Are We There Yet?

The kids and I are getting ready to drive to Oregon.

In odd-numbered years, my mother's side of the family, the Bergs, organize a family reunion. The family gathers in Birkenfeld, OR, on the 800-acre farm where my mother grew up and where here brother lives now.

It's beautiful up there, and in contrast to most of the families with children we know, we love to drive, even without a DVD player in our car.

It was in 2003, two days after we returned from the last reunion, that Steven started showing the worrisome signs that led us to discover the tumor in his head. How blessed we are to have him with us and to have the opportunity to make this trip and see our extended family again.

When Steven was in Memphis getting chemo, my father promised him he'd arrange a fishing trip to Montana and teach him to fly-fish. My father and my brother are accomplished fishermen, unlike Steven's mother.

So after we leave Oregon, we will drive to Coeur D'Alene, Idaho where Doug will fly in and meet us and Steven, Sean and Doug will attend a fly-fishing school for two days.

With their new fly-fishing skills in hand, we will drive to Montana to meet up with my parents and my brother Arnold for some real fly-fishing on the Big Hole River.

The kids are very excited and so am I, despite the deplorable state of my fishing skills, I dearly love the out-of-doors.

Just so long as chicken livers aren't involved...

- Kathleen