I am greatly worried about the fate of the little country of Georgia. As most of you know, I visited there twice under the auspices of The Friendship Force. I stayed 2 weeks in 1990 in the home of the Meskhidzes, Tengis and Ada and their daughters Eka and Lika. Georgia was still under Soviet rule. I spent another week in 1998 after "freedom," staying with the family of Malkaz Dolidze, his wife Tamara (Dod0) Kezeli, and their daughter Nino. I have been able to be in touch with all these lovely people sporadically. Fortunately, some speak English and I have been trying eve since to learn Russian. (Sidebar comment: Russian is greatly out of favor now.)

In the past 15 or so years, Georgia has been supported and encouraged by the West. The current president, Michael Saakashvili, is US-educated. Russian has taken a dim view of all this. A few years ago Russia embargoed Georgian wine and sparkling water, both major exports. There was a messy period in the early 1990s when some areas thought they would be better off aligning with Russia. This is the root of the current hostilities.

The people of Georgia I have met are well-educated and, like us, want to raise their families, have decent jobs, and live in peace and freedom. The country could become a great tourist destination. The Caucasus Mountains are like our Rocky Mountains. The people are hospitable to a fault, and the Black Sea forms the western border.

The similarities between us was apparent in my first visit. Tengis and Ada are my age and the their daughters the ages of my children. To host me and my companion was a huge undertaking. Their apartment was small (about 600 sq.ft.), and they did not have a car. But they were rich in friends and kin. Dick and I would have done the same for our children if the situation had been reversed.

Maybe this post will be a small addition to the major story that is unfolding.