My husband and I went to the Christmas Cabaret at the Coeur d'Alene Resort last night and had a wonderful time. It was a reminder of days gone by - times spent with family at the kitchen table talking and eating good food, all in the absence of BlackBerrys, iPads or cell phones.

We often get so busy these days we forget about the little things in life, like the ones who are there by our sides in good times and bad. I have been so fortunate to have met so many wonderful people in my lifetime. I remember Mr. Jurist, my guidance counselor in high school, who helped me get into college when I was so sheltered and had only known our tiny town on the ocean. He and his wife had me over for dinner, and I still remember sitting at their kitchen table, talking about possibilities and dreams that I had of going to college and becoming a nurse.

I wonder if he knows how he impacted my life? No one in my family of eight kids had even considered going to college, but I just knew there was more out there in life for me. My counselor encouraged and helped me each step of the way to move beyond that tiny town and reach for my dreams. I went on to become the nurse that I had talked about that night and attended college, where I met my husband of nearly 30 years. I have had a blessed life in part due to that counselor, who gave me love and encouragement when I needed it most.

I try every day to give back to others as people like my counselor gave to me. Whether it's teaching someone to knit or participating in one of the many projects we support through our store, giving is always a blessing. This week, we're finishing up hand-knit red scarves for a project that gives them to foster children as they leave the system and begin their lives as adults. We hand-knit these scarves with a little love in every stitch to let them know that there are those of us who do care about them and want them to reach for all that life has to offer. We are also involved with Project Linus, which gives handmade hats and blankets to babies in need.

If you would like to give knitting a try, we offer classes that will get you started. We've had many mothers and daughters come and learn to knit together. If you are the person who says, "I could never learn to knit," then I would ask you a few questions. Are you willing to practice? Do you think you could practice learning two basic stitches? Do you really want to knit? If you answered "yes" to the questions above, then we can teach you to knit. It's that simple. For those of you who don't knit, we have really nice warm socks, hats and scarves for these cold winter days. Come on in and give the gift of warmth to someone you love, and have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

In case you have not heard about us, Alpaca Direct is a direct merchant of high quality yarn, socks, apparel and gifts. We carry a full line of fiber art accessories, including hundreds of needles and thousands of yarns. Our unique selection of products also includes Peruvian alpaca sweaters, hand-loomed lace scarves, warm alpaca socks and cuddly alpaca teddy bears.

Our building is easy to find, and handicap accessible with ample parking. We are located just two blocks west of Highway 95 in Hayden.

Our store is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Visit us at 1016 W. Hayden Ave. or online at www.AlpacaDirect.com - your local destination for luxury yarn, apparel and gifts. "Like" us on Facebook and Yelp for exclusive coupons, product spotlights and news!

Kelley Hobart, RN, is the owner of Alpaca Direct.