Cindy Hval

The only spinach I knew as a child came from a small white carton in the deep freezer. Mom would dump the frozen leaves into a pot of boiling water and serve them with lemon juice. I liked the tart juice; the slimy spinach, I hated. Flash forward 40 years.

Trudy Raymond, 69, slipped on a shimmering dark blue evening dress at Audrey’s, a Boutique, on a recent afternoon, and slowly pivoted in front of a mirror. Raymond will be a model at Fire on the Runway, an annual Inland Northwest Red Cross fundraiser featuring local firefighters and others.

Handball has played a pivotal role in Vince Slatt’s life. If not for his expertise at the game, he might never have married, Peggy, his wife of 70 years. Vince Slatt and Peggy Hennessey grew up in Butte. He attended an all-boys high school; she went to an all-girls school. After graduation, Vince attended the University of Notre Dame and Peggy went to the University of St. Mary, in Leavenworth, Kansas.

Most of us remember that first day of high school. The nervousness about finding classes, getting lockers open, and most importantly finding a familiar face. Jeremy Beal remembers it well, and that’s why for the past two years he’s been a part of the Link Crew at Deer Park High School. Link Crew leaders serve as positive role models, motivators and mentors to help smooth the transition for incoming freshman.

Sometimes it takes students a while to shine. That was true of Paul Oestreicher. He’s attended Five Mile Prairie School since kindergarten, something quite rare in a school where the student body tends to ebb and flow. The school collaborates with parents to customize each student’s education.

The staff at MEAD Alternative High School often welcomes students who are in crisis or going through difficult times – but Cassie Gordon’s situation was extreme. “Cassie came to school straight from the hospital. She’d been hospitalized for an eating disorder,” said Carole Allen, her teacher. Gordon had been diagnosed with anorexia at 13 and the disease progressed to the point where her family feared for her life.

Not many high school students have completed coursework with NASA and planned a mission to Mars – but Theresa Sievert has. As a junior, the 4.0 Mead student took an online class as part of the Washington Aerospace Scholars program. “The classes are put on by NASA through the University of Washington,” Sievert said.

In the Mt. Spokane senior class of 335 students, Zoya Hartman ranks academically at a solid 54. What makes this placement amazing is that she’s managed to excel in rigorous classes despite attending four different high schools in four years. Hartman left her mom and friends in Hawaii at the age of 16 to live with her sister in Tacoma. Just one year later she left Tacoma to move in with another sister in Spokane.

He leaned his head against the window as the plane powered up for takeoff, and when the ground slipped away, his face split into a familiar grin. At 21, our son Alex was enjoying his first flight. While it was fun to share the experience with him, my feelings were decidedly mixed. Derek and I were taking him to his new home in Houston.

The feisty first-grader at Chester Elementary caught his eye when Leo Bollman was a sophisticated third-grader. Alas, before he could woo her, Dolores and her family moved away. However, when she returned to Chester in the seventh grade, Leo wasted no time. “There were sparks,” Dolores recalled, smiling. “We were pretty serious right away.”

Chuck and Janet Boehme’s neighbors always know when Bloomsday weekend is approaching. The flowering cherry tree in their front yard sprouts new colors. “I take all my old Bloomsday shirts and hang them on hangers on our tree,” Janet Boehme said. For the Boehmes and other families, Bloomsday is more than a 12K race – it’s a much-anticipated family tradition. A reason to celebrate spring and enjoy time together.

The sun took the edge off the early spring chill as I enjoyed the view. Towering evergreens provided a picture-perfect frame for snow-capped Schweitzer Mountain. Sighing, I sat in a deck chair, cradling a cup of steaming coffee while gazing at the pristine beauty of Lake Pend Oreille. Derek settled into a chair next to me and grinned. “I’m glad we came back,” he said.

On Saturday, the soccer fields at Mead High School looked just like the fields at schools all across the city. Students in team jerseys dribbled soccer balls while shouts of “Goal!” and “Pass the ball!” rang out. Parents and friends bundled up against the chilly wind, and refs in yellow and black, blew whistles. But these teams are part of Unified Sports, a program sponsored by Special Olympics Washington. The program is designed to promote inclusion by combining people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same sports teams.

Zarah Meyer, 14, hesitantly emerged from a changing room and spun in a slow circle. A floor-length salmon-pink evening gown hugged her figure. She smiled as stylist Cheryl Smith clapped her hands and exclaimed, “Now, that’s gorgeous!”

On a recent Monday evening, the smooth strains of “Would You Like to Swing on a Star?” floated up from the basement of Lidgerwood Presbyterian Church. The musical group Just for Fun was in full swing preparing for an upcoming performance. Clad in matching purple shirts bearing their logo, members laughed and chatted between songs.

Henrietta stares balefully at me from her perch next to my printer. I think she knows I’m writing about her and her feathered friends. Last month, I wrote a column about my husband’s previously unexpressed longing to be a chicken-owner. I believe I may have vowed to fly the coop if Derek brought home any poultry.

It took almost 69 years, but Henry Lloyd Phillips finally received the Purple Heart and other medals he earned as a young private during World War II. Friends and family filled his Spokane Valley living room on Friday to watch as Col. Chuck Lehman USAF (Ret.) pinned the Purple Heart to Phillips’ lapel.

An oasis of peace is poised to open just off bustling North Division Street. Soon, Hospice House North will welcome its first patients. Since 1977, Hospice of Spokane has provided care and support for the terminally ill and their families. Serving Spokane, Ferry, Stevens and Pend Oreille counties, the organization’s mission includes honoring the dignity of the terminally ill, educating the community about end-of-life issues and offering bereavement counseling services and support.

His warm smile beams from framed photographs in his parents’ home, but his grin is always brightest in the pictures of him in uniform. Matthew Stiltz loved being a soldier.

His face stared out me from the photo album. Dark hair with straight bangs falling across huge green eyes. A goofy grin and a Nintendo controller clutched in his hands. Taking a sharp breath, I blinked rapidly as my eyes filled with tears. He looked so much like my son Alex they could have been twins.

Sometimes it’s an uphill battle to expand my family’s idea of what healthy eating looks like. My husband and four sons are adamant in their contention that there are but two food groups: meat and potatoes. Three if you include baked goods. Four if you include ice cream. Several years ago I got some recipes from a local Weight Watchers group and instituted Meatless Mondays. Some groaning ensued, but I found two staple recipes that my family enjoys any day of the week.