nights were with Steve and Wanda (brother and his wife). Kim and I shared a room at both places. Kim’s
favorite pastime was — shopping! When Kim started to know where
to find things in a store, it was an indication she had been there quite
a few times. |
 Bloomingdales - the Icon for Shopping |
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SI Sequim |