Turning Disaster Into Celebration

We heard from a dear reader, Kathy Higgins, who told us in a cheerful voice that she was out of power for two weeks during the ice storm. Trees crashed all around her and one even crashed into her home. Another one pulverized their car. Was Higgins complaining on the phone? Heck, no.

She told us that the tree that crashed through the home will be the family’s Christmas tree this year. Her husband, who is the shop teacher at Lewis and Clark, fixed it up as a Christmas tree (it had lost all its branches). She hung 50 raccoon ornaments on it and there it is, sitting pretty in their home.

It didn’t surprise us that Higgins, who is a cancer survivor, would have this attitude or turn semi-tragedy into a celebration.

But her uplifting story made us think of this question. Did those of you who have survived tough stuff - such as illnesses, the death of a loved one - have an easier time during the ice storm? Did the earlier difficult times made you hardy? Let us know.

Cool stuff: We don’t usually use this space to promote a person’s products or businesses because there are so many good ones out there. But we must make an exception here. Jan Kruger, who owns Jan’s Designs in the Spokane Valley, makes journals and “dream books.” They are beautifully crafted and unique. And since we’re always touting the merits of journaling, one of Jan’s books might just nudge you in that direction in 1997!

Be neighborly: Neighborhood Accountability Boards make sure that young people who are walking down a path of crime have a chance to stop before it’s too late. They see the young people arrested for the first time for things such as shoplifting and possession of alcohol.

Board members talk to the juveniles about how their actions affect the entire community and then they oversee their payback to the community in the form of classes and community service.

If you’re looking for a place to volunteer in a new year, this one truly helps young people. A training session starts Jan. 6. Call Susan Cairy at 458-2469. , DataTimes