Season of joy and thankfulness
Big doings in Coeur d’Alene this weekend with the Christmas Lighting Parade, holiday lighting and fireworks over the lake on Friday night and the kick off of Kootenai Health’s Festival of Trees events. The Coeur d’Alene Carousel is open on Friday from 1-5 p.m. And you’ll want to be sure to see sisters Ellen Travolta and Margaret Travolta, along with Molly Allen, in Christmas Miracles, opening on Friday at the Coeur d’Alene Resort through Dec. 22. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in our little corner of the world!
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Speaking of Kootenai Health’s Festival of Trees, there’s been a change with the Saturday Social Brunch and the Monday Fashion Show Luncheon of years past. This year those two events have been replaced by the Festival of Trees Holiday Luncheon at The Resort on Monday. All of the beautifully decorated trees to view and a special holiday cabaret from Laura Little Productions. I’ll be back on stage emceeing with Eve Knudtsen and will make an effort to be fashionable and promise not to sing.
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Random holiday week musings ... As I demonstrate every year since I was a little girl and now to the delight (chagrin) of my daughters and grandsons, you are never too old to stick black olives on your fingers at the Thanksgiving dinner table. And the unglamorous cold I brought home from Paris is lingering so I’ve decided to name it Pierre. With any luck at all Pierre will NOT be attending the Festival Holiday Luncheon with me.
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Why shop local? Local businesses pay local taxes, provide paychecks, donate and contribute to organizations and events throughout the year. If not for local businesses, who would be donating to the auctions, raffles, scholarships, grad night parties, senior centers, charitable causes, youth sports sponsorships etc., etc.? This Christmas season let your gift giving pay it forward in our communities ... SHOP LOCAL on Saturday and every day!
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Happy Thanksgiving Eve! A favorite quote that’s particularly appropriate in this season of thankfulness ... “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” — John F. Kennedy
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Things to Do Highlights: Free Community Thanksgiving Day meal at the Lake City Center served from noon - 2 p.m. Thursday.
The Hayden Senior Center Holiday Bazaar on Saturday from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 1 the Trail Maniacs hold their annual Ugly Sweater Run, starting at Daft Badger at noon and benefiting the St. Vincent de Paul H.E.L.P. Center.
Tuesday, Dec. 3 the 3Cs Coeur d’Aleers present “Jingle Joy,” a free community concert at Trinity Lutheran Church in Coeur d’Alene.
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Happy birthday today to Rocky Shaver, Sue Hutter and Bob Eachon. Tomorrow Katie King, Cody and Tristan Webb, Breanna Joyner and Judy Dahl will share Thanksgiving birthdays this year. Friday Carol Ann Eachon and Jodine Spry are the birthday girls. Kevin Ekness, Larry Quimby, Carol Kreighbaum, Raine Solberg, Carolyn Walker, Shirley Thagard, Kevin Krieg and Cindy Scinto take another trip around the sun on the last day of the month. The first day of December will find Chris Pappas, Marge Chadderdon, Jay Bremner, Emily Castle and Connie Price putting on their party hats. Tuesday birthdays will be celebrated by Brandi Hague-Little, Hope Connally, Lois Holom and Wally Adams.
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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.