Ring in the season without the rage

When we had our first sticking snow a week or two ago I was pleasantly surprised at how cautious and courteous everyone was while getting acclimated to driving in snow on slick roads. And the week of Thanksgiving, while there was much hustle and bustle and traffic to be found in our communities, the driving public was patient and polite. I didn't shop any part of Black Thursday night or Friday and was busy socializing, so no Small Business Saturday shopping either (note: I subscribe to the philosophy of shopping local all year long!) So Sunday afternoon was my first foray into stores in Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene for a few gift items and Christmas decor. All was well until I was heading home on Appleway. A car pulled wide into the turn lane and I honked as it came into my lane, slowing down so the car could get ahead of me. The driver goes into the lane beside me as we come to a stop light. He rolls down his window, trying to get my attention so he could unleash verbal and visual gestures. This middle-aged man seemed to have taken all leave of his senses while his companion, looking mortified, pretended to be elsewhere. I waved him off, locked my doors and hoped the light would change before he did something really crazy. It did but it still left me shaking my head at the level of stress some folks are feeling these days. Take a deep breath and enjoy the season.

***In the "how time flies" category, I had a fabulous time at the Festival of Trees Senior Social. When I started emceeing in 2004, Ava and Ashley Yates and their cousins Ellie and Libby Morrisroe, at ages 4,2, 7,and 4 respectively, had not yet been born. But through the years as all of the girls - dressed in their holiday finery - have joined their grandparents, Dr. David and Kris Wold at the social, I've had great fun getting to know them and introducing them to the crowd. Last year I mentioned that they were all getting old enough to perform on the stage, they were certainly darling enough.

Well, the girls remembered my comment and spent months preparing a Christmas song and on Saturday made their Senior Social debut. What a hit they were! It was a multi-generational cheering section for the cousins as their great-grandmother Marie Knudtsen and grandmother Karen Yates were also in attendance.***

I love local authors and a just-released book by local private investigators would make a great Christmas gift. The Private Dick Diaries series by Erin Jenkins and Phil Thompson kicks off with Rules of Repo, featuring 18 short/true stories. www.privatedickdiaries.com

***Today is the birthday of Carol Kreighbaum, Kevin Ekness, Kathy Martin (60!), Kevin Kreig (60!). Thursday birthdays belong to dear friends of mine ... Marge Chadderdon and Chris Pappas. Friday birthdays will be celebrated by Brandi Halterman Hague, Hope Connally, Lois Holom, who's turning 60 and Wally Adams marking his 70th. On Saturday, Joyce Ekness, Carol Fairhurst, Sandra King, Jennifer O'Keefe, Sandy Clearwater will blow out their candles. Carrie Cook, Bob Brooke, Tina McWhorter, Dirk Fredekind, Doug Shevalier, Barry Corigilano will get their party on come Sunday. Sharing a Dec. 5 birthday are Jennifer McGrath, Anita Banta and Marna Bateman. On Tuesday Frank Henderson turns a youthful 89, Sam Clevenger hits 7-0 and Jennifer Hawkins and Hazel Day will celebrate another year.

***Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. She was voted Best Local Writer for 2010 by the readers of the North Idaho Business Journal. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri is on the air Mondays and Wednesdays on 1080 ESPN AM (KVNI). She can be reached at [email protected]