Make these dog days of summer count
According to the Mayo Clinic, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons — SAD begins and ends at about the same times every year. What I didn’t realize it that it’s not just something that affects people in the dreary days of late winter, causing moodiness and lethargy.
Each winter, usually in February or March my husband will encourage me to “go find sun” to help me snap out of it. But something I’ve noticed and in talking with people this past week others have, too, is that August in North Idaho has become a stressful month for many.
And for the past several years the hottest days of our too-brief summer now include smoky skies that make it hard to breathe, cause eyes to burn and turn blue skies to brown. For those with school-age kids, the race is on to get vacationing in before school starts. For everyone, making time to get out on the lakes and rivers and into the woods for camping is now in the home stretch. There are more events than any three people could attend on any given day. Choosing what to do, which organization to support ... a real dilemma.
I’m making an effort to live in the moment in these last dog days of summer and stop looking at the calendar, which only reminds me of the break neck speed in which August already is going. My prescription? Go jump in the lake!
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Laura Little is a theatrical producer hailing from right here. This week she achieved a Broadway milestone that’s amazing. Her 2017 show, “Come From Away,” just cracked the list of shows to ever have reached 1,000 plus performances on New York’s Great White Way. How exciting to be in the company of Broadway greats like “Phantom of the Opera,” which opened on Broadway in 1988 and is still going strong!
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Purple Heart Day is observed on Aug. 7 and is a time for Americans to pause to remember and honor the brave men and women who were either wounded on the battlefield or paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives in service to America.
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Things to Do Highlights: Tonight is the Night Under the Stars dinner/auction to benefit Inland Northwest SIDs Foundation at Elk Point. 5:30 p.m.
Thursday is opening night of Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre’s musical revue, “Smokey Joe’s Cafe” at the Kroc Center, 7:30 p.m. Show runs through Aug. 25.
The Women’s Gift Alliance is sponsoring a free concert on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Jacklin Arts and Culture Center. Music Bridges Borders features classical and chamber music presented by student musicians from Mexico. Free admission.
Saturday, Kootenai County Farmers Market, Prairie Avenue and U.S. 95 from 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Also on Saturday, Rathdrum Mountain recreation area grand opening, hosted by the city of Rathdrum at 11 a.m. Barrett Road parking area.
Ales for Trails from 2-8 p.m. Saturday at McEuen Park to benefit the North Idaho Centennial Trail Foundation. Live music, craft beer and ciders from local and regional brewers.
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Happy birthday today to Bill Kinder, Cindi Wimmer, Greg Delavan, Bob Nonini, Billie Collins and Dan Dahl. 8/8 birthdays will be celebrated by Roberta Larsen, Sara Meyer, Jodi Anderson, Eli Yates, Jeff Humphrey, Ken McMeans, Virginia Griggs, Jim Hollingsworth, Jennifer Bokma, Heidi Phillips-Allen and Patty Collins. On Friday Anne Anderson, Joni Hay-Smith, Terry Morris, Jack Havens, Kyle Patterson and Christian Strailman celebrate the anniversary of their birth. On Saturday Jeff Grundon, Caryl Johnston, Sydney Sales, Jeremy Morris, Chelsea Cordova, Bonita Koontz, Tim Symons and John Hammon take another trip around the sun. Sunday birthday girls are Ann Seddon, Phyllis Berry, Erin Valente, Lisa Bell and Edith Uhl. On Monday Joe Paisley, Stacey Berger, Jennifer Pitts, Ed Collins, Claudia Hurt, Deena Krobath, Roger Saterfiel, Ronda Nash, Mariah Silva, Julie Hunt, Jennifer James and Nevaeh Witherspoon add a year to their age. George Gee, Mike Laverdure, Tery Garras, Michelle Coppess, Donna Flom and Bryan DeKeles are putting on their party hats come Tuesday.
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Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri can be contacted on Facebook or via email mainstreet@cdapress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kerrithoreson.