Q. I plan to install a concrete patio during my vacation. It’s going to measure 14 feet by 30 feet. I’ve watched lots of online videos and paid attention to cable-TV shows and now feel emboldened. What can go wrong and how much help do you think I’ll need. I’ve never done a job like this and feel it’s doable. What advice can you add to the mix? – Ronnie S., Tyler, Texas A. This question reminds me of the can’t-fail spirit I relied on early in my career when I tried to do something new. It’s important to remember that back then there were no online videos or cable-TV shows to instill a dangerous sense of bravado.

Where to celebrate 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing this summer

Take any PET or PETE (Polyethylene terephthalate) plastic bottle and melt it with a heat gun and then add texture with a soldering iron. The results are reminiscent of blown glass and certainly a lot of fun to make.

Find creative ways to keep the pests away from a flourishing garden.

I am apparently the only one in this house who knows where my oldest son set down the deck of cards he’s been using for tricks the past two weeks. I’m the only one the second-grader wants to play board games with even though I have provided him with five other siblings just for this purpose.

As you see the moonlight shine down and illuminate the night sky, remember that this night light wouldn’t be possible without help from the biggest object in the solar system – our sun.

For some, the idea of spending a lazy summer day at the beach or cabin with a good book sounds like heaven. But for a lot of kids, “they think of reading as a chore they have to do at school,” said Gwendolyn Haley, a public services manager for the Spokane County Library District.

A new study finds shortening hours for doctors during residency training hasn’t harmed patients. Researchers wanted to know whether limiting trainee doctors to 80-hour weeks affected the quality of care.

Ask the doctors advice column for Thursday, July 11, 2019

Shade is always a challenge for gardeners, and it takes some creativity to build a colorful garden with only the sun that filters through the pine trees.

Staying at the Ranch at Emerald Valley, near Colorado Springs, makes one feel like they’ve hit pay dirt after all.

Garden-lovers, take note: the highly anticipated Coeur d’Alene Garden Tour is set for July 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will feature five outstanding private gardens, with two in Post Falls and three in Coeur d’Alene. This year’s theme is “plant happiness.”

Q. I’m planning to install a few pocket doors in my new home. I already know at these locations I’ll have heavy mirrors and artwork on the walls where the door slides in and out of the pocket. I’m afraid the small anchors I will have to use will fail over time and the things will come crashing to the floor. What can I do to strengthen the wall to accept a traditional screw or two that won’t pull out? – Connie B., Eugene, Oregon A. You’re not the first person to be faced with this situation with pocket doors. The danger is you might scratch a door because you put in an anchor, a screw or nail too far that created a nasty blemish on the door as it slides into the pocket.

JoEllen Prickett has a distinction of first baby born in February 1969 at Spokane Valley General Hospital – soon after the facility opened. Christopher and Cheryl Custer were the first twins born there. This Wednesday, MultiCare is holding a 50th anniversary baby reunion.

Humans have been telling stories for thousands of years. At first, they told these stories out loud, then they started to write.

I think what I love the most about living in a rural community is, if there is a need in the community, it will be met. Not because anyone is keeping tabs on who needs help but because helping others is the right thing to do.

It’s the Fourth of July, and the corn should be knee-high in the garden.

Spokane-area health care providers explain their infection controls, following report that one patient died and five others were infected by mold in operating rooms at Seattle Children’s Hospital in the past year.