Last winter I read that my husband's favorite program, "Antiques Roadshow," would be in Spokane on June 6, the day before his birthday.

The distribution of tickets would be by lottery so I put my name in, thinking that would make a great birthday gift. An envelope bearing two tickets from the show arrived in the mailbox on my birthday and needless to say, Bert was over the moon with his early birthday present. Now the hunt is on through our decades of treasures to find something to take to the show for appraisal. I suspect that much of the stuff we've collected over a lifetime is simply stuff or things that have value that is more sentimental than saleable.

Thanks to Val Wilcox for offering an antique Asian opium pipe and Marlo Faulkner for suggesting her painting of Winston Churchill. Diane Wahl said if she'd have received tickets, her hammered bronze vases from the 1500s would have been her choice.

I'll let you know how it goes!

As we head into the first three-day weekend of the upcoming summer season, it's good to remember why Memorial Day is observed. In 1868, it was known as Decoration Day, a day to decorate the graves of Civil War soldiers. Now it commemorates American war dead through the generations. Take some time from the picnics and attend with your family one of many ceremonies being held in our communities on Monday.

At 9 a.m. Coeur d'Alene Veterans of Foreign Wars 889 will hold the veterans bell and wreath ceremony at the Third Street docks and in the veterans plaza at McEuen Park. Post Falls American Legion Post 143 will conduct ceremonies at Evergreen Cemetery at 10 a.m. and also at that time the VFW will preside over a ceremony at St. Thomas cemetery on East Sherman Avenue and at 11 a.m. at Forest Cemetery near the Civil War statue.

The City of Hayden's Memorial Day ceremony is at City Hall at 11 a.m. The City of Rathdrum hosts ceremonies at Pinegrove Cemetery at noon. At 2 p.m. the Marine Corps League's program and ceremony will take place at Coeur d'Alene Memorial Gardens on north Government Way.

I wish I had the names of every veteran volunteer from the VFWs, American Legions and Marine Corps League, Submarine Veterans, etc. who without fail organize and facilitate the ceremonies that honor our service members, to thank them personally. These citizens are passionate about remembering their fellow veterans and reminding all of us to do the same. Beyond Memorial Day and Veterans Day these citizens volunteer to provide the rituals each veteran deserves upon their passing - color guard, rifle guard, bugler and the respectful folding and presentation of the flag.

Signs of Spring in our corner of the world: Docks by the dozens being towed back to their summer homes and 10,000 red geraniums blooming at Coeur d'Alene Resort properties.

Happy Birthday today to Jeannie Steele, Heather Hart, Barry White, John Goedde, Shawn Nash, Tina Smith, Jana Hull and Lindsay Herbert.

Tomorrow, Jessica Bauman, Ruth Fullwiler, Jessica Capaul, Dick Epstein, KV Nelson, Pam Freeman and Carter Hamby celebrate the day of their birth.

On Friday, Kalil Barkie, Michelle Fehling Purcell, Fred Glisson, Ken Keast, Helen McFarland, Tasha Seath and Jonathan Larson put on their party hats.

Denise Durflinger, Margie McGaughey, Theresa Williams, Susan Ballinger, Joel Riner, April Needham, Steve Vick, Cathyanne Nonini, Elaine Pandolfi and Marlo Faulkner will be taking another trip around the sun on Saturday.

Wish sunshiney birthdays to Richard Wilson, John McHugh, Shirley Galloway, Adam DeLuca, Amy Moffat, Ruth Ware and Michelle Pfennigs on Sunday.

Memorial Day birthdays for Lori Moreland, Dick Haugen, Joyce Harwood, Kasey Short, Debbi Long, Brad Cederblom, Sara Houser, Justin Jaworski and Char Carstensen. On Tuesday, Fairel Wideen (70!), Jessica Lenz, Dorothy Montgomery and Rob Brickett will blow out the candles.

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.