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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Welcome Home! Welcome Home!

Pia K. Hansen Home Editor The Spokesman-Review

Time flies when one is among friends, doesn’t it?

Here at Home we just can’t quite believe it’s been a year since we put out the first section.

But it’s true: We are turning a year old on May 12, so we’ve made this issue our official birthday issue. Yes, we are having cake today.

And what a year it’s been.

Remember the chain-saw artist who was carving a lighthouse out of a dead tree?

There was also the woman who had hundreds of string holders collected in her home.

Or, how about the man who had turned his back yard into a miniature train track?

There was also the family who had chickens – and therefore fresh eggs – in their back yard.

And there was the woman who turned her passion for good soap into a booming business.

Not to mention the Italian and the Californian, who merged dreams and cultures and opened a catering business on Mount Spokane.

We’ve been around, all right.

A personal favorite was the marble collector (I’m sure he’s heard all the jokes) who had thousands and thousands of marbles.

During this past year, we have peered into koi ponds, marveled at roses, followed remodeling projects, walked miles of garden paths, rummaged through yard sales and listened carefully to your tales of success and occasional failure.

We’ve written about a geodesic dome home, apartments, a straw-bale house, downtown lofts and an RV park. We’ve given you grass-growing advice, shown you how to start this summer’s flowers from seed and given you warm ideas for Valentine’s Day.

One week we told you how much a circa 1950 Ansco camera kit was worth ($50). Another week it was a German-made Hertel Schwab baby doll, which came in at more than $300.

And who can forget the 1950s “elephant with sailor hat” cookie jar that’s probably worth $200?

And we are in no danger of running out of stories any time soon.

Which leads me to you, dear readers: Every week we hear from you, and I can’t tell you how much we appreciate every call, note, e-mail and photo.

Sometimes your story makes the section, along with pictures of your project or plants, and other times it’s your phone call that gets us going on an altogether different idea or plan.

We are so grateful for your comments – even when you tell us that we’ve made a mistake – and we look forward to emptying the mailbag every week.

Here’s a heartfelt thanks for all your support, from the staff at Home.