Sociable Jim

Well, maybe not to socialble. Breakfast this a.m. with brother John"s family -Jean, Mark, Lisa, Rosanna, after which we had a delightful slide show of photos taken during John and Jean's recent trip to the great southwest. It is good to see them home after more than a month of absence.

This afternoon daughter Annie with husband Bill came in and we went to dinner at the Golden Corral. Before that I made a necessary appearance at the Church as a long time couple celebrated a wedding anniversary, the birth of their daughter and the wedding anniversary of their, I think, grandson. After dinner I drove the 34 miles out to Joliet, MT for the 50th wedding anniversary of a long time collegue at Rocky Mountain College. Jim McDowell and wife Roberta (Bert) have been good friends for many years as Betty and I joined with them in a Faculty Bridge Club sometime ago. Jim tells me that he is on the schedule for next year, but does not yet have a contract. He believes that the new administration is trying to get older faculty to retire in an effort to cut the budget.

Many of the people present at the McDowell function were not only their children, but numerous Rocky Students who were also students and advisees of mine. It was great seeing many of them again. Bill Hope always tells me that I was the first person he met on campus. He showed up in the office and I was stitting there with my legs stretched out on the desk drawer. 'I'm Bill Hope" he said; and allegedly said to him: "Hello! Where have you been? I've been waiting for you." And that I had his file on the desk at the time. It is good to be long-time appreciated. Others greeted me warmly as an old friend and not as a former Dean or Administrator.

I didn't stay at many of these functions long, but it has been satisfying to have been in attendance.