GOING NATIVE

Preparations have commenced for our trip to our Sweet Montana Home! In just nineteen days we will board an airplane and fly first to Denver, then catch a flight into Kalispell. Almost one year to the day since we purchased our little piece of heaven, Dave will FINALLY set eyes on it, in person for the very first time! I can hardly wait to see what he thinks since he has only seen pictures up to this point. He and I have had countless conversations, usually during our morning walks, about how we will spend those ten days. We will do some painting upstairs, take some deliveries, take a road trip to visit friends in Idaho, shop for some rustic furnishings, plan a "dinner party", visit Fresh Life Church in Kalsipell, hike in Glacier and make fires in the wood stove while we watch movies (specifically Westerns) in the Family Room at night. I have begun making various lists and lining up the septic tank guy to come out and inspect/clean the tank. I hate that those ten days will fly by!

The house has come a LONG way this past year but we still have more to do, mainly the upstairs. From the day we bought the house, I have determined that we give the place a name. The first time I brought it up, right after we closed on the house, Dave said,

"We have 1000 things to do on the house and that is about number 999!"

I have asked family members and friends for suggestions; the most creative so far comes from my Dad:

"NARNIA always winter never summer."

Last night I had a light bulb moment! I suggested to Dave that we give our place a name that relates to the region, specifically something that the Native Peoples that have been here long before the white man, might say. So, in all likelihood our place will have a name in the SALISH language, the common language spoken by North Western Tribes. I think we need to come up with a name and then have it translated into the Salish language, I won't be able to pronounce it but hey...it seems right!

Salish men on July 4th stand by tepees near St. Ignatius Mission, Flathead Reservation, Montana, 1903