Here’s to all of the snow blower and thrower heroes in our neighborhoods who not only manage the snow in their own driveways and on their own sidewalks but around the neighborhood. It’s been a sometimes twice-daily need to clear the snow from mailboxes and fire hydrants and from the berms that appear after the plows go by.

My husband puts in a second 8-hour day it seems, just blowing, throwing and shoveling around our house and at the mailboxes across the street. Wherever I’ve driven I see people doing similarly, coming to the aid of those with stuck vehicles or those who simply aren't able to do their own snow removal.

Sometimes it takes a little (or a lot!) of snow to remind us to love our neighbors and to just take life slower. Be good to each other, my friends.

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On Sunday, Bert and I did the hibernation thing. I finished a book I was reading, got dressed by early afternoon, puttered a bit, fed the birds and the squirrels and then just as the snow started to fall again decided to run downtown for a gallon of milk. I returned home with a 12-pack of Diet Pepsi, chocolate chip cookie dough and a pizza. About a half hour later Bert asked if the milk was still in the car. Nope. It was still at the store. I never dreamed I needed to make a list to remember a single item but it seems I do.

This happened to be just a couple of days after I left my phone at home and wanted to call my husband from the office but could not for the life of me remember his phone number. I only have to select his name from the contact list on my phone so have never committed the number to memory. I'm on a roll!

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Nick Borgaro and James Steffensen each bowled a 300 game in Monday Night Classic Scratch League at River City Lanes in Post Falls. It was a crazy eight kind of night for the duo, Nick rolling his 88th perfect game and James notching his eighth. Seriously impressive feat!

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I’m often asked how to have a name appear in Main Street birthdays. What started as an occasional birthday shout-out a couple of decades ago has grown to include more than a thousand best wishes annually to the newly-arrived, centenarians and everyone of every age between.

I’ve collected birthdays through the years that people send to me or tell me about and the sheer volume is sometimes a bit overwhelming, even with the help of an electronic birthday reminder program and in recent years the addition of Facebook.

Something that wouldn’t occur to readers is that I also routinely look through obituaries to see if someone who’s been included in the Main Street birthdays has passed away.

Sometimes a family member will contact me but more often than not, it’s caught in the perusal of the newspaper’s published obituaries. Not a foolproof method, as once or twice a year I wish a happy birthday to someone who’s no longer living.

If you’d like to add birthdays to this column, the best way is via email, mainstreet@cdapress.com. Similarly, if you’d like to remove a birthday, same method.

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Things to Do: Thursday, 5:30-7 p.m., Suicide Prevention Workshop and Presentation at the Kroc Center.

Friday is Music Walk, from 5-8 p.m. in downtown Coeur d’Alene.

Saturday from 8-10:30 a.m., North Idaho Christian School senior class pancake breakfast at the school. $5 per person.

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Happy birthday today to Kathy Kress White, Susan Thomas, Luke Gonzales, Tim Elder, Cora Cole, Amy Morfitt, Ivan Bosanko, Nathan Johnson, Jim Deffenbaugh (70!) and Cindy Mitchell.

Tomorrow Pat Russell, Mike Baker, Wendy Wallin, Debbie Oliver and Ryan Wichman celebrate.

JJ Dion, Joni Clevenger, Janice Myers, Mike Jorgenson, Karen Gage, Judy Manley, Tory Lee, Karen Holt, Teddi Johnson and Andy Irgens take another trip around the sun on Friday.

Teresa Wasileski, Addison Baltzell, Judy Eichelberger, Anita Weaver, Claudia Elliott, Jason Wereley and Jaden Alexander blow out the candles on Saturday.

Rex Grace, Gayle Erickson, Paula Laws, Betsy Anderson, Kelli Ormesher and Jim Roberge will celebrate on Sunday.

Kenny Peterson, Anita Millward, John Keener, Shelly Robson, Kelly Blaski, Charlie Kimball, Mary Mort, Nick Dimico, Bill Miller and Elaine Cook share Jan. 16 birthdays.

Eden Irgens, Michelle Martens and Charles Newman will have a slice of cake on Tuesday.

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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.