Wrapping up Christmas with goodwill to all

Merry Christmas Day to all. Now we begin wrapping up the last week of 2024 while looking ahead to the promise of a new year.

Throughout this past year there have been many moments of gratitude ... for family, friends and community and the arrival of our first great-grandchild.

As Harry Bailey toasted in "It’s a Wonderful Life," “To my brother, George, the richest man in town!” I, too, feel rich in every way that matters.

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On New Year’s Day, I will continue my tradition of not jumping in the lake. The temperature of Lake Coeur d’Alene is just a few degrees above the water turning to ice. The air temperature will be right at freezing. So while I won’t be plunging, dipping, splashing or frolicking in the icy waters I applaud the insanity of those of you who seem to enjoy it.

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I think my age is showing ... at a recent appointment, the receptionist remarked that she thought my salt and pepper (mostly salt) hair was beautiful. I thanked her for the compliment and then accompanied the nurse down the hallway to see the doctor. As we were walking, the 20-something nurse said my hair really was pretty and she hoped that she had such thick hair when she got old. I had to chuckle since I believed she was giving a sincere compliment, not calling me old. Or was she?

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My longtime friend, Amy Tolzmann Warker, director of brand marketing for STCU, attended the Kootenai Health Festival of Trees Gala. While there she was introduced to Miss Idaho USA 2024, Kaitlyn Widmyer. When Amy mentioned that she was Miss Idaho USA in 1995, Kaitlyn said that was the year she was born. The still-stunning former Miss Idaho USA took it in stride, with a smile.

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Here’s to all of the public safety first responders, dispatchers, retail clerks, hospitality workers, delivery people, medical care providers and everyone who will be on duty through New Years weekend and who have spent the last week dealing with shoppers, revelors and the public in general. Take a bow, you’re the unsung heroes of the holidays.

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Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne

For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne,

we’ll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.

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Happy Main Street Christmas Day birthdays today to Bonnie Fossum, Patricia Kraus, Lisa Brown, Andy Crateau, Chuck Odd, Patricia Batchelder and Ron Raynor who share a birthday with Jesus. Stephanie Herman, Cherry Heitstuman, Tom Coit, David Adlard, Lisa Hoffeld, Roxanne Gunther, Lisa Herzog, Wendy Primm, Karen Tarr, Teri Burch and Elizabeth Anderson’s birthdays are the day after Christmas. On Friday, Marc Stewart, Linda Shaver, Jayson Cornwell, Ann Burg, Sandy Coleman, Butch Peacock, Doreen Irving, Ron Branson and Sally Hart. On Saturday, Sarah Kindler, Chris Holloway, Tim Heidecker, Sharon Cooper, Annie McCloskey and Lynda Thurman light the candles on their cakes. On Sunday, Jaime Johnson, Molly Shaw, Tammy Engen, Debbie Trimble, Kathy Baker-Grigg, Toni Capaul, Sheila Wayman, Connie Haggerty, John Martin, Rachel Pen and Jamie Rowen celebrate birthdays. Blowing out the candles Monday are Paul Gorringe, Glenn Jacklin, Gayle Jacklin Stegmann, Marsha Dornquast, Nona Rambo, Bryce Raynor, Ilene Moss, Kalia Baltzell, Diane Ahlers and Dave Dutro. New Year’s Eve birthdays belong to Cheryl Freeman, Shaun Leary, Sarah Chase, George Holcomb, Sandy Thompson and Crystal Dean. Happy New Year’s Day birthdays to Ron Jacobson, Ron Mills, Theresa Wild, Billy Newman, Jan Leaf, Kathy Edinger Dingman, Linda Jordan, Kevin Johnson, Steve Schiller, Johanna Johnson, Jessica Hammond, David Attridge, Dianna Owens, Holly Childers, Katrina Boyer, Johanna Johnson, Declan Jones, Cheryl Shepherd, sisters Shaun Williams and Shana Crimp, all celebrating the first Main Street birthdays of 2025.

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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 thoreson.kerri@gmail.com.